Oil Color...?

[zx7]

I did my first oil & filter change on my bike (81 GS650G) over the weekend and after a short drive after the change the oil was black through the oil level sight glass...is this normal?

Thanks.

 

[Calvin Blackmore]

is this an older bike that is new to you?

The detergents in your new oil would have lifted a lot of stuff out of an old engine.

Blowby and other issues would also affect the colour

the friciton materila in clutches also adds the the discoulouration of oil

if you have a sight glass you should be able to see the change in colour over the 3000 mile change interval

my oil is always black after 3000 miles

 

[zx7]

is this an older bike that is new to you?

The detergents in your new oil would have lifted a lot of stuff out of an old engine.

Blowby and other issues would also affect the colour

the friciton materila in clutches also adds the the discoulouration of oil

if you have a sight glass you should be able to see the change in colour over the 3000 mile change interval

my oil is always black after 3000 miles

A little background is in order I guess:

I bought it in '04 and the owner said he had changed the oil; took him at his word and I thought I was good to go. Looking back I should have changed it myself, but I did not. I moved that summer/fall and the bike sat the next year due to time constraints and I needed a mechanical inspection in order to register it where I moved to. The next spring I got the mechanical inspection done and asked them to change the oil then; I later found out that they had not but the riding season was over, so I left it for this spring along with the oil leak I just fixed. So it has been at least 2 riding seasons since the oil was changed (I do not know the mileage, because I also had to repair the speedo unit at the wheel this spring)

Thanks.

 

[fgh]

Normal? NO! But what you describe the bike going through in the last three years isn't normal either. Did you change the filter also? Run it for 3000 then while its hot or warm pull the filter and drain plug and let it drain.

 

[zx7]

Normal? NO! But what you describe the bike going through in the last three years isn't normal either. Did you change the filter also? Run it for 3000 then while its hot or warm pull the filter and drain plug and let it drain.

:-s Good point about the last 3 years not being normal!

Yes, I did change the filter as well. By 'Run it for 3000', do you mean drive it another 3000 km and then do another oil/filter change? I did warm it it up by going for a short drive and then drained the oil when I did the oil change on the weekend...

So is the idea then to change the oil a little more often until it does not look black so soon after changing it...?

Thanks for you help! :-D

 

[Dave8338]

I wouldn't wait for another 3000 km or miles to do another change. Oil is cheap and the filters are as well. I change mine every 1500 or less and it never gets more than a light brown in color. With a wet clutch and the fact that it is a 650 (engine oil also lubes the trans gears), our oil is doing double time, to say the least. Change it often and you won't have to worry about it.

 

[twistedwankel]

Just forget about miles/km and change the oil and filter twice per year. Once in Fall (before storing if you do that) and once again in the Spring (every 6 months) or before you start riding it again to get all the moisture/acid out of there. The acid neutralizers in oil only have a limited capacity to neutralize irrelevant to the type of oil.

You can spend a fortune on long life synthetics but they still only have a limited amount of acid neutralizing ability. So just get it done or do it more often. This applies to all vehicles not just bikes.

Or like the man suggested....an old bike originally run with non detergent oil is better left using non detergent oil forever. Until eventually you end up rebuilding it of course...then you can start with a clean sheet.

I live in FL and ride year round but I still religiously change the oil and filter every 6 months irrelevant to miles because I don't ever ever sit in traffic - not my scene. Open crooked road for me.

When I lived up north I never ran my bike all winter as it took forever to get it hot enough to drive the water out of the engine....so why bother? Still changed the oil in the spring tho' to get the moisture out.

 

[Guest]

You are stirring up sludge in your oil pan that's sat there for god knows how long. I would change my oil twice at 1000 miles and then go to regular 3000 mile intervals.

 

[spyug]

As the others mention oil and filters are cheap in comparison to an engine job or replacement so change them again soon.

If the bike was subjected to harsh or negligent treatment there is likely a load of crap floating around inside to contaminate the fresh oil going in. Oil should stay light in colour for several hundred miles then should go to a rich amber colour. Becoming black almost instantly is not a great sign in my book. Flush it out. You could add a little Sea Foam to aid the process but don't run your oil with any additives for any length of time. The clutch plates will not like it. Sea Foam will help descale the crud.

Frequent oil changes are the proven method of adding engine longevity and cheap insurance. Twice a season at a minimum if your a weekend/ holiday rider. More frequently if you get to ride every day ( lucky bugger if you do).

Cheers,
Spyug.

 

[zx7]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I thought something was wrong when it looked black so quickly.

I will change it again in about 1000 km (that will take me about 2 - 3 weeks). I commute about 120 km a day, 3 days a week on it (almost all of it highway).

Thanks again for all your help! This forum is a wealth of information! :-D

 

[tconroy]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I thought something was wrong when it looked black so quickly.

I will change it again in about 1000 km (that will take me about 2 - 3 weeks). I commute about 120 km a day, 3 days a week on it (almost all of it highway).

Thanks again for all your help! This forum is a wealth of information! :-D

My bikes oil was black also when i got it and I changed it and the filter every 500 miles for the first 15oo miles.Ever since then it looks as good after 1500 miles as the day I put it in.I change it now at 1500 on the oil and 3000 on the filter.Also change it before putting it up for the winter so it can be stored with clean fresh oil.

 

[zx7]

My bikes oil was black also when i got it and I changed it and the filter every 500 miles for the first 15oo miles.Ever since then it looks as good after 1500 miles as the day I put it in.I change it now at 1500 on the oil and 3000 on the filter.Also change it before putting it up for the winter so it can be stored with clean fresh oil.

Thanks!\\/

Sounds like a plan to me! :-D

 

[tconroy]

Thanks!\\/

Sounds like a plan to me! :-D

Just keep changing it and eventually it will be the same color as when you put it in.The oil and filter plus a clean air filter is the best things you can do to your bike.

 

[rapidray]

I use Castrol GTX 20/50 in my streetbikes AND my dragbikes because I change them all OFTEN. OFTEN meaning every 1000 miles on the street bikes & after every weekend raced on the dragbikes. The engines stay clean inside, the oil NEVER breaks down, AND it keeps most of the clutch dirt flushed out to boot! Ray.

 

[fgh]

I live in FL and ride year round but I still religiously change the oil and filter every 6 months irrelevant to miles because I don't ever ever sit in traffic - not my scene. Open crooked road for me.

And just where in our beloved state is this OPEN CROOKED ROAD?

Oh just kidding. There's a few around JAX but not nearly enough!