Do i change the oil or not?

[Morespeedvicar]

Hi folks,
seeing as my klr got nicked I'm going to try and ride the nc30 until I get round to getting another trail bike. Anyway the nc has been stood for nearly four years since its last ride out due to my back surgery. I'd only just changed the oil for fully synth Castrol power 1 (think that's what it was, been asleep since then) so I don't know if to change it again or not to bother? Its still a lovely red colour and doesn't smell of petrol or anything strange, so I wondered what you guys think?

Cheers
Ian

[Neosophist]

Im sure this will divide opinion.

Most manufacturers recommend keeping oil for no more than a few years in its original sealed container.

Some also argue that oil keeps for a much longer time.

Synthetic will have broken down a little since you put it in and been exposed to ambient temperature changes so probably have a bit of water / condensation in it.

a good heat cycle will get most of the water out.

Question remains will it still provide adquate lubrication and protection for the engine?

I would personally say theoretically speaking yes.

If i was ultra paranoid i'D just dump it, if I was less so i'd use that oil to start and let the bike heat up until the fan has been on a couple of times just idleing to get a lot of heat through the engine and flush out any water vapour, then i'd dump that hot oilt and just use cheap 10/40 semi synth bike oil. There is no need for fancy oils in the engine, all they will do is provide a longer service life and allow you to change the oil less often. Possibly they will contain some extra cleaning additives which are also unnessary in a VFR engine, never stripped a dirty one regardless of oil it has been run on unless the owner didnt change oil for 30,000 miles.

A cheaper oil that meets the necessary lubrication certifications.. Japanese MA spec in this case will meet all the lubcrication needs of the engine and save your money.

[richyrd5]

I'd be happy to use as is..won't do any damage..as long as its clean and not sludgy then fine..like neo said let it get hot to drive out any condensation and will be fine...good stuff that castrol

[willandrip]

Im sure this will divide opinion.

Most manufacturers recommend keeping oil for no more than a few years in its original sealed container

Bit like helmet manufacturers who recommend throwing away a perfectly good £300 + helmet every 5 or so years.

There going to be pissed off at me then !
I still use oil I "acquired" more 10 years ago.


Cynical ? Me ?...not a fookin bit !

[Neosophist]

Im sure this will divide opinion.

Most manufacturers recommend keeping oil for no more than a few years in its original sealed container

Bit like helmet manufacturers who recommend throwing away a perfectly good £300 + helmet every 5 or so years.

There going to be pissed off at me then !
I still use oil I "acquired" more 10 years ago.


Cynical ? Me ?...not a fookin bit !

This sounds like a bit of not understanding why manufactureres recommend this.

There are several good reasons for throwing away old helemets. The main one being the quality of the protective foam. IT degrades and can go hard. Same if you drop it hard enough but much worse if you crash in it.. the impact causes the foam to compress and become hard.

The five-year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other materials used in helmet production can affect liner materials. Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints, fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in many helmets possibly degrading performance. Additionally, experience indicates there will be a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five-year period due to advances in materials, designs, production methods and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five-year helmet replacement is a judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy.

It's your own life at the end of the day but the recommendations are made with good reason.

If you are in a bad enough accident and hit either the same area as a previous spill or using a helmet with damaged / degraded foam then foam wont compress properly or its already hard so it wont absorb some of the impact damage. It will of course protect you from roadrash to your head, but so will a breeze block, which is what riding aroudn with hard / compressed foam is like.

As for the other issue.

Oil breaks down overtime.. this doesn't mean that it won't protect but it wont have the original specifications / life new oil would have.

Depends on the engines state of tune / how it's ridden and what the current state of the oil is, there is no one perfect answer.

Say for example you acquire some 10 year old oil that has been kept in unknown storage conditions, it could have degraded enough so that near the time you are ready to change it the protective qualities of the oil film have broken down past the minimum requirements for your engine.. this might not mean engine goes bang but it usually shows up as spots of film being broken so increased camshaft / valve train wear.

As with the helmet. It's your engine. The reasons for the recommendations are valid ones and not just made out of thin air. You have to decide what to follow and to how much

[willandrip]

Mate...I ride 1980s motorcycles flat out in every gear on roads where a mistake is 99 out of a 100 fatal....

No fooking helmet made helps if the drop is 200ft over a cliff.

If I wanted to live like that I would work in a cotton wool factory.

What I don't do is listen to tripe spouted by manufacturers as to why their product should be replaced for no good reason except to boost profit.

I am perfectly aware of helmet degradation if it is not properly stored or abused.
If I pay good money for something I expect it to last.

This is from a man who drives a 48 year old car every day and still regards it as fairly modern mind.

BTW ; Its expanded polystyrene and not foam.