Thanks to a hectic few months I've not ridden my bike since the end of September (I know, criminal!).

General consensus seems to be that oil should be changed before a bike is laid up for winter, but I failed to do that. So now I'm wondering whether I should change the oil before the bike's fired-up again. An oil change is due anyway, so I'm just wondering whether warming it up before emptying the old oil will actually do any harm.

Aware this is an extremely basic question.

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'08 X / '16 SX

I would warm it up cos the oil comes out easier when hotter.

You won't do any damage.

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08 Specialized Langster

Thanks pash.

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'08 X / '16 SX

The idea of changing oil before a lay up is to prevent the corrosive bye products of combustion (which the oil is full of) attacking bearing surfaces. This why oil should be changed frequently imho, irrespective of whether it is still in it's labeled viscosity grade or 'slippery' enough. You only have to look at (for eg) big end shells (obviously not applicable to to Tubers and Fuelers) that have been left to sit in dirty oil for a long time. If a motor is periodically started up during a long winter lay off, it only makes matters worse because they rarely reach operating temperature for an extended period like a good thrashing does.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

I don't know where you draw the line though, if you lay an engine up, do you drain the oil? If you did, there would still be a film of it to corrode stuff...

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08 Specialized Langster

Yeah, it's a tricky one, I tend to change the oil and then take it for a short run upto temp which I reckon is about 10 miles then lay it up.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

My wife and daughter-in-law have purchased new vehicles recently. Manuals says that oil changes are every 10,000 miles. I don't 'effin think so! For the above reasons. Even stated that no break-in oil change was necessary!

Yes, the synth may last under normal use but the contaminants in it trump all.

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Bob Krzeszkiewicz
2012 XR1200X - 2011 Kawasaki Z1000SX - 1999 Buell X1

Do you think the car will last long enough for you to notice any effect?

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08 Specialized Langster

Some new Mercedes lorries go 80000 miles before the first oil change, which I find amazing but oils have evolved over the years and are in a different league to where they were twenty years ago.
I have owned a T140 for fifteen years and I lay it up with the oil that's been used during that summer sometimes for a couple of years.
Then when I got to use it after a lay up I warm it up and change it.
So far those fragile shells have lasted with no sign of trouble.
The main thing is not to start it while laying up but turn it over a few times now and again.
In my opinion oils have detergents which are meant to eat shit in oil.

Buy good oil!

That's my opinion and I am sure a few others will also have an opinion!

I'm going to chime in again...

My old car had oil service intervals every 15k miles yet it used a lire of oil every 1500 miles. How much of the original oil was left at the oil change?

A dickie bird told me that one rail operator was now no longer changing the oil on some of its diesels for the reason above, instead just the filters...

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08 Specialized Langster

Some new Mercedes lorries go 80000 miles before the first oil change, which I find amazing bit of a shock when I looked in the service book at 3k for the service intervals .
oils have evolved over the years and are in a different league to where they were twenty years ago.
local motorcycle oil rep some twenty years ago said that these new synthetic oils don't wear out they just get dirty that’s why you have to change them

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Buell Ulysses XB12X 06/08

According to Morris Lubricants, the detergents are added so that contaminants don't build up on surfaces inside the motor. Instead they are held in suspension in the oil, rather than neutralising them. It's the reason why high detergent oils, as used in Diesels, turns jet black after only a few miles.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

Are you saying that some Mercedes lorries don't go 80000 miles before there first oil change then?because if you are I can assure you, you are wrong, the oil costs over £500 to buy for the oil change. But it is cheap on the grand scheme of things because the lorry stays on the road with less down time

no what i'm saying is that whilst driving a new merc lorry recently , that at 3000 kilometers I checked in the service book to find out when the first service should be carried out , me thinking back to days of old and new cars , 1500 miles was first service then every 6000 miles . and seeing the 80000

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Buell Ulysses XB12X 06/08

I cringed when I first heard 80000 for an oil change but I am sure they wouldn't state it if they weren't sure there would be no harm done.
Even Audi, VW and Mercedes cars generally go 18000 between oil changes!
I know the engineering is better as well nowadays but the oils are surely the main reason for such long duration