Motorcycle Oil Changes At SSU Motorcycle Service even a motorcycle oil change gets special attention. Your old oil is drained while the motor is hot to ensure the most dirty oil has been drained. A new filter is installed and torqued to factory specs. A new drain plug washer is fitted and your drain plug is torqued to factory specs. Your motor is then filled with the recommended amount of top grade motorcycle oil and then checked for proper level after 2 minutes of running. At this time we also take the opportunity to lube your chain and pivot points and set your tires to proper pressures. Your bike is now a happy bike for another 2000 miles! We recommend that you change your engines oil on a motorcycle every 1500 to 2500 miles to ensure long life from your engine.

 

FAQ

What is the purpose of engine oil?

Engine oil prevents metal to metal contact of parts inside of your motor. In essence, oil is like a liquid bearing allowing metal parts to glide over each other separated by a very thing film of oil. If the oil is worn or contaminated, its ability to keep metal from making contact with other metal parts is greatly reduced causing wear. In extreme cases, this wear will result in metal shavings in your engine which in time will cause premature failure of the engine.

How often should I change my oil?

Regardless of what your owners manual says, change it often! Every 2000 miles is a good idea for motorcycle engines. Motorcycles are more punishing on their oil since they share the transmission with the engine oil. This can cause premature break down of the lubricant by contamination from clutch particles and metal. To add more complication to things, your oil filter is very small and loses its filtering ability around 2000 miles. Remember, oil is cheap, engine rebuilds cost a lot!

What kind of oil should I use?

Check your owners manual for recommended API(American Petroleum Institute) service rating and weight for your motorcycle.
Most manufactures require an SF or SG rating. Although these are older ratings, they are not energy efficient oils which you do not want to use in the first place. Energy efficient oils contain friction modifiers that can ruin your motorcycles clutch.

Temperature conditions as well as engine type will dictate the recommended weight. Although for most motorcycles, 10w40w is fine for almost anywhere in the USA. In hotter climates 20w50w can be used. These are just general specifications and are not always the correct ones. As always check with your owners manual.

Can I use car oil in my motorcycle?

On motorcycles that do not share the transmission with your engine oil, yes. For motorcycles that have unit construction (shared transmission) then use motorcycle grade oil. Motorcycle grade oils contain additives designed for use in gearboxes to prevent shearing and foaming.

Should I use synthetics?

Ah, the age old debate on synthetic vs petroleum based. In all honesty, if one brand of oil has an API service rating of let say SF and a synthetic brand has an API service rating of SF, then they are both equally just as good at protecting your engine if your manufacture recommends an API service rating of SF. The only advantage synthetics have over petroleum based oils is their ability to go farther before they break down. Well the truth of the matter is, oil viscosity breakdown is rarely ever the cause of worn engine components. Oil contamination is. And by 2000 miles, most motorcycles have contaminated their oil with small microscopic particles of metal and clutch materials coming our of the transmission. This is why it is important to change that oil every 2000 miles or so. Does it matter that Brand XXX super synthetic will laster 10x longer than the regular petroleum based oil? Not when it is contaminated! I myself have logged silly amounts of miles on motorcycles using petroleum based oils with no indication of any real wear problems. Many of my own personal bikes have gone into the 100,000 mile mark using nothing more than petroleum based oil. However there is nothing wrong with using it. What is more important is how often you change it.

What about my oil filter? How often should I change that?

Every oil change! Most modern spin on filters contain a bypass vavle in them. When they start to plug up with contaminants, the bypass valve will open up allowing dirty oil to curculate through the engine. Dirty oil is certainly better than the other option(a filter that is plugged allowing no oil to circulate or very little) The bypass valve is an engine saver. Yet it can also be an engine killer if you fail to change out that filter.