garyroe Posted October 9, 2023 Report Share Posted October 9, 2023 Maintaining your dirt bike involves regular oil changes, typically every 10 to 20 riding hours. However, this schedule may vary based on the oil type and riding conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemur Posted October 9, 2023 Report Share Posted October 9, 2023 Transmission oil; when I think of it, when the clutch starts to make strange noises, after I've been doing a lot of riding through deep water, or if the bike has been subjected to a lot of severe temperature changes that would promote condensation. Transmissions only hold half a litre and don't even need a filter change so more frequent the better. The old oil is goods for chain oil on the bikes or chain saws. ... 10 hours would have me changing the oil ever week & that ain't happening, I ride closer to ~30 hours weekly. Cost is not crazy because I run all season excavator oil that I buy in 19 litre pails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemur Posted October 9, 2023 Report Share Posted October 9, 2023 Fork oil changes; not nearly enough, twice a year isn't really sufficient, front forks are one of the most over-looked maintenance items on the average motorcycle. Forks have no filtration and any contamination in the fork oil becomes grinding compound that will eventually destroy your lower fork legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbofurball Posted October 10, 2023 Report Share Posted October 10, 2023 My TY forks have probably had 6 oil changes in the last 43 years. Still in good nick. Changing after a year of solid use you're going to notice the difference, more frequently than that and I'm not sure it matters to 99.9% of riders. Pro and serious competition maintenance requires much more fastidious care than weekend wobblers like me, if I give my Sherco one good going-through a year and change the gearbox oil every 6 months or so it rides nice and tight feeling, to the point that the next year I'm not finding anything nasty hidden. And that's on a well-used 24 year old bike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemur Posted October 10, 2023 Report Share Posted October 10, 2023 If your suggestion is that 6 fork oil changes in 43 years is good, you are offering very bad advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbofurball Posted October 11, 2023 Report Share Posted October 11, 2023 No, what I was saying is that I did the second ever oil change when I bought the bike and the internals are still fine. I haven't bothered changing it for the last 3 years because I haven't used the bike more than once a year, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemur Posted October 11, 2023 Report Share Posted October 11, 2023 5 hours ago, turbofurball said: No, what I was saying is that I did the second ever oil change when I bought the bike and the internals are still fine. I haven't bothered changing it for the last 3 years because I haven't used the bike more than once a year, lol Thank you for the confirmation that front forks are one of the most over-looked maintenance items on the average motorcycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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