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Would it be bad to let your bike sit w/o oil in it over the winter?

36K views 39 replies 20 participants last post by  rexmitchell 
#1 ·
So here's my situation.... I need an oil change, but won't be riding until spring. Can I drain the oil out of the bike and let the bike sit w/o it over the winter so the dirty oil isn't just resting in their and then put fresh new oil in it in the spring? Or would that be bad for the bike?
 
#2 ·
I would not. Moisture is bad for bikes, especially on hte insides. Any where there is not fluid, moisture can accumulate. I would keep oil in it as well as a full tank of gas any time it's sitting for an extended period of time. Change your oil before you're ready to ride, but not before then.
 
#7 ·
There shouldn't be any particles in the oil. Particles will be in the oil filter. So, letting it sit in storage this winter is not a problem. Change it now or in the spring really don't make any difference. Just make sure you change it before you ride in the spring.
 
#6 ·
I know several people that simply change the oil with some cheap automotive oil (any brand/SM or not) just to store it for Winter.
Then, in the Spring, start it to warm the oil and drain.
Then they fill it with the synthetic oil of choice for the riding season. :thumbsup:

Eric :)
 
#19 ·
Did you tell them how much of a waste that is? Oil will not go bad just sitting in an engine, especially for that short a period. It's a foolish waste of money.

The best thing to do whether you change oil or not is to make the last ride before parking it a long ride to evaporate any moisture out of the oil.

Personally I would change the oil, then go for one final prolonged ride to make sure the engine and exhaust system are fully hot. No moisture. Fill the gas tank up full, maybe put in some StaBil fuel stablizer, then park it. No way would I go start it for any limited time during the winter, only if it is possible to actually ride it long enough to get the engine and exhaust hot. Before starting after long layups drain the carburetors using the screws on the bottom of the float bowls I'd also consider blocking the intake inlets and the exhaust outlets. That would serve two purposes, keep moisture out as well as mice. It's amazing the nest a mouse can build in an air cleaner box - using the air cleaner too - and they can even get in mufflers to build there too.
 
#8 ·
I've always been told to change it before you store it in case any gas gets into the oil which will be bad if it's sitting for several months (can eat away at metal, etc.)

I changed mine less than 100 miles before putting it away so I didn't feel like changing it again
 
#11 ·
I agree with all of the previous posters. Either change it now or leave the old in but do not empty it and leave it for the Winter. Personally, I would get your engine hot, drain and change the oil now, then ride it up to the closest gas station, fill the tank, add some Sea Foam and park it for the season. Then when you are ready to ride in the Spring, you have fresh oil and the Sea Foam will clean your fuel system of any gelled gas. Staybill is great and stabilizes fuel, but it doesn't clean like Sea Foam. The Sea Foam is the best of both worlds.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, I wouldn't let it sit dry. The only time a bike should be dry is maybe when it is new from the factory. I may be in the minority here, or maybe I just don't "get" it, but I don't see the point in changing the oil after winter storage and especially not before. Why put fresh, clean oil in a bike only to swap it in a few months with zero miles on it??:confused:. I could better understand swapping the dirty oil out after a few months of winter storage, but really only if its near the 3k mile mark (or whatever the rider chooses as their oil change interval) and its close to time to change it anyway. I personally only change my oil when it hits the 3k mile mark. I do, however, ride my bike at least once every two weeks during the winter, so I'm sure my bike gets enough use to avoid whatever issues I would encounter if I didn't ride it through the winter, thus, why I don't worry about this whole oil issue to begin with.
Sooo, what happens if you store your bike for 4 months and don't change your oil before you ride it? Honest question, not trying to be a jerk...
 
#16 ·
I really have no idea if this works this way, but the logic behind it(not mine), is that oil sitting will cling to ****.

But I think its complete BULL****, because my GS550 was fine sitting with dirty oil for 17 years before I changed it.
 
#17 ·
Oil can break down after a few months of sitting in the bike, doesn't matter if it is being run through the motor or not, thats why you should change it after the winter, changing it before the winter avoids leaving contaminants in the engine that can be flushed out with the old oil. Not trying to be rude but I don't see what the big deal is about 2 oil changes, if anyone doesn't want to do it then don't but its one of those things that will help keep your bike in good working order and should be done.
 
#21 ·
So how long has that stuff you put in your bike sat in the container on a shelf? I will tell you very few dealers, if any in the current market, change oil out on a new bike that's possibly sat in a crate for as long as a year. They up the oil if needed and send the bike out. If what you are saying was true, manufacturers would recommend the oil be drained and changed - they do not - because they'd be on the hook for warranty claims.

Fresh oil doesn't break down significantly sitting still in a bike. If you expect me to buy that you'd better have some real information, not some word from someone who knows someone. Where's the charting that shows oil breakdown while not in use? Oil breakdown is related to heat and use. The information I found has a technical shelf life for oil at about 5 years, with the problem being some separation of the blend. The stated concern was more about old oil not meeting current standards. Nothing was stated about parking a vehicle for any length of time. My simple assumption would be that the fresh oil might rinse off any materials, but breakdown would be infantesimal over even a year since there is no heat or use applied to it, that it's a waste to put oil in, not use it, then drain it out and toss it.

I'd be more concerned about condensation that can occur when the engine temps vary in an unheated garage. Thus a good reason to plug exhaust and intake openings to try to eliminate it a bit.
 
#23 ·
So how long has that stuff you put in your bike sat in the container on a shelf? I will tell you very few dealers, if any in the current market, change oil out on a new bike that's possibly sat in a crate for as long as a year. They up the oil if needed and send the bike out. If what you are saying was true, manufacturers would recommend the oil be drained and changed - they do not - because they'd be on the hook for warranty claims.

Fresh oil doesn't break down significantly sitting still in a bike. If you expect me to buy that you'd better have some real information, not some word from someone who knows someone. Where's the charting that shows oil breakdown while not in use? Oil breakdown is related to heat and use. The information I found has a technical shelf life for oil at about 5 years, with the problem being some separation of the blend. The stated concern was more about old oil not meeting current standards. Nothing was stated about parking a vehicle for any length of time. My simple assumption would be that the fresh oil might rinse off any materials, but breakdown would be infantesimal over even a year since there is no heat or use applied to it, that it's a waste to put oil in, not use it, then drain it out and toss it.

I'd be more concerned about condensation that can occur when the engine temps vary in an unheated garage. Thus a good reason to plug exhaust and intake openings to try to eliminate it a bit.
This is very interesting info...hmmm. :thumbsup:
 
#32 ·
If my bike had old oil this time of the year I would change it but I would also ride once a week, I rode today 20 miles if there is snow or ice I start and move around in the garage .:)
Just my 2cents
Those short garage runs cause condensation in the mufflers... part of why there are so many older bikes with rusted mufflers. The guys that run them either for a full warm up or not at all have good mufflers, the guys that short hop around town and stuff where the exhaust doesn't get hot enough end up with rusty mufflers. In my opinion and from our observation at the bike shop over the years, do the rides when possible, skip the run in the garage thing, no cooling air passing and variable throttle and insufficient warming of the exhaust.
 
#30 ·
I have already been on the carbible website doing some research, however I don't change my oil every 3k, using amsoil I go double the recommended interval of 4k and run 8k before chaning. Fortunately for me I never winterize my bike, it gets ridden year round so my posts up until this point were strictly for advice to other members of the forum. I'm not here to tell someone what to do, just what I feel is best, everyone can decide for themselves, I would choose to be extra cautious on my bike but thats just me.
 
#33 ·
The discussion here is quite informative. I think based on my usage I'll just continue to change my oil every 3k regardless of calendar time that passes - in my bike and my car. And yeah, I use full synthetic (Mobil 1)...so I probably COULD wait till 5k or even 6k with no issues, but I get my oil rather cheap and don't mind changing it. With the higher revving sport bike engine and the 100+ temps Texas often sees (and that's generally when I ride the MOST), I'll just keep changing it early. Not hurting anything and I don't mind the costs associated with doing it early. Sometimes peace of mind and longevity come with a cost, LOL. :D
 
#35 ·
I'm a newbie here but I would like to throw my .02 in. I used to manage companies that ran heavy equipment, concrete mixers & concrete pumps. The engines in these things were big and could run into the 10's of thousands of dollars -easy- for a complete rebuild. I'm talking Cat, Detoit Diesel & Cummins. In the winter we had several machines being stored outside. This equipment was used in construction and construction is more or less a warm(er) weather business here in Michigan. According to our oil distributors there was no problem using the oil in the equipment that was sitting in an engine over the winter. (we used good quality oil as well as good quality trans oil, hydraulic fluid etc) The oil is being stored in an engine crankcase instead of a bottle or barrel. Most of the time we didn't go milage or engine hours to determine when oil needed to be changed, we used oil analysis. We'd drain a small amount of oil & our distributor would send it to a lab. The results would tell us what condition the engine was in as well as if the oil needed to be changed. This allowed us to schedule our equipment for routine maintenance, engine rebuilds etc to minimize breakdowns. Back in the 90's this oil analysis was relatively inexpensive. I never had a sample come back saying the oil was bad, substandard etc because it sat unused in an engine crankcase for a few months in cold weather. I'm not trying to flame anybody or anything, but just to share my experience. That being said I've changed the oil in my S 83 Boulevard prior to putting it up for the winter & will run the same oil in the spring. Depending on how I feel & how much I run the bike, I may change it again in the summer. Just a newbies .02.

Jerry
 
#36 ·
I'm a newbie here but I would like to throw my .02 in. I used to manage companies that ran heavy equipment, concrete mixers & concrete pumps.

We'd drain a small amount of oil & our distributor would send it to a lab. The results would tell us what condition the engine was in as well as if the oil needed to be changed.

I never had a sample come back saying the oil was bad, substandard etc because it sat unused in an engine crankcase for a few months in cold weather. I'm not trying to flame anybody or anything, but just to share my experience. That being said I've changed the oil in my S 83 Boulevard prior to putting it up for the winter & will run the same oil in the spring. Depending on how I feel & how much I run the bike, I may change it again in the summer. Just a newbies .02.

Jerry
This isn't flaming, it's actually factual. It is the thing that most of us can not do to check on the "old wives' tales" that come about on things like this oil thread and having tires damaged by a bike sit on concrete for a few months in storage. The actual science. Nice to see it. Thanks... of course I was one of the people who felt that a fall oil change was fine to run in the spring...:D
 
#37 · (Edited)
Those that are recommending regular automotive oil for storage are giving bad advice if the bike it's going into uses a wet clutch, which is the vast majority of bikes on the market. On a wet clutch bike, never use regular automotive oil at any time. Automotive oil almost always has friction modifiers in it. Wet clutches hate the stuff, and you will too when you are prematurely changing friction plates. Use dedicated motorcycle oil. If you are using it for storage only, you can find generic motorcycle oil at most auto stores and other places that sell cycle oil.

For the record, I change my Amsoil synthetic in the spring and don't change it again until the next spring. Splitting my time between too bikes, and not having the luxury of a lot of free time to ride, each of my bikes probably only see 5000 miles a year.
 
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