I keep my atvs my cabin, so i don't ride them that much. I change the oil once a year. i usually change it in the spring. would it be better to change it in the fall so they don't sit all winter with the old oil? or would to continue what im doing and change oil in the spring so that the new oil doesn't get moisture in it?

 

I would change the oil after every ride or if the bike is in storage then every 6 months.

 

after every ride??????? i guess that makes sense if you are mudding or riding in lots of dust, but my machines are just driven on forest roads. the owners manual for my beg reds says every 30 days of riding or 6 months, whichever comes first. mine get about 25 days of riding a year. i figure if i change the oil in the spring, all of my riding will be done within the 6 month time frame. however, the problem with my plan is that the dirty oil sits in there all winter. if i change the oil in the fall instead, will it really go bad just from sitting over winter?

 

well its hard to say. You will probably be ok. I ride only in the sand and my mechanic (whom I trust very much) told me that if I run synthetic that I should change after every three rides, but if I use regular oil then after every ride. Keep in mind that most of the time I'm riding I'm at near full throttle because I need to be to get up all the hills in the soft sand so its driven pretty hard. If you are taking it easy then you will probably be ok doing what you're doing. Just remember that clean oil is the cheapest easiest way to have your atv running for a long time. Good luck

 

well, ive worked at a 10 minute oil change place, and as far as i know oil is supposed to be changed every 3-4 months. after that it doesnt lubricate properly. if you asked me, id say leave it for the winter but change it before your first ride of the season, that way youve got good fresh stuff in there. if you were worried about the oil gumming up your engine during the winter, why not drain it for the winter then refill it in the summer?

 

oil does not wear out. just the additives do. the only reason you change the oil, is to refresh the additives. same with antifreeze by the way. just my 2 cents worth
aaron

 

You're probably ok with your spring oil changes... sounds like your riding isn't that wild. I change my oil about every 3-4 rides and I'm typically going pretty hard when I ride. It's my understanding that the oil starts to break down after a period of time after it is used. That is why they reccomend oil changes every 3 months or 3000 miles in cars... depending on how you drive them. In my opinion... the more you change the oil, the more junk you're going to get out of the engine. Carbon, metal, and other deposits will benefiet from more frequent oil changes. The longer you let it sit, the more stuff will settle out of the oil and have a tendancy to collect at the lower points of the oil sump. I would have a tendancy to believe that once these contaminants settle, the harder it will be to get them out of your engine.

I would say that if after your oil changes, you're coming up with black oil after running the engine a little then I would change the oil more often.

Unfortunately there's no particuar science to this subject. Good luck!!