Condensation in engine oil: How often do you change yours?

[Slaninar]

ok, point's taken.

• if the bike was being ridden daily, it would be started every day and conversely the wear would be worse..? or is it because the bike is sitting for a time, some of the oil drains to the bottom..?
  
• As above if a bike is being ridden through winter would your statement still apply? or again are you saying this in the context of a cold engine thats been sat for a long time with the above oil drain but in addition the oild is more viscus etc..?
  

Very good questions (you have mostly answered yourself, but I'll explain why).

1) Oil, especially if you use some containing ester (like Motul, Bel Ray, Silkolene to name a few) will stick to the walls of the engine, cylinders, protecting the engine even during startup. When the bike sits for a few days, the oil drains.

2) When it is cold, the cold start is the worst. If you RIDE your bike, you have to start it, but if you don't, it's best not starting it when it is cold.


Having done "tests" with several Zastava 101 (local make), and VW Golf 2 (company cars), city riding start-stop and open road riding cars are vastly different in terms of wear. After the same number of kilometres, the cars ridden in the open road 90% of the time were like brand new, compared to the city driven cars. I guess that the number of start-stops, warm up-cool downs does add to wear. (These were just cars driven for work, not some official test, to make it clear, but all the kilometres, fuel stops, services were being tracked)

Running the engine does polute oil, so the best thing is to leave the bike with fresh oil during the winter. You can take it for a spin, when there are nice days, but when not riding, leave it be. Also, if oil is not 100% new, it's no problem, but if you plan on leaving the bike for a longer period, at least make sure oil is not past 1/2 of the change interval (3000 km for fazer 600).