5000km service interval WTF?

I just spotted the fact that the new VFR1200F has a service interval of 5000km instead of the normal 6000km. When the german an british bikes are all moving to the 10 000km mark, isnt this a step back?

 

Personally I don't see an advantage in longer service intervals. IMO they are pushed on the engineers by the marketers... and it probably drives the engineers nuts.

I'll probably change the oil in mine ever 2000km. There's just no way I want to run old dirty oil in a high-performance motorcycle engine with tight tolerances.

Mind you I'm the kind of guy that enjoys working on bikes... If you pay to service yours at a shop I could understand the frustration. My dirtbike gets new oil and a filter after every ride.... this, as well as a thorough cleaning, chain service, and disassembly / cleaning of the airbox.

 

2000km? WTF. Do you have shares in BP or Texaco? The bike and the oil is designed to last 8000miles, that's why it costs so much. I just had the 8k mile service done on mine and virtually all that is done is an oil and filter change. It's way cheaper than my KTM which is supposed to be done at 4500 miles and costs twice as much, twice as often.

So at that rate, you are doing more than 6 oil changes to my one, using over 20 litres of oil unnecessarily.

Chrissakes, my BMW car gets an oil change at 13k miles, and that's a diesel....

 

Where did you see a 5000km service interval? I'm looking at the service manual right now and it says a 6400km interval. Even that is mostly just to inspect stuff. The oil and filter is listed as every 12,800km.

 

Fair enough but I agree that every 2000km is just plain wasteful. That's just a little over every 1200 miles. I'd be changing my oil every other week at that rate.

 

But the book says 8000 mile service intervals using a specific grade of oil. Honda would have tested these things for hundreds of thousands of miles for a good reason... "I don't care, my BSA needed the oil changing every 1500 miles, so does my Honda. I don't trust those slitty eyed engineers, they don't know what they're talking about"

 

frankly, while kind of wasteful, 2000km oil changes are beneficial to your motor. think about this. have you EVER heard of an engine wearing out prematurely with such frequent oil changes? probably not. why? because by changing the oil frequently you're REMOVING dirty oil, contaminants and wear causing materials from the engine constantly, which produces a longer lasting motor as a whole, permitting the motor to funciton WELL for a very long time.

I'll still change mine every 3000, but thats just because I grew up with that number and its what I know is ingrained in my head.

 

oil changes

My service manual says every 8000 miles. I changed my oil and filter at 600 miles Shell Rotella dino oil, then at 4000 miles Shell Rotella T6 full synthetic. Every 1200 miles does seem a bit much to me.

 

Ditto...As "alang" says...my owners manual has the first service @ 1000km and thence every 12,000km after that......I'm buggered if I know where you got the 5,000km intervals from!!??

I change my oil/filter at half this distance but there's no mention of 5,000km in either of the manuals.

Cheers,
Smithy.

 

Just changed my oil, washer, and filter 300 miles ago very easy to do not as easy as the Harley was but close. I plan on replacing the Amsoil around 4k to 5k. the oil had almost 6k on it and it felt pretty good but was dirty. It took about 3 quarts and 6oz to get the level dead center.