- Change the oil every 2,000 to 3,000 miles.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If you’re new to motorcycling or you just got a new bike, you might find yourself asking “How often do you need to do a motorcycle oil change?”
The answer is pretty straightforward. Generally, you should change your oil every few thousand miles.
However, the distance between oil changes can differ from motorcycle to motorcycle, depending on a variety of factors.
As you likely know, oil is the lifeblood of your bike’s engine. Without it, your engine would destroy itself, and that means oil—and having clean oil—can really matter for the longevity of your engine.
The Type of Oil Matters
There are various weights of oil, and I’d suggest going with the oil that your motorcycle owner’s manual recommends and not straying outside of that.
However, there’s another thing to think about. What type of oil do you want to use? There are three: conventional, synthetic, and synthetic-blend. They each come with their benefits.
Conventional Oil
Made from refined crude oil, conventional oil is the stuff people have been using since the dawn of the internal combustion engine. It works and it’s generally the cheapest option. It won’t last as long as the other two types of oil.
Shop Conventional Oil on Amazon
Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oil is made from petrochemicals through a complex process. Generally regarded as superior this type of oil has been designed in a lab to last a long time and do a fantastic job. Synthetic oil is also more expensive.
Synthetic-Blend Oil
As you might expect, this is a mixture of synthetic oil and conventional oil. They offer a good compromise between conventional and synthetic and the price reflects this as well.
Shop Synthetic-Blend Oil on Amazon
The Motorcycle Matters
It’s not only the oil that matters. The motorcycle matters, too. Different motorcycle engines have different requirements.
Some engines are designed to go longer between service intervals. Other motorcycle engines need consistent and more frequent care, and that means you’ll be changing oil more often.
The 2,000-mile recommendation is always a good baseline, but it’s not the end-all-be-all when it comes to how often you should change your motorcycle’s oil. It’s really all about what the manufacturer recommends. Get that motorcycle owner’s manual out.
Time Matters
Just because your bike hasn’t traveled 2,000 miles doesn’t mean you should assume the oil is good to go. Even if you keep your bike in storage a fair amount, you’ll need to make sure to change the oil at least once a year.
Honestly, you’re probably best off doing it every season. That’s four oil changes a year for a bike that doesn’t move. Some riders will say that’s overkill, but I don’t care it’s better to change the oil more often than not enough.
Change the Oil Filter, Too
Oil isn’t the only thing that will need changing when you do a motorcycle oil change. You should also change the oil filter.
Some manufacturers recommend doing this every other oil change, but I say to do it every time. Most oil filters are inexpensive, and if you’re already going to the trouble of changing the oil, doing the filter is a quick job on most bikes.
Get yourself a filter and change it with each oil change and you should have no problems. I typically buy several oil filters at once so I’ll always have one on hand.
Oil Changes are Cheap and Easy
The good news about oil changes is that they’re relatively inexpensive, especially if you do them yourself.
Motorcycles, unlike cars, don’t need that much oil due to the simple fact that most motorcycle engines are relatively small in displacement. It’s this fact that makes me want to do oil changes rather frequently.
If you’re unsure of how to change your motorcycle’s oil, then I say for you to do some research and find out. Get yourself a motorcycle service manual or watch some YouTube videos. You’ll save yourself money and time, and your motorcycle will keep operating well.
