I have always ran my bikes for 3000 - 4500 miles between oil changes. Looking at my oil window on the klx 250,, which only has 600 miles on the oil, it appears really black. Wondering if smaller engine wear out the oil alot faster with the higher RPMs. Can a significant amount of dirt get into the engine riding off-road? I was thinking the filter traps all the dirt and keeps the engine clean.. Wonder if it just got really dirty from the woods. do you think its worth changing the oil every 600 miles instead of every 3000?

 

yes is does. with all the dirt, high rpms, and small oil capacity, it make it oil crap pritty fast. kawi says something like 6000 miles, but theres no way. personaly, i do every 1000 for the peice of mind, but i ride everyday, and it has gotten 11000 so im trying not to blow it up as much as possable.

 

It's an optical illusion. It 'looks' dirty in the glass but when you go to change it and its running down out of the hole youll see its still brown and be like, D'OH!

 

Black oil does not equal bad oil. I wouldn't get obsessive, but smaller engines have less oil in them and need changing more often. Key is to ensure you have enough oil in the engine. I still think people change their oil too often, but I'm probably one of em...

 

So am I.

 

actually compared to most engines, this engine is supposed to go for a very long time between changes.

I have to argue with durden though, black oil does equal bad oil. Its better than NO oil. But its still bad. The black means the detergents are broken down and the oil is contaminated with dirt, carbon, and excess fuel. If your oil is black, its long overdue for a changing.

However, with the KLX it looks black in the glass, but really isnt, that was my point.

 

oil is cheap ... compared to buying new engine parts

 

Agreed. I do mine every 1500km. Also, you should stay on top of it and not only just change the oil but change the filter as well. I know some guys change their filter every second oil change, personally I do it every time. It doesn't cost that much more in the total cost. So why not do it. The oil gets dirty quick so you could imagine what the filter must be like.

 

+2. So are filters. I don't think engine size is a factor so much as riding conditions. I have to traverse 1/2 mile of shell road just to get to pavement so limestone dust is always around and means I have to clean my chain, a/f and oil more frequently than someone who rides on dry clean pavement all the time.

Put it this way. I change my oil every 500-1000 miles depending on where I have been riding. Too often? Probably. But I have yet to see clean oil coming out of the crankcase. Until I do I'll keep changing it often.

 

Oil and filters are cheap compared to doing a top-end on the motor. No filter can trap all the dust and dirt we ride through. Know some people that followed the manufactures maintenance schedules and had to do a top-end rebuild in less that 6000miles. I personally change oil at 50 to 100 hrs (500 to 1000miles). In part this comes after I and a couple other close rides started doing oil analysis on our machines for the last two years, and talking the a tech at Blackstone Labs.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/


Basic recommendations
1. change oil often on off road machines
2. the smaller the difference in the two numbers describing oil viscosity the better (15-W40 near ideal for most machines)
3. change/clean the filters (oil and air)
4. oil is oil, most brands are excellent (price is not an indicator of quality)