Ducati Monster Forum

Moto Board => Tech => Topic started by: johnster on June 10, 2008, 06:36:46 AM



Title: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: johnster on June 10, 2008, 06:36:46 AM
I was just curious..

-I try to change mine every 2000 miles, but have heard of people letting it go all the way to 4000!! Other people say they change theirs when the oil starts to appear black which seems a bit anal to me..

-It's been 2000 miles since my last oil change and would rather not ride too much until I have time to do it (even though 3000 seems to be the standard).

-So when do you guys do it, and how strict are you about not going over?


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: ducpainter on June 10, 2008, 06:40:07 AM
Once a year...in the fall.

I don't ride many miles on the bike anymore.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Desmo Demon on June 10, 2008, 06:57:09 AM
Most of my bikes get changed at 3000 whether they are sythnetic or dino oil. I tend to ride my bikes fairly hard, so I don't mind changing it that soon with synthetic. In the case of my harley, though, I change it every 2000 miles, but it has over 100k miles and tends to run fairly dirty. Typically, my bikes get over 3000 miles on each, per year, so some get one oil change a year, and in the case of my harley, it got four last year.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Duck-Stew on June 10, 2008, 07:01:21 AM
Usually every 2K miles but have done it as often as 1000 miles and as many as 3000 miles. 

The oil does a lot of work in an engine with the gearbox attached so I figure it wears more than a regular car engine does.  Plus, I figure that with the additional cost of changing the oil every 2K miles, it's much cheaper than an engine rebuild.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Spike on June 10, 2008, 08:02:46 AM
Every 3000 miles with Motul 300V.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Fresh Pants on June 10, 2008, 08:06:43 AM
Every 3000 miles on the Monster, every 1500 on the KTM (smaller oil capacity).
We'll see how the new EAO filter works on the monster.
I also have neo-magnets on the oil filters on both bikes, might put some on the car.



Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: SKOM on June 10, 2008, 08:17:36 AM
2000 to 3000 kms. I like changing the oil. Not to save my motor but it gives me a chance to spend some time wrenching on the duc.  [thumbsup]


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: triangleforge on June 10, 2008, 08:39:33 AM
Every 3,000 miles. Just out of curiosity, does everyone who's doing short interval changes change the filter too?  On cars when I've done changes at well less than the recommended interval, I did the filter every other change.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: ScottRNelson on June 10, 2008, 08:39:58 AM
Every three years or 3000 miles, whichever comes first.  That's a little more often than once a year on my ST2 and whenever I get new cam belts put on the 888, since it gets ridden less than 1000 miles a year.

Other than flaking rocker arms on some of the 4-valve Ducatis, I don't remember hearing of any oil-related failures on a Ducati engine.

What problem do you think you're solving by changing the oil at 2000 miles or 2000 kilometers?


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: triangleforge on June 10, 2008, 08:44:02 AM
Usually every 2K miles but have done it as often as 1000 miles and as many as 3000 miles. 

The oil does a lot of work in an engine with the gearbox attached so I figure it wears more than a regular car engine does.  Plus, I figure that with the additional cost of changing the oil every 2K miles, it's much cheaper than an engine rebuild.

So would it make sense to do changes more frequently (whatever the interval) on the wet clutch Monster than on the dry clutch ST2, since the oil in the latter isn't subject to the same shear forces? If I remember the long oil thread on the old board, life inside a wet clutch is pretty hard on the mineral-based (non-synthetic) oils, as it tends to rip apart the friction modifiers that they add to make multi-viscosity dino oils.



Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: johnster on June 10, 2008, 08:49:48 AM
What problem do you think you're solving by changing the oil at 2000 miles or 2000 kilometers?

None.. Paranoia more than anything..  ;D

I guess waiting 'till 3000 won't kill me (or the bike)  ;)...

Other than flaking rocker arms on some of the 4-valve Ducatis, I don't remember hearing of any oil-related failures on a Ducati engine.

That's good to know... I wasn't sure if viscocity breakdown was more common in our engines vs. car engines, so I just erred on the side of caution + did it more frequently...

-Same w/the valves... Running the DP SPS Cams in the 916, I felt like I had to get them checked more frequently, which I was quickly told is unneccesary...


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Beattie_Yoo on June 10, 2008, 08:57:16 AM
I ride every day therefore i keep my oil change intervals quite short. Every 1,500 miles. keeps my mind at peace. and i enjoy doing the service very much. i even slice open my filters to check for particles.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: SKOM on June 10, 2008, 09:02:58 AM
What problem do you think you're solving by changing the oil at 2000 miles or 2000 kilometers?

I like changing the oil. Not to save my motor but it gives me a chance to spend some time wrenching on the duc.  [thumbsup]


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: CairnsDuc on June 10, 2008, 12:34:59 PM
I change mine every 2000 to 3000 km's, For the same reason's listed above, It does work fairly hard in the Air cooled Bikes, It has to lubricate the Engine and gearbox, cool the engine and Gearbox, while putting up with our Summer heat and Humidity here in Northern Australia.

Although it's nice at the moment, Clear days and a nice 20C most days, Awesome riding weather!  [thumbsup]


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: rockaduc on June 10, 2008, 01:51:35 PM
Right around 3k miles.  Usually a bit before.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: swerdna on June 10, 2008, 04:02:17 PM
3k miles. As Rx'ed. New oil, new filter.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: MendoDave on June 10, 2008, 05:17:15 PM
3k here as well. I had one bike that I put over 50k on. Absolutely no problems with the engine. The gears and Cams looked fine...


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: DoubleEagle on June 10, 2008, 06:09:48 PM
3K miles . S4Rs , replace the filter as well.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: DarkStaR on June 10, 2008, 08:12:44 PM
Oil & Filter every 3k.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: ducwrx on June 10, 2008, 09:31:40 PM
Once a year in the spring, usually. The riding season is pretty short, so I only get a few thousand miles on it a year.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: WTSDS on June 11, 2008, 01:53:09 AM
3 K miles ( 5 K kms ) dino oil, wash/inspect screen, new filter.







Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: LYD on June 11, 2008, 04:16:43 AM
3000 miles is when i do it. ;D


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: johnster on June 11, 2008, 04:45:43 AM
So I checked my oil level last night and noticed it was a tad low which I would expect to be normal, as the engine is going to use some oil as it runs... I topped if off w/Mobil Synthetic 15w50 (maybe 1/3 of a quart)...

-I will do a complete change @ 3000 miles instead of 2000, but there shouldn't be any issue with topping it off using different oil than what's already in there, right??


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: LA on June 11, 2008, 09:11:05 AM
3K mi. Oil and filter. Don't do the screen any more.

LA


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: hypurone on June 11, 2008, 09:25:34 AM
Every three years or 3000 miles, whichever comes first..

Yikes! Just kidding... I know that's GOTTA be a typo.  ;D

I change mine between 3000-4000 miles with filter and like Larry, don't do the screen anymore (S4RS) as there is never anything in it. I use the Motul 300v. Expensive but great stuff. Never get that notchy feeling on the tranny like with other oils I have used and I can run it out to the 4000 mile mark without any degredation in performance.



Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: uclabiker06 on June 11, 2008, 04:57:03 PM
Every 3K miles, with a filter change every 6K miles. (Still waiting for Amsoil to make that black filter)


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: aaronb on June 11, 2008, 07:39:01 PM
dealer and owners manual said 600 miles then 7500 with nothing needed in between.  i changed it (oil and filter) anyway at 4000 miles and again this spring (5500 miles, just oil) when i got the bike out.  i think i will settle into a 3k interval depending on service conditions.  im closing in on my 7500 service so i will do it again then. 


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: gatuso on June 11, 2008, 09:05:28 PM
I do my oil and filter about every 2k miles (motul 10w40), since this is something I can do is not that expensive  ;D

Later.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: ducwrx on June 11, 2008, 11:19:20 PM
Every 3K miles, with a filter change every 6K miles. (Still waiting for Amsoil to make that black filter)
Why are you replacing your filter less often than the oil? I've heard of people replacing the filter and not the oil after an oil analysis shows that the oil is still good, but never the other way around.


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: Big Troubled Bear on June 12, 2008, 03:19:18 AM
Every 3000 Km`s with Motul [thumbsup]


Title: Re: How often do YOU change your oil?
Post by: SKOM on June 12, 2008, 07:38:38 AM
Why are you replacing your filter less often than the oil? I've heard of people replacing the filter and not the oil after an oil analysis shows that the oil is still good, but never the other way around.

Sounds backwards to me. I think it would be a little difficult to change the filter without changing the oil.  Unless of course you turned the bike upside down.  ???


SimplePortal 2.1.1