Oil Change - Before winter or after?

Well I used to change the oil before winter storage then I talked to an old school rider and he convinced me to change it in the spring instead. My bike is stored in a unit with no heat. He and others have since said the same thing. Over the course of the winter we have freeze thaw periods this creates condensation on the inside of the motor. during the thaw cycles this condensation collects and at times will run down and sit on the oil. Your not going to get anything substantial, (like a litre), but you are going to have water sitting on your oil. When you start it up in the spring what happens to that water? It becomes mixed with the oil. So the bike gets fresh oil in the spring before it is started and run.

What other voodoo black magic have you bought into? There won't be any condensation inside your motor because there is no air flow through your motor. If the bike was good and warm the last time you ran it beforw storage there will be very little moisture left inside the motor. None to condense on the inside of your crank case and contaminate your oil.
 
Before the winter, or after. It doesn't matter a damn.
Just do it at the proper intervals.
 
I've done both but I prefer to change the oil in spring when it's (usually) warmer out.
 
Both!Don't want used oil sitting in it over the winter,so I dump cheap oil in it.Don't want the condensation left in it when I get it out in the spring either,so it gets new oil in the spring.
 
So much wasteful rich people
 
Pffft! Must be nice to have so much money to do all these oil changes...

I'm doing my second of the year this week and then park the girl for the winter. I'm pretty sure she'll be perfectly fine with the same oil for next spring and beyond, with zero problemo.
 
Pffft! Must be nice to have so much money to do all these oil changes...

I'm doing my second of the year this week and then park the girl for the winter. I'm pretty sure she'll be perfectly fine with the same oil for next spring and beyond, with zero problemo.

I haven't even changed oil this year. But I run synthetic. I have 65k on her now. I guess if I do a 2x per year oil change she should last 1 million kms?

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What other voodoo black magic have you bought into? There won't be any condensation inside your motor because there is no air flow through your motor. If the bike was good and warm the last time you ran it beforw storage there will be very little moisture left inside the motor. None to condense on the inside of your crank case and contaminate your oil.

I think I understand where this is coming from. Take Harleys for example, as I understand it for a long time they were made out of cast iron and had little puddles of oil under them. If a drop of oil leaks out that logically means that an equivalent drop of moisture laden air enters.
 
I do oil change before. You can re-use the same oil filter in the spring of course.
 
Both!Don't want used oil sitting in it over the winter,so I dump cheap oil in it.Don't want the condensation left in it when I get it out in the spring either,so it gets new oil in the spring.

To the op: don't do this.
 
I hook my bike up to an external oil feed and circulate fresh oil through the engine constantly over the course of the winter. Oil can never be fresh enough.
 
So much wasteful rich people

I'm just a poor mechanic. Pretty sure there is only one thing cheaper than oil and that's 7/8's of the posters on here.You going to own a $30k bike and worry about $50 worth of oil.Suit yourself.I actually put miles on my bike,so it'll get 2 and sometimes 3 oil changes a summer.I do a trip the last 2 weeks of July.Bike gets new oil before I leave because it's miled out already from getting it out in the spring and by the time I get home it's ready for another one.I guess if you trade it every couple of years or tear it down every winter then it's not a big deal.I actually keep mine for a long,long time.Whoever said there can't be condensation inside your motor is dead wrong.If there is a drastic temperature change there will be condensation.
 
I'm just a poor mechanic. Pretty sure there is only one thing cheaper than oil and that's 7/8's of the posters on here.You going to own a $30k bike and worry about $50 worth of oil.Suit yourself.I actually put miles on my bike,so it'll get 2 and sometimes 3 oil changes a summer.I do a trip the last 2 weeks of July.Bike gets new oil before I leave because it's miled out already from getting it out in the spring and by the time I get home it's ready for another one.I guess if you trade it every couple of years or tear it down every winter then it's not a big deal.I actually keep mine for a long,long time.Whoever said there can't be condensation inside your motor is dead wrong.If there is a drastic temperature change there will be condensation.

Now don't jump to conclusions so fast shall we? I've got almost 90k kms of riding experience & a highly active DIYer.

I've done oil analysis on my bike & car on different types of oils. I can tell you what you're saying is wrong & the only proof you have on doing what you're doing is because "you have a feeling".

As Caboose pointed out there can be small condensation when the motor is stored. But because it is an enclosed area the condensation doesn't get too bad. There is not alot of fresh incomming air coming into the engine when it is stored . The only problem with real condensation is when you repetitively start your bike during the winter or going on 5min rides. The combustion in the engine will produce lots of condensation which will not burn off. Condensation at a fully warmed engine gets burnt off, eg anything accumulated from winter.
 
Both!Don't want used oil sitting in it over the winter,so I dump cheap oil in it.Don't want the condensation left in it when I get it out in the spring either,so it gets new oil in the spring.

The condensation that you might get parked in the off-season is a tiny fraction of the moisture that fresh oil is capable of handling from regular operation. Just start 'er up in the spring and go with the oil you have (but don't put the cheap stuff in).
 
If nothing else, reading threads like these show me who not to buy a used bike from. I change my oil 2-3 times a year depending on mileage. When I load the goldwing with camp gear and trailer my dirtbike behind it, I always change the oil after that trip! Lol
 
If nothing else, reading threads like these show me who not to buy a used bike from. I change my oil 2-3 times a year depending on mileage. When I load the goldwing with camp gear and trailer my dirtbike behind it, I always change the oil after that trip! Lol

What does that tell us about oil changes before or after winter?
 
What does that tell us about oil changes before or after winter?

Absolutely nothing! Just like half the posts on this thread.
Perhaps I should consider a remote constant circulation system as you suggested earlier? Lmao
 
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