When we have a vehicle, we need to do a maintenance. One of them is changing the engine oil regularly at intervals set by the automotive manufacturer.
Then the question arises, how about moto bike how long does engine oil last?
Is the engine oil change interval on the moto bike the same as the car?
Let us discuss.
The Reason Oil is Very Important for Engine
Whatever the type of vehicle, oil is a very important aspect for the engine. The reason is, the engine consists of hundreds of components which are interlocked.
For example, piston rings and cylinders.
These two components will always rub together. Even though these two components are made of metal, we know that when metal contacts metal it will cause wear and tear on both components.
But if there is oil in the engine, this oil can coat the two components. This makes there is no friction between the metals, so that when the piston rings rub against the cylinder, there will be no wear and tear because both components have a layer of oil film.
Second, oil is also able to make component friction slippery.
So that the piston movement in the cylinder will be very light. This makes the engine workload at free load is very small. As a result, engine power can be maximized to produce speed and carry a greater load.
But because the oil continues to get pressure from engine components, the oil molecules can experience a decrease in quality. It is also influenced by engine heat and carbon deposits generated during combustion.
So that when oil is used for a long time, the quality of the oil will decrease.
Now we focus on the main topic. How do you know if the oil needs to be changed? can the mileage be a reference?
We'll focus on motorcycles. Because motorcycles are commonly used because they have better mobility than cars. And on moto bikes, oil doesn't only lubricate the engine. But it lubricates the transmission and clutch. Therefore, the oil on the motorcycle has a more complex task.
The most common thing, which is used as a reference for changing engine oil is seeing the vehicle mileage. Oil must be changed at intervals of 3,000 - 6,000 miles.
But the vehicle mileage cannot describe the specific engine performance. Some people like to pull the engine at engine RPM while the vehicle speed is not too fast. This makes the engine performance higher than the mileage.
Others like driving with a medium RPM in the top gear position. So that the mileage can be further than the engine performance.
Therefore some people use the standard time to change the oil. Oil must be changed at 6 month intervals.
So I can say, oil will experience a decrease in quality when used continuously. Oil reduction will have the maximum impact when the vehicle mileage is at 3,000 - 6,000 miles.
To reach the mileage, the average time needed is 6 months.
So to find out how long the oil can last on the motorcycle, it depends on how you use your bike.
If the bike is rarely used, of course it will be a waste of money if you have to change the oil in 6 months. But if you often use a motorcycle, the oil change interval can be faster than 6 months.
So, my advice is to change your motorcycle oil when the motorbike has traveled 3,000 - 6,000.
But if you use full synthetic oil, reportedly it can last up to 10,000 miles. Of course, full synthetic oil is designed by engineers to produce products that can last quite a long time.
But do I have to follow it?
10,000 miles for synthetic oil is the maximum number. Oil can be used up to that distance, but of course the quality is different. So it is better to change the oil under 10,000 miles even if you are using full synthetic oil.