Do you change oil before winter storage?

[prof98801]

Just wondering if you change your oil when you winterize your NT? I changed mine about 6 wks ago and have put about 1700 miles on it. I e-mailed about a dozen Honda service departments around the country to get their opinion. Some said to change it now and again in the spring but others said it would be fine and just wait and change it in the spring. Our local Honda service department said to wait until spring as the Honda oil has ingredients in it to alleviate moisture and such buildup and we have a dry climate here in Eastern Washington.

 

[RedLdr1]

I don't really winterize my bikes as I can sneak in a ride pretty much year around... But when the car show season is over I do change the oil, and filter, in my 1980 Corvette before parking it for the winter.

 

[bish79]

I always work under the assumption that the oil should be as clean as possible when it is going to sit idle in your engine for a long period of time. You run the risk of etching bearings otherwise. I do not worry about changing it in the spring then, the oil is still clean if you don't run the engine much during the winter.

 

[Bear]

If I am going to store the bike for two months or more, I always store the bike with fresh oil and filter. It does not have to be anything fancy--you can get a Wal-Mart filter and some run of the mill 10W40 Oil for the storage period. You said that you put 1700 miles on the oil before storage. If it is expensive synthetic oil, you can always save it for the spring. Warm the bike up, drain the cheap oiil, change the filter, and put in the good stuff you drained--add the deficit, and you are home free.

I use Honda Synthetic and change at 5000 mile intervals. I don't have 5000 miles on the bike. I'll drain the oil and change the filter and use the drained oil in my snow blower, or lawn mower. That's what I did with the Ninja. My lawn mower was very happy with Rotella T-6. I just put it in storage with a fresh batch of T-6.

Oil, after some use develops acids which wreak havoc with bearings--so if you are not going to use the bike, it is best to put in fresh oil and not start the bike while in storage. My bike sits in a garage/shop which never gets below 55F. It also gets ridden when the roads are dry and free of ice. If it looks like a long winter in which I can't ride, I winterize--change the oil and filter, lube the cables, give the bike a wax job, check the coolant, put a block under the bike so that the front tyre is off the floor, plug in the Battery Tender, cover the bike, and wait for spring.

 

[ARKNT]

Oil, after some use develops acids which wreak havoc with bearings

I agree that it is wise to get rid of the oil, acids, and other contaminants left in the oil before storage. It may not be needed as much as in the old days when then engines were not very tight and added a lot of leakby to the oil. Engines are very clean these days, therefore the long oil change intervals.

Brad

 

[Phil Tarman]

All this talk makes me glad I live in Colorado where winter storage isn't an issue. Even though it's 17F here in Fort Morgan right now, I'd ride if the streets hadn't been wet in places when the sun went down last night. I'll be riding by next week at the latest. (If I wasn't going to be in a seminar all weekend, I'd be riding tomorrow).

 

[prof98801]

I was interested in what Honda service departments' opinions were in regards to changing the oil when winterizing. I e-mailed over a dozen Honda motorcycle service departments around the country and more said to leave the oil and change it and the filter in the spring than change it before winter. Most said this was just an opinion and there was not a definite right or wrong.

 

[elizilla]

Just change your own oil. It's easy and fast and much, much cheaper to do this yourself. After all, if GI Joe can do it...

 

[Bear]

Katherine,
Definitely "over the top"---loved it. Reminded me of the days when I was a DI (that was after Vietnam) I trained those kids hard so that they wouldn't come home in a box. Sure would be nice if someone gave a war and nobody showed up.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Just change your own oil. It's easy and fast and much, much cheaper to do this yourself. After all, if GI Joe can do it...

Really like the oil changing instruction. Reminded me of my job that I just retired from. Although, I was a retired Army, Civilian Instructor. The technique is very similar.Also brought back my Active Army Days.

 

[Coyote Chris]

FWIW, Rider magazine Q and A tech dept just weighed in on this on page 54 of the Jan issue. If the bike is stored in a warm, dry place, they say, change the oil first and then next spring, ride baby ride.
If the bike is stored in a cold damp shed all winter, do a post winter oil change. They are assuming that moist air can get into a 2003 Ultra Classic's crank case, past the rings, I am guessing, as the barometiric pressure rises and falls. For real long term storage, they reccommend filling the crank case up to the top to cover all the shafts.....
(Katherine, you are killin' me!!!!! I love it....)
Chris who still believes its better to get that dirty thin oil out of his Connie before its long winter nap......

 

[DirtFlier]

My guess is that the age/mileage on old oil is a factor if using the "leave it in" strategy. If in doubt, just change it!

 

[Coyote Chris]

I agree with you, Dirtflyier, but I think some folk use very expensive synthetic oils, which is their choice and I am not knocking it. I admit The info on the Amsoil website comparing motorcycle oils is very convincing. But I prefer to use motorcycle specific no-synthetic oil for the riding season and cheap car oil without friction reducers for winter storage.

 

[DirtFlier]

[...I prefer to use motorcycle specific non-synthetic oil for the riding season and cheap car oil without friction reducers for winter storage...Coyote] That's a good ploy and does save you more than a few bucks over Amsoil.

 

[Coyote Chris]

And yet, there is something that speaks to me about Amsoil. I could still use the cheep oil for winter storage, but the nagging question remains....how good really is Amsoil over Kawasaki oil or Honda oil in the real world, and would there be a noticable (ie measurable) difference if you tore down two test bikes after 10 years and measured things, etc????? I may not even live for another 10 years of motorcycling, yet when you love a bike, you want to do good by it.....
Except for my wife, my friends, my dogs, my bikes, my guns, my cars, and beer, I almost love nothing......