What Mileage Are you Changing Your Oil?

[Stayfree]

every 2500 miles, full synthetic and filter. Cheap insurance

I have used the 2,500 mark for oil changes for many years. (Since the early 1970's.) I continue to do so now on all my vehicles (2 Gold Wings, 1 Valkyrie, 1 Spyder RTS, a Ford Explorer, and even my Ford F-450 with a 7.3 Diesel.

I find that spotting the 2500 mark on the odometer is easier than trying to remember which 3000 mark is coming up next. I started that back when 3000 was considered the 'gold standard'.

As @SpyderCruiser pointed out: "...my Grandfather once told me that oil was cheaper then engines, so don't cheap out on the oil changes."

On the Spyder 9300 miles just seems like far to long especially if you are an old dinosaur like myself. I ride quite a bit so I usually end up changing the oil every 2 - 3 months on my bikes which also means I end up checking out the underside fairly often.

Interestingly I also never have to really sweat oil change times on the Can Am if I am on a trip. I figure if the BRP blended oil is good for 9300 miles I can run over the 2500 miles by quite a bit if I am on a trip and it isn't convenient to change oil along the way.

On my bikes I use Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 20/50 V-Twin. Costs a little bit more than blended oil but so much less than an engine replacement or overhaul. I can honestly say that in close to a million miles on various vehicles I have never had an oil related problem and I ride hard.

Having said that if you choose to use the BRP oil, or an equivalent/better oil and wish to run it 9,300 miles I don't think you will have any problems. One concern I have with the extended oil change intervals recommended by manufacturers these days is the thought that all they really have to be sure of is the engine staying together for the length of the warranty period. On the other hand I never sell or trade in a vehicle. I accumulate miles and by the time I am finished with a vehicle there ain't a whole lot left to trade in. LOL.

Max

[aklim]

Have your oil tested. The report may shock you. Especially on the 1330's.

Shock as in good type or bad?

[Highwayman2013]

I have used the 2,500 mark for oil changes for many years. (Since the early 1970's.) I continue to do so now on all my vehicles (2 Gold Wings, 1 Valkyrie, 1 Spyder RTS, a Ford Explorer, and even my Ford F-450 with a 7.3 Diesel.

I find that spotting the 2500 mark on the odometer is easier than trying to remember which 3000 mark is coming up next. I started that back when 3000 was considered the 'gold standard'.

As @SpyderCruiser pointed out: "...my Grandfather once told me that oil was cheaper then engines, so don't cheap out on the oil changes."

On the Spyder 9300 miles just seems like far to long especially if you are an old dinosaur like myself. I ride quite a bit so I usually end up changing the oil every 2 - 3 months on my bikes which also means I end up checking out the underside fairly often.

Interestingly I also never have to really sweat oil change times on the Can Am if I am on a trip. I figure if the BRP blended oil is good for 9300 miles I can run over the 2500 miles by quite a bit if I am on a trip and it isn't convenient to change oil along the way.

On my bikes I use Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 20/50 V-Twin. Costs a little bit more than blended oil but so much less than an engine replacement or overhaul. I can honestly say that in close to a million miles on various vehicles I have never had an oil related problem and I ride hard.

Having said that if you choose to use the BRP oil, or an equivalent/better oil and wish to run it 9,300 miles I don't think you will have any problems. One concern I have with the extended oil change intervals recommended by manufacturers these days is the thought that all they really have to be sure of is the engine staying together for the length of the warranty period. On the other hand I never sell or trade in a vehicle. I accumulate miles and by the time I am finished with a vehicle there ain't a whole lot left to trade in. LOL.

Max

You will be safe with early changes but if you have the oil analyzed you will get the maximum use out of your oil. On my 2014 Suzuki 650 V Strom I had the oil (Amsoil 10W40) tested at 3,000 miles and was told to go another 2,000 miles.

[Bruiser37]

Have 3,200 miles on the oil change done by the dealer. I have to admit, always changed oil at 3,000 miles be it car or bike. With synthetic, let my wife's car go to 6,000 miles.

I am not willing to let the BRP oil go as long as the manual recommends, especially since it is a synthetic blend, not full synthetic. I plan on using this oil https://www.amazon.com/Castrol-Power...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Have used Castrol my whole life and not about to change. For those with the BRP oil, how many miles are you going between changes?

For those using synthetic (any brand) how long are you going between changes?

Do not want this to turn into an oil thread, just want to know what mileage you all feel comfortable with changing the oil at. I know a few of you have had oil testing done and that information would be helpful with determining when to change.

Thank You, Louie and Meg

BRP recommends 9 to 10K oil & filter. Since I signed on & paid for extended oil changes & other recommended service

I go 5K on BRP synthetic blend and change my oil only with full synthetic Amsoil 10W 40 motorcycle oil. Next 5K I let dealer service change oil, filter & air filter etc. What they don't know won't hurt but I have peace of mind. High RPM engines like Rotax 1330 should never go beyond 5K between changes. Driven 100,000's motorcycle miles... always used Amsoil full synthetic MC oil... narry a problem.

[aklim]

Too soon since we bought it new. At 3000, I will change the oil. At 9000,i think I would send it in for testing and see what happens.

[classicvw]

I follow what my manuals say to do. You can bet the ranch that a manufacturer isn't going to exaggerate and risk thousands of failed engines either under warranty or a government mandated recall after a few dozen engine failures. If they say it's good for 4600, 5000, 7500 whatever, that's what I do.
Or once a year if I don't reach that mileage.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Too soon since we bought it new. At 3000, I will change the oil. At 9000,i think I would send it in for testing and see what happens.

I love / want your " avatar " .... I already have the Cobra ......... Mike

[aklim]

I love / want your " avatar " .... I already have the Cobra ......... Mike

There was a Cobra in the picture? OMG!! I didn't notice.

[jcthorne]

For our personal equipment, we believe in the KISS priciple. We chage every 5k. Easy to remember as the service is due at 5, 10, 15, 20 etc.

[aklim]

For our personal equipment, we believe in the KISS priciple. We chage every 5k. Easy to remember as the service is due at 5, 10, 15, 20 etc.

If my lab test says that 10k is going to work, why change at 5k and spend twice the money and time? Good oil and filters aren't given away free and why waste my time doing it, clean up and disposal of oil?

[Dmetcalf]

Have your oil tested. The report may shock you. Especially on the 1330's.

Im curious so would it indicate we need to change our oil earlier or could we go even longer using a good synthetic..?
thanks

[Dmetcalf]

I've always changed my oil on all of my vehicles but with this machine I don't want to do anything that would hurt me if I needed to make a warranty claim ..?
Thanks

[aklim]

I've always changed my oil on all of my vehicles but with this machine I don't want to do anything that would hurt me if I needed to make a warranty claim ..?
Thanks

I don't think it matters what oil you use as long as it is within spec. As to the interval, well, I would think that anything under 9300 is fair game if you want to protect the engine for AFTER the warranty. While I want to do that, I don't want to change every 3000 if it doesn't provide anything but mental satisfaction that you have been a good boy.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

If my lab test says that 10k is going to work, why change at 5k and spend twice the money and time? Good oil and filters aren't given away free and why waste my time doing it, clean up and disposal of oil?

Well for me this is my last Spyder .... So I do the oil at around 5,000 ( so twice a year ) , but only one filter change. If BRP thinks the filter is good for 9,300 miles I'm good with that ..... But the OIL viscosity is well broken down by 5,000 +/- mi..... and members here have the independent Lab tests to prove it..... If you just change the oil it's not any hassle at all and fairly in-expensive .......... jmho....Mike

[aklim]

Well for me this is my last Spyder .... So I do the oil at around 5,000 ( so twice a year ) , but only one filter change. If BRP thinks the filter is good for 9,300 miles I'm good with that ..... But the OIL viscosity is well broken down by 5,000 +/- mi..... and members here have the independent Lab tests to prove it..... If you just change the oil it's not any hassle at all and fairly in-expensive .......... jmho....Mike

OK. Now THAT is another case. Any idea who those are so I can check with them what oil they use and maybe avoid it? Or do you know if the BRP oil is what is broken down? If it is, I'm definitely not using that oil and if I change the oil, I'm changing the filter since I am already there.

[PaladinLV]

After the first change, every 9,000 or one year which ever comes first as specified by BRP.

AJ

Have 3,200 miles on the oil change done by the dealer. I have to admit, always changed oil at 3,000 miles be it car or bike. With synthetic, let my wife's car go to 6,000 miles.

I am not willing to let the BRP oil go as long as the manual recommends, especially since it is a synthetic blend, not full synthetic. I plan on using this oil https://www.amazon.com/Castrol-Power...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Have used Castrol my whole life and not about to change. For those with the BRP oil, how many miles are you going between changes?

For those using synthetic (any brand) how long are you going between changes?

Do not want this to turn into an oil thread, just want to know what mileage you all feel comfortable with changing the oil at. I know a few of you have had oil testing done and that information would be helpful with determining when to change.

Thank You, Louie and Meg

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

OK. Now THAT is another case. Any idea who those are so I can check with them what oil they use and maybe avoid it? Or do you know if the BRP oil is what is broken down? If it is, I'm definitely not using that oil and if I change the oil, I'm changing the filter since I am already there.

Not something I committed to memory , I'm pretty sure JC Thorne has done His a few times...He uses Rotella T-6 .....All the people who had the testing done were using Full Synthetic of different brands ..... ( from my memory ) even those had viscosity break-down at 4 to 5,000 miles .............have you tried the Search function ???? .... Mike

[DGoebel]

I've done Blackstone Labs testing on my 998 with the BRP XPS oil and they (Blackstone) tells me to change at 3000 miles even with their TBN testing.
I've switched to full Synthetic and will be testing again at 3000 miles.

[jcthorne]

If my lab test says that 10k is going to work, why change at 5k and spend twice the money and time? Good oil and filters aren't given away free and why waste my time doing it, clean up and disposal of oil?

Have not seen one single used oil analysis that shows a spyder with 10k on the oil was good. So far, none have made it past 5k. The trans and clutch shear the oil too severely for even the best synthetics to hold up that long.

[aklim]

Have not seen one single used oil analysis that shows a spyder with 10k on the oil was good. So far, none have made it past 5k. The trans and clutch shear the oil too severely for even the best synthetics to hold up that long.

THAT IS going to be a problem. Makes me wonder how they came up with the 9300 number

[classicvw]

THAT IS going to be a problem. Makes me wonder how they came up with the 9300 number

I'm sure they designed, built, and tested their engines thoroughly as every manufacturer does. If they were THAT FAR off- 9300 when it should have been 5000, not only would they be the most incompetent fools ever to build a vehicle, most everyone that has been sticking to the 9300 interval would have had an engine failure. That's just not happening.

I'll say it again- the guys that designed and built our engines know best. Why would they exaggerate how long you should go between oil changes and risk thousands of warranty claims or complaints?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'm sure they designed, built, and tested their engines thoroughly as every manufacturer does. If they were THAT FAR off- 9300 when it should have been 5000, not only would they be the most incompetent fools ever to build a vehicle, most everyone that has been sticking to the 9300 interval would have had an engine failure. That's just not happening.

I'll say it again- the guys that designed and built our engines know best. Why would they exaggerate how long you should go between oil changes and risk thousands of warranty claims or complaints?

I think, the bean counters at BRP asked the engineers what were the odds of the engine or transmission in the 1330 Ace package Failing BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ..... if the " change oil & filter " intervals were extended ....... answer , maybe .02 %, but probably lower than that number. So BRP is not concerned about failures below 50,000 miles ...... after that it will the owners problem..... And this is not uncommon LOGIC in the AUTO industry. The manufactures cover their Butts yours not so much..... That's why I use Full Synthetic and change 5,000 mi. or less ....... Mike

[aklim]

I'm sure they designed, built, and tested their engines thoroughly as every manufacturer does. If they were THAT FAR off- 9300 when it should have been 5000, not only would they be the most incompetent fools ever to build a vehicle, most everyone that has been sticking to the 9300 interval would have had an engine failure. That's just not happening.

I'll say it again- the guys that designed and built our engines know best. Why would they exaggerate how long you should go between oil changes and risk thousands of warranty claims or complaints?

Warranty is good for 2 years. BEST goes to 5. Say you ride it 20K to 30K and trade it in, that becomes Somebody Else's Problem. Under SEP Principle, if you have a problem and no BEST, it is your problem. If you have a problem, they are already covered. One or two or even 5 oil changes aren't going to cause a problem to rear it's ugly head.

Why exaggerate? I have talked to quite a few salesmen. No boobs to attract me so they say "If you trade in your 990 Rotax for the 1330 ACE, your service intervals will be 9300 miles.". So to answer your question, "Selling Point". They forget to mention that you do it 1 year or 9300 miles, whichever comes first. They gave the impression that you can run for 9300 miles which might be 2 or 3 years for many riders. At $300 an oil change/service, you are saving money.

Signed
The Local Skeptic

[classicvw]

I think, the bean counters at BRP asked the engineers what were the odds of the engine or transmission in the 1330 Ace package Failing BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ..... if the " change oil & filter " intervals were extended ....... answer , maybe .02 %, but probably lower than that number. So BRP is not concerned about failures below 50,000 miles ...... after that it will the owners problem..... And this is not uncommon LOGIC in the AUTO industry. The manufactures cover their Butts yours not so much..... That's why I use Full Synthetic and change 5,000 mi. or less ....... Mike

I see your point and that scenario may be true, but then all years and models would have been a gross exaggeration. I just don't see the 4600 mile figure to be such an exaggeration.

I don't believe all bean counters would be that short sighted. True, an out of warranty engine failure would mean a large $$$ service for the dealers way down the road, but I don't think BRP gives that much of a rat's ass for the dealers future service billing. AND, any engine failure out of warranty would certainly sour that owner on BRP and probably would sell his Spyder and bad-mouth BRP all over the internet. Too much of that type of bad publicity is bad for the company's bottom line, even if it became "somebody else's problem" as you put it. It would still bite BRP. No maker can survive if their vehicle's reliability reputation sinks to a certain low. See: Yugo

[aklim]

I see your point and that scenario may be true, but then all years and models would have been a gross exaggeration. I just don't see the 4600 mile figure to be such an exaggeration.

I don't believe all bean counters would be that short sighted. True, an out of warranty engine failure would mean a large $$$ service for the dealers way down the road, but I don't think BRP gives that much of a rat's ass for the dealers future service billing. AND, any engine failure out of warranty would certainly sour that owner on BRP and probably would sell his Spyder and bad-mouth BRP all over the internet. Too much of that type of bad publicity is bad for the company's bottom line, even if it became "somebody else's problem" as you put it. It would still bite BRP. No maker can survive if their vehicle's reliability reputation sinks to a certain low. See: Yugo

True but how many people do a breakdown analysis? Most drivers simply drop the car off, pick up when called and pay. Besides, this year, I get my bonus. By the time this comes back to bite me, I might be with another company. So if the odds are right, we're good. If the odds go against me, well, let it be whomever holds my position because that bonus check is cashed and spent.