Breaking in. Oil change.

All this makes me want to go out tomorrow and change the oil again. A little to late seeing that I went 600 miles before changing. I now have 1600 miles on it and will change it anyway at 2000 miles. I will also change out the coolant. I am running at 221 F no matter the temp or riding style. I feel like a bit amateur in this since I have always trusted manufacture suggestions to some point. I always change oil in the car or bike at 2000 mile intervals anyway other than the break in. I have never kept a bike over 29,000 miles before selling and getting a new one. But this one I want to keep!;-)

 

Check your manual, your drain interval is now 8000 miles! Using a high quality pure synthetic can extend that interval even further. Wise to change early on during break-in, but don't hang onto old habits changing after every couple thousand miles.

 

Maybe the dude just gets off on changing oil.. We shouldn't be discriminatory over these things IMO.

 

His choice, his money. Just saying it is not necessary anymore. Changing the oil and removing the filters on our 8th gens is not an easy task. If we were talking about cars or trucks, simple.

 

I was less concerned aboot his bike than his freedom of expression behind closed doors. Never changed oil on one of the newer bikes. It could be made a tad easier if using a Scotts oil filter that comes with it's own strap wrench. Mind that this in not a plug for Scotts oil filters. Constant plugging of any product can wear thin if not done with some restraint IMO.

Maybe as a way to pour oil on the waters would be to offer up a detailed how-to on removing and re-installing of the fairing parts that need to be removed from the bike and maybe some tips for the keeping the part that can get drippy sometimes if not done by using some of the tricks picked up from many oil changes on many different bikes.

Seems like the smart thing to do is if ya buy a new or used bike from a dealer, most would be accommodating enough to toss in a quick instructional on how those fairing come apart and go back together withoot busting off those chickenshit tabs. I took my bike to George Dean who showed me how 25 years ago. This is not a plug for George. He now builds bike engines for mini race cars unless of course somebody has the pesos for one of those cars. I don't.

I put several layers of newspaper under the bike. I read the papers first though for all the news that's fit to print. I skip the obits and most of the ads except for the WalMart ads. If the old oil soaks through, I have an atomizer bottle loaded up with undiluted Purple Power for further cleanup and so I won't slip and maybe bust my ass on a concrete floor. Both the atomizer bottle and the Purple Power concentrate come from WalMart.

 

Think we are on the same page. Somebody did "how to" take off fairings on VFRD. His photos are great, but don't show the evap canister we have in CA.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/index....r-cowl-bellypan-removal-for-oilfilter-change/

The filter was so tight on my first oil change, I modified a tool to get it off, no room with canister to swing anything. I don't get a newspaper, so I use adsorbent bed pads to keep oil off driveway and I have a spray bottle of simple green to cleanup.

 

Glad I read this thread today. I'll be picking up a new 2024 Tuesday so I just called the dealer to do a fresh oil change BEFORE I drive it out the shop.
They said they would and of course, at no cost to me. Probably not needed, but there is no good reson NOT to.

I appreciate the comments and look forward to having my first VFR! At 73, I think it will be my last bike. Somehow I feel I might want to add the 1.25 inch riser. If it is like my FZ1, then I'll be fine. But I think it may be a tad low.
Just hoping Invest 99 doesn't come my way. 90% Of the homes in my area were destroyed about 2 weeks ago by historic flooding.

 

Awesome, they came out with the2024--- pictures?
All joking aside enjoy and props for you still riding at 73---- hope I'm alive to enjoy at 73


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Silas, congrats on your 2014, red or white? You might want to look into the Knight Designs foot pegs as well, they will drop them about an 1". You got me beat by a year!

 

I've got the red one. My face is red too! 2nd post and made a mistake. No I don't have pics of the 2024, and doubt if I'll still be alive by then but if I am I might be picking one up!!

Knights foot pegs lol nice. How much are they?

 

About $120

 

my vfr runs extremely powerfull-perfect
Notice I have done simple mods but they are work excellent.:joker:

 

Hard to tell how old SOW is. His mental age is in the negative numbers column.

 

Yah same pictures for years now.... Hey sow lets see a picture of you and your neighbors bike since I call BS you even have one---


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Another bromance ends up on the rocks..

 

I'm 62 and think I'll have this bike for the rest of my life even while keeping my 916 and might buy something else like a KTM enduro. I installed the .5" riser and I don't think it's enough and should have gone with the 1.25. The Knight foot pegs are great (I'm 6'1").

Another comment about oil life: In a discussion with a 30-year veteran motorcycle mechanic (former National Service Manage for major brand, he's seen the insides of 100's of engines) - We're wasting time and money changing oil too often on modern motorcycles.

 

63, whether this is my last bike remains to be seen. Sold a 92 FJ1200 and a 92 ST1100 for this bike. Not into
cruisers. Got the 1.25 inch risers...glad I did. And on the oil issue, next change amsoil synthetic goes in and that will work yearly or maybe two.

 

1st 250 miles then maybe another 400 or so on a brand new motor. Then rev it freely and enjoy, think about this; how do you break in a new chain saw? You going to go out and cut twigs? If you got one, you probably have s huge oak that fell on your lawn, or in my case a palm tree ound: triumph used to ship their bikes dry, only the break in oil was in the crank case. You drained what was in there and substituted the correct oil. The used an oil resovoir to build their engines and kind of just recirculated the used oul during the manufacturing/engine building.

 

I talked to a friend that was a flight instructor (VFR and instrument ratings) and owned the school for a long time. Talking about engines in general he said you can't go wrong with how aircraft engines are broken in. A bunch of heat cycles, never constant rpm's, change oil very early, more heat cycles change oil then full throttle runs but back down through the rpm's. Then run it like you want. Good power and longevity. Weed whackers and chain saws....? Full throttle! lol

 

During WW2 they were so hard pressed to get the airplanes out, they were using a "dry break in" no oil. Weed eaters and such rely on going wide open to cool themselves. Heat cycles are important as you know.