We can spend time arguing about what the best design is, but pretty much every modern motorcycle has only one oil distribution system.

 

Your right but old school for us knuckle draggers with older bikes is around 1500 miles tops or when the oil smelled cooked and this is good old dino lube . Road trips doing over 2k I change it at the half way mark and done it up to 3 times in a single trip . Might be why I getting well over a 100,000 out of shovelhead lower ends too .

Less mileage between changes can't hurt a thing but your wallet and you stand to gain not lose on life cycle of the bike .

You ever get a little education on what is actually happening inside a hot motor chemistry wise and understand what happens to dino based oils as they break down you'd be shocked , the oil becomes a gritty sludge with a lot of mild acids in compound , the old guy was just that a stubborn hardhead stuck in his ways believing a myth . Leave dino based oil in a motor long enough your pushing liquid abrasive through it .

 

I wasn't going to comment on this, but didn't read anything about severe conditions. Such as short trips etc., that auto companies recommend more frequent oil changes. I guess when it looks black its time to change.

 

3K for me ... i just like to take care of my stuff, specially my bike.

 

I've been doing it at 3K, but I'm well over 5K right now, so I'll probably do one next week. It has occurred to me that doing the primary and transmission as often as the engine oil is also a waste. Also not replacing my swing arm bearings at 20K and I'm well over 20K on the fork oil.

 

Beat me to it. Guess not to many of those responding have pulled the valve covers off an engine running dino oil for miles and miles. Geez, kids nowadays. Lol

 

I use synthetic oil and change it after about 4000 miles. Could I go as much as 6000 or even 7000 miles and do just as well? Hell, I don't know. And I don't have millions of dollars to do lab tests to find out either. So I just go along with what the manufacturer recommends. As a result I don't have a single motorized device to my name that ever failed due to faulty lubrication. That includes my suv that has over 100K on it. Now if the engine parts are of inferior quality, no oil change frequency is going to protect you. And it has been my experience that almost all engine failures are due to part failure, not the oil.

 

5,000 on syn. Could easily go longer between oil changes. I thinks it's equaly important to be sure you have the correct amount of oil.

Years ago I owned a 4 cylinder Toyota. I changed the dino oil twice in 65,000 miles. Ran like a top when I sold it. I'm sure if I pulled the head you would have seen burnt oil and deposits. I don't recommend it, but I was young, dumb and broke.

 

Everyone has an opinion about the necessity of routine maintenance. I don't care what others do. I change my oils at 2500 miles on both of my Harley's--give or take a few miles. I change the oil in my boats either twice a year or by hours. Truck and jeep every 3000 miles. I just finished changing all the cooling hoses on one of my boats and replaced antifreeze while adding rust inhibitor/ water pump lubricate. Does it really make a difference? Yes, to me. Maintenance is sometimes time consuming and costly. I believe in take care of it now or fix it later. With later not being always at the best time. It might be over kill but I really don't care. If your crap is always breaking down or leaving you stranded. Stay away from me. I am not fishing/hunting out of your boat or even riding my Harley along the same road with yours if I have another option...

 

Absolutely, here is a good pic of what happens when you don't change your oil often enough.



I'm on this side of the fence as well. There is no combustion by-products that enter the primary or transmission (if there is you have a boat load of other isues LOL). After 20k I MIGHT start to think about changing those two. I know in cars with standard shift trannies and differentials they go for that kind of mileage before getting changed.



cheers