oil change intervals

[Luc Legrain]

Luc's gotta jump in on this one -- I started the 685 thread ( for once the Frenchies started something,besides cheese ,wine,nude beaches,freedom fries,condoms (yes it started there, it is a French town!) now we are going to 'OIL " ??  I use 20/50 Valvoline now, after trying almost everything available ,with 10-15% Lucas, in 5 years never had a oil burning problem, I change oil and filter when after a ride I don't feel a smooth shift to neutral maybe 25-3000 miles(?) . **Back to 685 **  Do you all think one should change the sprockets after going for this upgrade? Luc-- Thinking about using Lucas instead of Hawaian Tropics --

--- On [b]Sat, 12/19/09, Jeff Saline [i][/i][/b] wrote:

From: Jeff Saline Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR 650 : 685 kit To: mjearl@... Cc: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:14 AM   On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:07:49 -0000 "revmaaatin" mjearl@venturecomm. net> writes: > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogro ups.com, "roncriswell@ ..." > wrote: > > > > That is interesting. I have always done the 3,000 routine using > > Rotella 15/40 the last 25,000 or so. > > Criswell <><><><><><> <><> <><><><><><> <><> > Ron, > Well, > That kind of puts a hole in my balloon! > Does the bike still shift smoothly at 3K miles on the oil? > > Just thinking out loud-- > Your previous post of needing to correct/repair an oil burner at 25K > miles--does that support going 3K miles between oil changes or could > it support my premise that the oil sheared down to 30wt and was more > consumable? > > The oil analysis that was done with 4 different bikes (my bike, Jeff > Saline, --?Bob Sobolof? the California-engineer -oil guy who know > longer has a KLR and I think-Steve R of Texas as well) indicated > that the 15/40 Rotella started to break-down/sheared down to 30w at > ~2K miles. If OEM suggests that 40w (temp adjusted) was the > recommended weight, our logic says that it needs to remain a minimum > of 40wt. > > The other indicator of shearing/needing an oil change was the bike > becomes more difficult to shift at the upper end of the oil change > interval. > > Jeff is the keeper of the analysis data--maybe he will comment. > > What I do know, the 3K oil change interval would not work for me. > > revmaaatin. <><><><><><> <><> <><><><><><> <><> Martin, Listers, First... it's Blake Sobiloff. : ) He hasn't been on the list in a few years but is the guy that got me started with oil analysis on the KLR. I met him in Walnut Creek, CA in the fall of 2006. We had a nice visit and some good conversation. I took my last sample over a year ago. Martin's comments are pretty accurate based on our conversations and data sharing. I found Rotella T 15w/40 dino oil in my KLR was good for about 2,000 smiles and was on the verge of being sheared to a 30 weight. My guess based on multiple analysis results is by 2,250 smiles it would be a high 30 weight. I run a 14/46 sprocket combo on my bike so that indicates to me I could probably get a bit more use from the oil if I was running stock sprockets of 15/43. Based on more than a handful of samples I decided I'd normally change my KLR oil at 1,750 smiles. I have absolutely no data concerning using oil past the 2,000 mile mark and don't expect I'll ever obtain it. I believe KHI put the oil change interval at 6,000 miles in my 2003 owners manual. I contacted them in late 2003 asking about this interval and got a reply saying it was incorrect but they weren't going to correct the manual. Unfortunately I didn't save that correspondence. The KLR oil compartment is a harsh place. It contains the crankcase for an internal combustion engine, a constant mesh transmission and a multi-disk wet clutch. All three items have different lubrication requirements. One oil doesn't work "best" for each of these. Finding what works "best" for you and your KLR is up to you. Some folks like motorcycle specific oil, others like a synthetic, others like dino of a specific brand and still others put in whatever they have available. Oil change intervals are as diverse as oil choices. I've heard of folks changing oil every 800 miles or sooner to going 6,000 or more smiles between changes. How's that for throwing fuel on the fire? : ) Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads. org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT . ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ Weight Loss Program Best Weight Loss Program - Click Here! http://thirdpartyof fers.juno. com/TGL2141/ c?cp=hR9CMriEazy 1Qj7K1MmUEQAAJ1D WfJIDP-R0_ NC3mMpGFS0kAAYAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ADNAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAEUgAAAAA=

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "roncriswell@..." wrote:

> > Could be a reason for oil burning at 25,000. I attributed some of it > to a K&N filter in very dusty conditions (that wasn't fitting > correctly - metal cover). Plus I run it at 5200 - 5500 rpm all the > time even in hot TX summer. > > But .......even more interesting....my friend who did the 685 and did > his own port work and has a lot of experience rebuilding motorcycle > and car engines thinks the stock oil ring is weak. > > And ........even more interesting, he runs Rotella Dino and the other > 685 guy runs Rotella Synthetic. The Synthetic guys piston looked > almost brand new while the Rotella Dino piston had quite a bit of > brown burn marks on the piston walls. Both had about the same mileage > at teardown. Neither guy babys their bike. > > Oh no, oil again. > > Criswell >

In the spirit of full disclosure-- I did something different this year in preparation/anticipation of cold wx riding (= 40F and up); admittedly, riding that will only be occosianl IF at all between now and 1 April living here in central South Dakota. As I do not have a heated garage, or good method of preheating the bikes--I contemplated top-cylinder lubrication for those cold soaked engine starts--so with that in mind-- For the first time in 7 winters/cool wx KLR riding-- 1. I installed full synthetic Amsoil 10/40 motorcycle specific this fall as it got colder in all three KLR's. 2. now all have the thermobobs as well; 3. two have grip heaters. #1 Maybe more mystic than science in #1. shrug. #2 take the water temp to the midpoint in a matter of minutes #3 gives the rider a smile in his hands! sigh. It has been 3+ weeks since we saw a 40F--experiencing some 20+ temps below normal--many nights below 0F, some -15's. -troll warning--ON and nothing in the forecast indicates the effects of global warming will have much discernable affect on us anytime soon. -troll warning--OFF revmaaatin.

[transalp 1]

KHI "corrected" the manual alright. On my 09' KLR650, the interval between oil changes after 600 miles is every 7,500 miles. I wouldn't think of waiting 1/2 that long. Geez. =) FWIW, my "car-like" GL1800 Gold Wing engine calls for 8,000 miles between oil changes ... with 10W-30,no less! It clunked and made all sorts of unhappy shifting sounds from new until I got the original oil out of there and put in fresh 10W-40 every 3k or so. Funny thing, though (and I know it's an apples & oranges comparison): The 'wing holds right at 4 liters of oil. My 2006 Nissan Sentra 1.8 takes barely over 3 liters - the smallest car sump I've ever owned. *It* gets Mobil 5000 dyno oil........every 3,000 miles with city driving. eddie

> > [Original Message] > >(major snip) > > I believe KHI put the oil change interval at 6,000 miles in my 2003 > > owners manual. I contacted them in late 2003 asking about this interval > > and got a reply saying it was incorrect but they weren't going to

correct

> > the manual. Unfortunately I didn't save that correspondence. > > > > The KLR oil compartment is a harsh place. It contains the crankcase for > > an internal combustion engine, a constant mesh transmission and a > > multi-disk wet clutch. All three items have different lubrication > > requirements. > > > > One oil doesn't work "best" for each of these. Finding what works

"best"

> > for you and your KLR is up to you. Some folks like motorcycle specific > > oil, others like a synthetic, others like dino of a specific brand and > > still others put in whatever they have available. > > > > Oil change intervals are as diverse as oil choices. I've heard of folks > > changing oil every 800 miles or sooner to going 6,000 or more smiles > > between changes. > > > > How's that for throwing fuel on the fire? : ) > > > > Best, > > > > Jeff Saline > > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT > > > > > > .