Quote:
Originally Posted by subiegy2010
I don't understand the point of draining out the perfectly clean oil in the spring. If the bike is not being used all winter, how is the fresh unused oil getting any worse?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TrueFaith
This "recommendation" has always been suspect to me and even seems to border on OCD behavior. Can anyone provide a solid link or some kind of written proof that this is a good idea? Adding more waste oil to the environment is a bad thing and the benefits of doing so should be based on proven results, not because some people think it's a "good idea".
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I'm with you on protecting the environment, unfortunately it does seem that engine oil is also hygroscopic to an extent as well. This is the best scientific paper I could find on this:
http://www.maintenanceresources.com/...lysis/oa-m.htm by J. C. Fitch and Simeon Jaggernauth.
Again I will not claim that the results and findings of the paper are 100% valid and verified. Read it for what it's worth and make your own decision. Basically moisture can enter engine oil in five different ways:
- Absorption
- Condensation
- Heat Exchangers
- Combustion/Oxidation/Neutralization
- Free Water Entry
As you can see from the list, moisture in your oil is a double-edged sword. If you ride your motorcycle or car regularly, the heat produced will help to burn out the moisture. However, whenever you use the engine, moisture can also collect from the Combustion/Oxidation/Neutralization process. I guess this is why in any motorcycle or car owner's manual, you see a maintenance interval of both kms or miles and a time interval of when to change your oil. Basically, even if you don't use your engine, the oil will expire after some time due to the moisture it collects. The question is depending on how long you store your motorcycle and your climate, is the engine oil still good to use when your riding season starts? If you are really concerned about environmental waste, I know there are some places that you can send in an oil sample for testing, albeit at a fee of course. This way though, you can find out if your oil is still good.
This also brings up another good reminder to top off the other important fluids in your motorcycle when you store it; brake fluids and coolant. Brake fluid is also hygroscopic, unless you use DOT 5 which is silicone based and is not recommended for our bikes. If your brake fluids are already a couple of years old, it may be a good time to bleed them out and change them as the moisture collected inside those lines can corrode your brake system or create swells that may burst and leak. You don't want faulty brakes during that long awaited first ride of the season. If you are topping off your brake fluids, I know that the owner's manual says not to mix but you will be ok just to top it off with any DOT 4 brake fluid. Of course, topping it off means only up to the full line.
Do not use DOT 5 as it will not mix with the existing brake fluid in our system. Every other owner's manual I've ever read has no mention of requiring to change the whole brake fluid if you just need to top it off. I'm not sure why the Kawasaki manual states this. On all the other forums I've read, people are ok with just topping it off as long as you don't mix in DOT 5 which is not compatible with any other brake fluid.
If you are opening that front brake fluid cap for the first time, be careful as the screws were torqued by machines at the shop/factory. They are difficult to unscrew and you have to apply a lot of downward pressure on the screw to avoid stripping them as they are not made of the highest quality and the Phillips design is easy to strip. Once I unscrewed mine out, I changed them to a hex pattern. The screws are metric machine screws countersunk 4mm x 12mm.