Yet another motor oil question

[Upcoaster]

Greetings from Washougal, Washington!

I just picked up a 2010 RT - SM5 back in October 2018 that was barely used (2,700 miles). Aside from an encounter with the nanny and I not seeing eye-to-eye in some aggressive cornering, I'm loving this bike!

The dealer I bought it from changed the oil (along with some other lite maintenance) before re-selling it but I'm contemplating doing the next oil change myself when the time comes.

I've got a few related questions:

1. Would love some recommendations to motor oil that's maybe not quite so expensive as you get with the BRP kit. I've surfed this forum and have seen a lot of support for the AmsOil 'Metric' 10W40. What are some others that y'all know and trust?
2. How about frequency of oil changes for the 990cc RT? Is the 3000 mile change pretty much the standard is it closer to 5K?
3. Have I gleaned correctly that the SM5 has just a single filter to replace vs. the SE5 has two? Something about one for the crank case and a another for the ______?? (don't quite recall)
4. With regard to the O-ring at the filter cap, if it's not cracking or showing other signs of wear, does it really need to be replaced at EVERY oil change (thus negating the need to buy the whole oil change 'kit')?*

*I want to take good care of this bike but yes, I'm looking to economize here. Better said, I'm looking to not get ripped off by getting sold a bill of goods that aren't truly required. I am intrigued by the Baja Ron selection of SKUs that do and do not include seals and washers. His options are partly what has driven the above question.

TIA,
David

 

[11rtLTD]

I change my own oil. I use Castrol power 1 10w40 full synthetic.Castrol 06112 POWER 1 4T 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil, 1 Quart Bottle, 6 Pack https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B008MISDH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KP1WCbY9449RS
It is JASO MA-2 API SL approved which is required by your owners manual.
I buy the filter kit from BajaRon because it is always correct.
I always replace the o-rings because I don't want any problems when I'm out on the road and I don't want to have to pay somebody $200 to change the oil again for me while I'm out there on the road, or $20 for an o-ring.
yes, there are two filters on the se5. One is for the crankcase, the other is for the transmission.
I've had my oil analyzed by https://www.blackstone-labs.com/?session-id=b1sjwr45kec3hz551p1gqfev&timeout=20&bslauth&urlbase=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackstone-labs.net%2FBstone%2F%28S%28b1sjwr45kec3hz551p1gqfev%29%29%2F
Oil is good for 5k miles.

 

[Mazo EMS2]

The hardest part of changing the oil, is getting up off the floor when you're done. Everything else, just simply involves a little patience. If you can turn a wrench, you can change the oil on the RT. There are hundreds of "oils" threads here on the site, and ALL of the answers are opinions that will often include some facts. If $75 is considered reasonable to you for everything you need to change your oil, BajaRon sells what you need in his kits. If you wanna pinch more pennies, you can use other wet clutch certified oils meant for motorcycles. I've used Rotella T6 from Walmart multiple times with great luck, many other have as well. It's readily available and cheap. Do a "search" on the site here and you can read about oils until your eyes bleed.

 

[pegasus1300]

+1 on Mazo's remarks. Go to you tube for videos on what and how to remove the necessary panels. BTW I have used the T6 from Walmart for years. Works very well. and cheap.

 

[woods]

Saw the T6 at oreilly today.All T6 is the 5/40 diesel?About $30 for a gallon here in nort Wis.

 

[Mazo EMS2]

Saw the T6 at oreilly today.All T6 is the 5/40 diesel?About $30 for a gallon here in nort Wis.

ORielly is always more expensive down here. Wally World is usually around $21 for a gallon

 

[Easy Rider]

ANY name brand synthetic MOTORCYCLE oil of a similar weight will be just FINE.

Mobil 1 4T "Racing" oil is widely respected and easily available.

(Note: the V-twin weight is mis-labeled and should say "for air cooled engines". )

 

[Highwayman2013]

The oil change interval for the twin is 4,600 miles. The Amsoil works great. Get the oil and filter from Bajaron. Yes the SM5 just takes one filter.

 

[Upcoaster]

EXTREMELY Interesting regarding the Rotella T6!

This is what I've used in my previous sport touring bikes (Honda PC800, Honda ST1300, Kawasaki Concours GTR-1400) for many years and Mobil 1 before that (prior to when they changed it's formula). I've always been wary of the notion that the boutique, premium-priced motorcycle oils were truly necessary and was always happy to learn of an 'automotive oil' equivalent (at least as far as the label was concerned) that met all the proper specs while not getting my pocketbook raped any more than truly necessary.

I definitely trust (via first hand experience) that the Rotella is good to go for my previous bikes. Kind of excited to hear that it plays nice with the Spyder as well.
I'm totally new to the Spyder, Rotax engines, etc. so I'm glad you spoke up with this bit of intel.