oil change intervals on track bikes

[tommymac]

Is there any actual data that shows you need to swap the oil that often. I have been swapping it every 4 or 5 days, and the oil still looks prety good when I take it out. I can see for someone like Ralph, or Bob or anyone who coaches to change it more since they are out there a long time. I wonder if its necessary to change it this often, and no I am not testing that theory with my bike

Tom

[AfricanBootyScratcher]

I do every 4 days, using the ELF stuf from TPM. At the same time I bleed the brakes with the Motul 600 brake fluid, and clean my chain with kerosene. I clean the air filter, replace the plugs, and flush the rediator at the beginning of the season.
before I was coaching, I would do it every 6 days

[bikerguyzx12]

lets get back to the issue of bike oil and car oil real quick, i did a littel research being as tho i work at a bike dealership (i am asked this question quite often), all the oil companies have told me that the main difference is whats called a shearing factory, it is the oil's ability to keep its properties while being crushed through the gears of a transmission and clutch, anybody have any more info on this??? from what i understand, car oil completely lacks this ability. and when i worked at kawasaki a technical service bulletin was put out about car oil blowin transmissions in kawasaki bikes, if it happened in a kawai it can happen in anything

[Cakes206]

Originally Posted by ffejtable

unless its a long time between track days...

If time caused oil to break down it would be bad right off the shelf, lol.

[bikerguyzx12]

its not that time causes oil to break down, oil is a cleaner as well as a lubricant, it cleans the carbon from the inside of the engine.......problem is, when carbon is mixed with oil it makes the oil become very acidy, that acidic nature of the oil actually eats away at the aluminum inside your engine over time.........

[RCM78]

Originally Posted by bikerguyzx12

lets get back to the issue of bike oil and car oil real quick, i did a littel research being as tho i work at a bike dealership (i am asked this question quite often), all the oil companies have told me that the main difference is whats called a shearing factory, it is the oil's ability to keep its properties while being crushed through the gears of a transmission and clutch, anybody have any more info on this??? from what i understand, car oil completely lacks this ability. and when i worked at kawasaki a technical service bulletin was put out about car oil blowin transmissions in kawasaki bikes, if it happened in a kawai it can happen in anything

The way I understand it, the oil is constructed of long molecular strands. The shearing action of the transmission gears cuts the strands and the oil loses it's viscosity. So the oil could actually look fine but not work very well...

[bikerguyzx12]

but the shearing action of the transmission is reduced by the addition of additives in motorcycle oil versus car oil

[Cakes206]

Originally Posted by bikerguyzx12

but the shearing action of the transmission is reduced by the addition of additives in motorcycle oil versus car oil

Careful with additives, especialy any friction modifiers, i.e. Moly...no good for wet clutch systems.

[CBRBob]

I miscounted one time last year and went 6 days. By the middle of the morning I could feel the trans was notchier and the engine louder. After the event, I dropped the oil and it was very thin when cold but still looked new.

[bikerguyzx12]

THERE IS A NON MOLY AND A MOLY MOTORCYCLE OIL, OF COURSE WE NEED TO USE THE NON MOLY, THE MMOLY ADDITIVE IS FOR BIKES THAT HAVE A DRY CLUTCH OR A SEPERATE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OILS

[NYCSTRIPES]

Consumer Reports did a piece on anti-shear additives a few years back, I came away from that article believing that its all BS. Just another way to charge more money for the same item.
Company after company had little to say about what was different about MC oil versus car oil.
Choose what you want, just change it often. Also do not go cheaply on filters. Get a good oil filter and change it when you change the oil.
Oil does become acidic while in the motor. Once you run it, carbon does get introduced into the oil from the combustion process. Sitting used oil will absorb moisture via the carbon in the used oil and that compound becomes acidic. Old oil left in your bike over the winter can etch metal surfaces.
Ken

[Cakes206]

Originally Posted by NYCSTRIPES

Oil does become acidic while in the motor. Once you run it, carbon does get introduced into the oil from the combustion process. Sitting used oil will absorb moisture via the carbon in the used oil and that compound becomed acidic. Old oil left in your bike over the winter can etch metal surfaces.
Ken

Interesting.

[RAC]

How often should I change the oil in my "every day" bike and what should I use 00 R6??

[NYCSTRIPES]

I change my street bike oil every 2000 miles. Any synthetic oil is great.
Ken

[bikerguyzx12]

I DO THE OIL CHANGES ON THE ZX12 EVERY 2000 MILES ON USE NOTHING BUT BEL-RAY FULL SYNT, ITS GONE 50K MILES SO FAR WITHOUT ISSUES AND MY 600RR TRACK BIKE SEEMED TO BE SMOOTHER WITH THE SEMI-SYNT, NEVER TRIED FULL IN IT THO, AND MY DUCATI USES FULL SYNT CUZ THATS WHAT DUC SAYS TO USE BUT ALL MY STREET BIKES GET AN OIL AND FILTER EVERY 2K MILES