Obvious questions on oil change

[bigdogdeee]

Hey everyone, just want to know how often people change there oil? And is it true that there may be gas in your oil if you've flooded the bike badly? and finally, do you usually use a torque wrench tightening the oil pan bolt? if so, what is the torque. I'm sure it's in my owners manual, but don't know where that bad boy is hiding these days!!! Thanks in advance.

[SweetLou]

Oil changes can come at different intervals depending on what kind of oil you are using. Synthetic can go longer than regular. It also depends on your location (heat and what not). I tend to change mine about every 3000 miles. As for the tourqe wrench, is it really needed..... no, but highly advised. I tighten mine by hand. Just have to be careful not to overtighten, or else you are gona be having some major problems.

[Mojoe]

Re: Obvious questions on oil change

Hey everyone, just want to know how often people change there oil? And is it true that there may be gas in your oil if you've flooded the bike badly? and finally, do you usually use a torque wrench tightening the oil pan bolt? if so, what is the torque. I'm sure it's in my owners manual, but don't know where that bad boy is hiding these days!!! Thanks in advance.

every 3k miles is good. 2k if you really use the bike hard. And like Lou said, a torque wrench is not needed if you have a feel for using tools and judging the torque.
AND YES....you will saturate your oil with gas if you badly flood it. Change the oil asap if you flooded it.

[The CyberPoet]

(A) Use the torque wrench or replace the drain bolt with a Fumoto oil drain valve. Failure to use the torque wrench can result in either overtightening (stripped oil pan -- been there, done that), or undertightening (oil drain bolt falls out 100 miles later and you're suddenly on top of a steady stream of hot motor oil with the back tire -- I was braking towards the tail of a cop car when it occured; dealer's fault there). Torque spec is 16.5 lb-ft.
A Fumoto valve eliminates both issues, because the valve never gets removed, just opened and closed as needed (cost: about $22 - $30).

(B) The better the quality of motor oil, the more miles it will last. For everything you could possibly want to know about motor oils for your Kat, see CyberPoet's "How to Understand and Choose Motorcycle Motor Oils" at MotorcycleAnchor.com: "if it's valuable enough to insure, isn't valuable enough to secure?". General rule is 10w40 in API SF/SG rated and JASO-MA rated. This will get you the most life out of the engine. Using car oils is a recipe for cam chain tensioner issues...

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[irenekat]

every 3k or 3 months whatever comes first

[nurider]

(A) Use the torque wrench or replace the drain bolt with a Fumoto oil drain valve. Failure to use the torque wrench can result in either overtightening (stripped oil pan -- been there, done that), or undertightening (oil drain bolt falls out 100 miles later and you're suddenly on top of a steady stream of hot motor oil with the back tire -- I was braking towards the tail of a cop car when it occured; dealer's fault there). Torque spec is 16.5 lb-ft.
A Fumoto valve eliminates both issues, because the valve never gets removed, just opened and closed as needed (cost: about $22 - $30).

CP, Need help.

http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9612&sid=91a488662f35cf28a7b8b822d279df16

[nurider]

(A) Use the torque wrench or replace the drain bolt with a Fumoto oil drain valve. Failure to use the torque wrench can result in either overtightening (stripped oil pan -- been there, done that), or undertightening (oil drain bolt falls out 100 miles later and you're suddenly on top of a steady stream of hot motor oil with the back tire -- I was braking towards the tail of a cop car when it occured; dealer's fault there). Torque spec is 16.5 lb-ft.
A Fumoto valve eliminates both issues, because the valve never gets removed, just opened and closed as needed (cost: about $22 - $30).

CP, Need help.
http://www.katriders.com/forums/view...b8b822d279df16

I imagine it's too late to mount the Fumoto AFTER stripping the pan .....

[WildKat]

Change it in the spring after getting the bike out from winterization, then maybe once in the summer and then again before I put it up for the winter. Since I dont go more than 4000K miles in a year normally...as hard as I try though to go more, thats usually sufficient for me.

HS2020 changes his about every 500 miles or so.

[The CyberPoet]

CP, Need help.

http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9612&sid=91a488662f35cf28a7b8b822d279df16

I imagine it's too late to mount the Fumoto AFTER stripping the pan .....

Nope, it isn't. Just tap the pan out to 16mm at 1.5 turns (M16-1.5) and use the 16mm version of the Fumoto drain valve. I think there's enough extra metal in the drain hole surround to support tapping it out to 16mm, but you can figure it out for yourself when you look at it.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Lagmo]

just did a oil & filter change after ~4000Km (Silkolene 10W40 Jaso-MA)
next oil change is coming up in 5Kkm and filter gets changed again the next after(10Kkm)

[HS2020]

I change mine out between 500-1000 miles or sometimes less. I ride hard most of the time so I break down the properties of the oil than most. I use the Honda GN4 which I will not be using anymore. I plan on going to a different grade that will hold up better to my type of riding.

[Black Kat]

just change it when the light comes on

[The CyberPoet]

I change mine out between 500-1000 miles or sometimes less. I ride hard most of the time so I break down the properties of the oil than most. I use the Honda GN4 which I will not be using anymore. I plan on going to a different grade that will hold up better to my type of riding.

You might specifically want to try Castrol's R4, if they introduce a 10w50 version of it here as they recently did in the UK... I ran the old style R4 in my previous Kat and could really feel the difference in power output (but I will also acknowledge that in 3k miles the viscosity was eaten up far more than the Castrol GPS I run now).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[mx916]

I use Honda HP-4 every 2000 miles with a new filter and have no problems. Did this on my 1988 Kat 1100 and my 2000 Kat 750 and both ran like champs.

[nurider]

I use Honda HP-4 every 2000 miles with a new filter and have no problems. Did this on my 1988 Kat 1100 and my 2000 Kat 750 and both ran like champs.

Yeah, that's only because you didn't strip the drain threads .....