| Author | Message | ||
     Trevorxb9s |
I'm about do for an oil change. I'm at the mileage and 3 months. My question is this. We are approaching winter here in Colorado. Although I can ride randomly during the winter I won't ride as much as spring, summer and fall. Should I change the oil before putting it up for the winter or hold off and change it in the spring...what do you think? | ||
| Spike |
I'd recommend changing it before and after, but most would consider that a bit excessive. If you're only going to change it once I'd recommend changing it in the spring when you start riding again. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
I say go ahead and change it. That way, if you ride more than you thought you would, the bike will be good to go(use a battery tender, too) my $.02 | ||
| Trevorxb9s |
I have a tender, and should be able to ride somewhere around once a month I think. So I'm gonna stay away from the fuel stabilizer stuff. I just figured that changing it in the spring might get out all the moisture and crap from lack of use in the winter. But I wanted to get everyone's opinion | ||
| Typeone |
I do both before and after winter storage... in my bike and my '66 Porsche. | ||
| M1combat |
I'd do it before... As I recall, some acids build up in your oil from standard use. | ||
| Guzzimon |
Do it before. M1 is right, very CORROSIVE acids build up after only one startup. Go ahead and put a little fuel stabilizer (or Seafoam) in the tank -- just in case you get tied up and can't ride once a month. | ||
| Emscityx |
Before and after, perhaps oil only in the spring. Battery tender = good thing. Pay attention to the part in the manual where it says that the suspension will be more stiff in the cold....it really stiffens up....adjustments for the winter may be called for. | ||
| Brucelee |
Before. | ||
| Kootenay |
I'm copying this from my post in another thread, thought it might be more suitable to this thread: I wonder if there's as much reason to change oil on a dry sump engine like the Buell prior to storage. I understand the potential problems of leaving dirty oil in a wet-sump engine during extended storage, especially a motorcycle wet-sump engine where the transmission and clutch sit in that oil as well--but with the Buell dry sump, isn't the oil pretty much all in the swingarm oil tank? And unless you run it after a change, any oil actually in the engine, oil pump, cooler, etc. will still be dirty, right? | ||
| Bumblebee |
Use fuel stabilizer. Gas is only good for a few months, and since you most likely won't use a full tank every month, this is good insurance. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Before. I always change oil and tranny/primary before storing. And that is what I recommend to all my customers. Koot, Why wouldnt you run the engine after startup? That way you get a acurate oil level reading. | ||
| Kootenay |
Koot, Why wouldnt you run the engine after startup? I assume you mean, after an oil change? If I'm doing an oil change directly prior to storage, I generally won't start up afterwards--on the Japanese bikes I'm used to (with oil windows) it's easy to get an accurate reading of oil level without starting. Plus, if I do start any engine, I prefer to run it under normal load long enough to get it completely warm (I try to never start an engine just to idle it a few minutes before shutting down). I'm simply not used to dry sump engines, period (hence my question!). | ||
| Fullpower |
changing your oil is almost always a darned good idea. given the climate and time of year, and the possibility of some few short trips over the next 4 months you may wish to consider a lighter viscosity, such as 15W-40 or even 10W-40. I use a 10W-40 in my street bikes here in winter. Mostly get short 5 or 8 miles rides around sea level in the winter months, and the occasional blast through town at noon, road conditions permitting. |
