Being a motorcycle owner isn’t for those who are not committed. Having your bike run smooth is going to take some proper maintenance and some dedication.
If you think about it, a motorcycle is a two-wheeled vehicle… like a bicycle but it doesn’t come with pedals. Instead it is powered by a motor. It can be used for travelling, commuting, delivering and sports. If you liked riding a bicycle as a kid, you probably wanted you own motorcycle as a grownup.
But a motorcycle is going to take a lot more maintenance than your little kiddie bicycle.
Maintaining your motorcycle will help prevent unwanted, serious issues in the future. In order to maintain your motorcycle here are the things that you can do on your own:
- Change the oil.
- Replace air filter
- Maintain tire pressure and tread
- Change the coolant
- Keep a clean chain
Before doing everything by yourself make sure to read your motorcycle’s manual and educate yourself as to where the location of each part. If you do not have time to do so, it is recommended to bring your motorcycle into the shop for maintenance.
There are 5 things that were stated above but here we will focus on changing your engine oil. Here you will be knowing the benefits of Oil changing and how often do you need to change your motorcycle’s engine oil. You can also check out our guide for the best motorcycle oils.
Oil Changing
Since engine oil is the life blood of a motorcycle because you cannot start an engine without it. Having a good quality engine oil is as important as changing it.
Here are several benefits of changing the oil:
- Engine oil helps in making the motorcycle function efficiently, provide less friction and makes the parts move smoothly since the components of a motorcycle is made up of metals and in order for it to work, it needed to be rubbed against each other.
- Lesser fuel gets wasted when using the motorcycle
- It is mentioned a while ago that it is made of metal and they have to be rubbed against each other to work good quality oil helps in giving longer life for your engine
- Less friction enables your motorcycle run smoothly and respond quicker.
- It isolates foreign impurities which saves the engine from damages that costs a lot.
There are generally 3 Types of Oil:
- Mineral Oil
- Semi-synthetic Oil
- Fully synthetic Oil
Mineral Oil
Mineral oils are naturally available and is used as standard for lubrication oil. They provide excellent protection for new engines for the first few miles most specially for motorcycles with small engine capacities. Its structure prevents the molecules under extreme conditions from creating a bond. It is less efficient and frequently replaced than the synthetic oils.
Semi-synthetic Oil
Semi-synthetic oil provides a balance between the mineral oil and the complex structure of fully synthetic oil. It is more versatile lubricants and keeps multiple types of motorcycles run smoothly. Semi-synthetic oils comes in motorcycles with the engine capacity of of 125cc-180cc.
Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oil is used in engines with 200cc or higher. It still works best even with large loads of stress because they are super-lubricating and very high-temperature resistant. They also last longer and protects engines better it is just the these synthetic oils are more expensive to replenish but cheaper to keep high performance.
After knowing the benefits of good quality oil we now kncheow how often we need to change our motorcycle’s engine oil. First, you need to know that the there are things you needed to consider before knowing how often your oil needed to be changed these are:
- The model, make and year that your motorcycle is made
- How often you use your motorcycle
- What type of oil you uses
Do you need to change motorcycle oil every year?
The general rule indicates that an engine oil should be changed for at least once a year but still there are factors that needed to be considered. Changing engine oil varies from the person and the how often your motorcycle is being used. The lesser you use your motorcycle the bigger the chance of corrosion because using your motorcycle less than 30 minutes does not give the motorcycle the proper time to heat up, clean, lubricate and cool.
Motorcycles should remain in the so called operating temperature for 30 minutes or more for at least twice every month. Generally, there are 3 types of engine oil: mineral, semi-synthetic, and fully synthetic. Engine oil types varies depending on your motorcycle, make sure to use the right oil for your motorcycle because it is as important as changing engine oil. Mineral-based oil are recommended to be changed every 2000 miles or at least twice every year.
how long does synthetic oil last in a motorcycle?
Semi-synthetic oil should be changed every 5000 to 6000 miles. Lastly, the fully-synthetic oil is recommended to be changed every 7000 to 10,000 miles. Take note the it is important to check your oil level and quality regularly. Changing your oil filter is important as changing your engine oil.
Since, oil filter is your last defense in protecting your engine. When we change our oils to remove debris and prevent corrosion, these debris ends up in our oil filter. That is why it is recommended to also change your oil filter to make sure that it will its job efficiently. Oil filter is recommended to be changed every 2000 to 3000. Remember that the cleaner the oil filter the better it will do its job
