February 15th, 2017, 04:48 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
Join Date: Jan 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250 Posts: 30
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Should i do oil change now or once riding season starts again?
my ninja 250 has been in storage for about 3 months now (2more months to go)
i was just wondering if i should do the oil change now or i should wait once riding season comes? if i did to it right now all the oil would just be sitting at the bottom of the draining so it would drain easily right ? thanks for looking have a good day |
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February 15th, 2017, 05:31 PM | #2 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
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Generally it's advised to get an engine at least warm before draining the oil. I like to do it after a ride when things are stirred up good. But I really doubt if it matters a ton in reality.
Depending on the conditions it's stored in, there could be some condensation of moisture inside the engine, so there's an argument for waiting until after a short first ride of the season to change the oil. Mix it all up and dump it. But it's more important to change the oil and filter at regular intervals recommended by Kaw than to worry about exactly what time of year you do it. And ask 10 people, you'll proabably get 11 different answers. |
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February 15th, 2017, 05:38 PM | #3 |
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Doesn't really matter. If you've got nothing better to do, go ahead.
In future, the best way to go about it is to devote half a day to storing the bike at the end of the season. Add stabilizer to the gas, go for one last nice ride, change oil, top off the tank (if you're storing in a cold place, to avoid condensation), hook up the battery tender and put it on stands if you've got 'em. In the spring, it'll start right up and off you go. I've learned through experience that it's wise to park the bike before the weather turns nasty. Nothing sucks worse than doing the winterization bit in the middle of a cold, gray, rainy November. For some years now I've made a habit of parking the bike on Halloween. Yeah, I miss a few nice days of Indian Summer, but I never get caught that way. Wait later and you've got the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas to deal with. In the spring, I fire it up when the clocks change.
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February 15th, 2017, 05:44 PM | #4 |
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Name: Rob
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I'm in Manitoba and my bike as been put away for a couple months for winter.
I just wait until the riding season starts and fire the bike up for about 30 minutes to warm everything up then change the oil and filter. I usually do 1 filter a season (beginning) and 1-3 oil changes depending on mileage. |
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February 15th, 2017, 05:48 PM | #5 | |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
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Quote:
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February 15th, 2017, 06:14 PM | #6 |
Cat herder
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15 - 18 inches of snow a few days ago. I'm in Connecticut.
I'm also more of a fair-weather rider. I have no problem riding in the wet (even on the track) but it's a PITA so not really worth it to me. And in winter the roads here are loaded with salt.
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I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem. |
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February 15th, 2017, 06:20 PM | #7 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
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Yeah, I grew up and lived in the DC area for about 40 years, so I know salt. The only thing worse than the northeast for salt is living at the coast.
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February 15th, 2017, 06:26 PM | #8 |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
Join Date: Jan 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250 Posts: 30
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Ok cool thanks i guess i will wait for riding season to come around start up the bike for a while let it cool down then do the oil change before i go for a ride
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February 15th, 2017, 06:34 PM | #9 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
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Well, the idea of warming it up is to get things mixed up, and also to make the oil thin so it drains quicker. I'd go for a ride, come home and drain it, possibly letting it cool first just enough so I don't get burned working on it. But as Captain Obvious and I said, it really doesn't matter much.
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February 16th, 2017, 09:36 AM | #10 | |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
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Quote:
You want clean oil for storage. Warming before changing the oil is the best idea, for the reasons TJ mentioned. Synthetic oil has advantages for storing, as well as in normal use. Mainly it won't oxidize when exposed to air like conventional oil and it has properties that make it adhere to metal better as well. Both are going to prevent corrosion when sitting. Rotella T6 (Group III synthetic) is generally a good cost-effective choice for the Ninja. |
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February 16th, 2017, 10:43 AM | #11 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
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In the Kaw triples world, there is evidence that synthetic oil does not protect internal engine parts from rust during storage as well as dino oil. We've seen rusting of crank bearings, for example. It's not conclusive, but there is a fair amount of anecdotal evidence.
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February 16th, 2017, 12:59 PM | #12 |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
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so the rotella 15w-40 is best for when i do my oil change?
also i got the bike in the middle of winter and had it towed over to my house so i couldlnt really ride the bike to warm up the oil i did start it add fuel stabilizer and top off the gas tank the previous owner said he did do a oil change 2k km before but i dont know what kind of oil he used or if he even did do the oil change so i just want a ease of mind and do another oil change just incase |
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February 16th, 2017, 01:18 PM | #13 | |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
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Quote:
As a preventative measure, I would drain the floatbowls now to get the gas out. I'd also personally drain the tank and refill with fresh gas before trying to start it. How does the oil look? At this point, if the oil looks OK, I would probably wait until it's riding weather to change it. If the oil looks really bad and you are planning to do a second oil change, I would go with the standard Rotella T 15W-40 first and do the T6 second. No need for the more expensive synthetic the first time around. I'd only do a double change if it was really bad though. |
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February 16th, 2017, 01:23 PM | #14 | |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
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Quote:
That would be more of an issue with the additive package (corrosion inhibitors) than the oil itself. I've stored engines in damp environments for years with fresh synthetic, and after pulling a valve cover and inspecting the cams found them to be rust-free. Some oils have more rust inhibitors than others - conventional or synthetic. |
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February 16th, 2017, 02:17 PM | #15 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
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Actually, one theory is that the varnish that forms with long term storage and dino oil is the protective coating that stops rust.
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February 16th, 2017, 02:18 PM | #16 |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
Join Date: Jan 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250 Posts: 30
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thanks for the help everyone
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February 16th, 2017, 03:34 PM | #17 | |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
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Quote:
Clean synthetic oil is going to provide the best protection from corrosion, from everything I have learned about oil. I'll admit - I'm kind of an oil snob, and run Ester synthetics (Group V) in some of my favorite engines - just cuz. |
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February 16th, 2017, 03:45 PM | #18 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
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I'm just mentioning the anecdotal evidence we've seen, not saying that rust can't occur with dino oil. There have been a couple guys who found rusty roller bearings on their crankshafts after long term storage with full synthetic oil, for example, yet cranks with a little brownish varnish on the bearings were rust free.
I'm the opposite of an oil snob, running $12/gallon Walmart TC-W3 2-stroke oil in my H2 and Valvoline VR1 in my 4-stroke non-roller cam motorcycles. Maybe you and I just remember the good stories about our chosen oils. |
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February 16th, 2017, 03:45 PM | #19 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
Join Date: Jan 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250 Posts: 30
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Quote:
so the best oil to use is synthetic 5w-40 as stated above? |
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February 16th, 2017, 03:54 PM | #20 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Jul 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
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Here's some Ninja 250 oil information: http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Preferred_Brands
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February 16th, 2017, 04:32 PM | #21 |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
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Yes - use Rotella T6 5W-40 (blue bottle). I've used it in some of my cycles for quite a while, as have many members here.
It's not THE best, but it's significantly more than adequate (and safe on all levels) for the Ninja or most other cycle engines. |
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February 18th, 2017, 08:43 AM | #22 |
ninjette.org member
Name: ALi
Location: toronto
Join Date: Jan 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250 Posts: 30
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ok so i checked my oil from the sight glass and the oil looked very dark should i still wait for summer to come around or do the oil change As Soon As Possible?
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February 18th, 2017, 09:20 AM | #23 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Jul 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
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Whatever's easier for you. There are much more important things to stress about.
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