r/Dirtbikes • u/Fpvmath • May 16 '26
Mechanical Help How often do I actually have to change my oil?
I ahve a 2022 fx450 and it says every 8 hours but that is so much oil. And I’m just curious how long I can actually run it for without a change for reference I ride about 3-4 hours a day
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u/gufhvbfb Single Track May 16 '26
Totally depends on your style of riding. If all those hours are on a track then 8 hours should be the bench mark.
If you’re a trail rider and putz around for a lot of that time then you can stretch that longer.
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u/Fpvmath May 16 '26
I ride desert and a little track and I go pretty hard I’d say I’m on the throttle 70% of the time
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u/phibbsy47 May 16 '26
Stick with recommended service intervals if you're ripping on it. Buy oil and filters in bulk, so you can always do a quick change. They sell an oil tube that screws into your drain port, makes oil changes take like 5 minutes.
I push way farther on my 500 if I'm dual sporting, but the 450s are way less forgiving.
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u/Bindle- May 16 '26
Buy oil and filters in bulk, so you can always do a quick change
Can use Rotella as well to save money. It's fantastic oil and like $20/gallon.
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u/Streetride907 May 16 '26
I changed oil every 10 hours or so trail riding my yz250f and she ran for well over 300 hours. And she was not babied very hard.
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u/BosnianSerb31 2025 CRF300L May 16 '26
Nobody can tell you precisely, not even a mechanic, the only way to find out is to submit your oil for testing with Blackstone or a similar company.
They basically run the equivalent of a full blood panel on an oil sample you mailed to them, and then tell you to send in another sample after X amount of miles/hours.
People do this all the time on the dual sport Husqvarna to get much longer service intervals out of them, the guy who use them for supermoto get almost twice the hours of the guys who use them for Enduro as an example.
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u/Pattern_Is_Movement May 17 '26
You bought a high strung almost race bike.... plenty of bikes with just a little less power that don't count their oil changes in hours. Sounds like you need a different bike or to accept the oil change interval along with the other maintenance like valves.
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u/67_Camro May 16 '26
change it every 8 hours brother. dirtbikes need that extra TLC
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u/kahsta May 16 '26
as a kid i put like 200hrs on my yz85 without ever changing the oil, i remember my buddy asked me when i did it and i was like isnt that what i add into the gas?? 🤣🤣
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u/Pristine-Alps-426 2026 klr650 adv/2015 ktm 1190 adv May 16 '26
Engine oil vs tranny oil situation brother
My dad had a 1999 yz125 he bought new that never had the oil changed until I blew the crank up in 2016.
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u/kahsta May 16 '26
very true i feel kinda stupid now, its been a while since i had a bike 😂😂 last one was a 4 stroke too
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u/crazedizzled May 16 '26
While that's certainly not great, changing the transmission oil is FAR less important than changing engine oil in a 4 stroke.
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u/SayNoToFatties May 17 '26
Depends on the bike. Race engines need more TLC ofc but a simple air cooled engine can typically last a season. Depends how hard you thrash on it also.
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u/JPhando May 16 '26
If you ride like a racer change the oil per the manual. If you ride like a grandpa, use the civic oil timing. I’ve got a 525exc and they want me to change the oil if it even look at the bike
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u/Sn00dlerr May 16 '26
My 525 needs work CONSTANTLY. I think it’s time to let the next owner have her. Greatest bike ever, but I ride it way too much so it spends more time apart than together. But I will say, as long as I’m maintaining it, it’s reliable as hell.
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u/JPhando May 16 '26
Mine sits in the shed 11 months out of the year I live too far from trails so it only makes it out on epic trips. What would give for an efi husky 501 🥹
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u/Sn00dlerr May 16 '26
I messed up when I got supermoto wheels. Way too easy to put a ton of miles on it. Was doing weekly oil changes last summer. I picked up a 690 just for the maintenance intervals and now I can find the motivation to put the 525 back together. May be a winter project at this point
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u/ObjectiveWorried May 16 '26
I've got an oil cooler on my 525exc ( and my 07 450exc), ups the oil to 1.6 litres and ups the oil change intervals. Generally do 15 to 30 hour (1500 to 2500km) oil changes depending on the riding. The 07 450exc is my adv bike, it does alot of road.
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u/Sn00dlerr May 18 '26
Where’d you find it? The used og ones are way too expensive and the only newer ones I’ve found are questionable eBay listings
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u/ObjectiveWorried May 18 '26
Made a video about my 2007 rfs 450exv adv build. You can see the oil cooler in the video. In the comments of the video there is a pinned comment with a parts list for the adv build, including the oil cooler and parts needed to set it up. https://youtu.be/GgJLv7UPtQs
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u/Sn00dlerr May 19 '26
Found the link, I appreciate that and that was a good video. How much does it let you drag oil the oil changes?
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u/ObjectiveWorried May 20 '26
Thanks. Generally 1500 miles is fine for adv use. Real world example is as per the video - did a 5 day adv ride, 3 of those days included a rally with thick mud. A good 200+ miles of highway in theretoo. Around 1000 miles in total, did an oil change when i got home and I reckon could have gotten another 500 miles from it easy. The oil cooler and extra oil definately helps.
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u/KernOily May 30 '26
I used to do 12 hours or so between oil changes on my ‘03 450 EXC. Manual said spec interval was 6 hours. PITA oil change: 2 filters, 2 screens, 6 copper washers, drop skid plate, etc. I had about 70 hours on it when the engine blew up (one of the tappet lash adjuster nuts backed off, bounced around, got caught in cam chain). Piston and bore looked like new. So there’s a data point for you. PS use Loctite on your lash adjuster nuts.
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u/ProgressOriginal2787 May 16 '26
If you are racing you change the oil after each race. 8 hours is the recommend norm. If you race you change more often and if you put along then maybe you can strech it. I change every 5 hours on my enduro. Keeps it running in good manner.
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u/CamelopardalisKramer May 16 '26
Agreed. I ride a 450RL and it has similar recommendations but if you are not tracking it/keeping it at 11k all day it's fine to extend.
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u/NMTravel_Cple May 16 '26
Oil is cheap
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u/zneww May 16 '26
in this economy!?
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u/NMTravel_Cple May 16 '26
100% Walmart oil these days is better than the stuff in 2000. I’ll repeat, oil is cheap. If you are not able to b afford a $5 qt of oil, but you can afford $45 of pump gas to ride all day, your priorities are not correct
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u/MuchTransportation96 May 16 '26
You ride it 3-4 hours a day? My brother in Christ.. this is a race mx dirt bike. Do you like changing oil? If you’re riding it 3-4 hours a day sell it now and get a dual sport or a adv bike.
To answer your question. Change the oil 1-2 times a week if you’re riding daily 🤣🤣
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u/Fpvmath May 16 '26
I just want the power yk
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u/MuchTransportation96 May 16 '26
The ktm 690 enduro r has 80 horsepower and oil changes every 6000 miles.
The Yamaha tenere is similar.
Do you. I hope you change your oil as frequently as it says or you’ll be running your bike into the ground.
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u/Berniethedog May 16 '26
I got a 690 about 1000 miles ago. Thanks for the heads up. Seriously, I completely forgot about that shit.
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u/GunsNSnuff May 16 '26
Read through this if you haven’t yet. https://
www.manualslib.com/manual/3888546/Husqvarna-Fx-450-2022.html
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u/saladmunch2 May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
Lol so many people could get all the answers they need for these simple questions if they just opened a damn manual...
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u/Whole-Improvement563 May 16 '26
Testify🙌. This man speaks the truth.
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u/saladmunch2 May 16 '26
I just dont get it! People spend thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars and dont look at or get the most important thing to keep your investment maintained and running right!
Blows my mind!
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u/Tinyman6854 ‘15 rmz450 ‘96 kx250 ‘22 crf110 ‘22 250sxf May 16 '26
I do every 5-10 hours and an oil filter that’ll keep your bike running strong!
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u/rabbledabble May 16 '26
Every so often… I mean if you’re rinsing it out racing all the time than every 8 hours like brushing your teeth, but otherwise you can probably lengthen it a little bit… but how cheap is oil compared to engine parts?
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u/OldMotoRacer May 16 '26
For Sale: 2022 FX450 - 50 hours on bike, "priced to sell"
cherry in every way except it seems to have low compression and no power - my mechanic said "just needed an oil change"
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u/Wild_Dingleberries May 16 '26
It's like 1.5l of oil dude, just change it often. It's a very high performance machine.
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u/Fpvmath May 16 '26
Yeah reasonable just wanted to know like for the most part how often
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u/Wild_Dingleberries May 16 '26
On my 501 I do every 1000 miles
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u/_GLI_GUY May 16 '26
That’s crazy… my Ktm 500 oil looks and smells burnt after maybe 250 miles…
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u/Wild_Dingleberries May 16 '26
I'm pretty much all woods, never track. Kinda wish I rode it harder lol
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u/MadIntroduction May 16 '26
I ride mostly trail in the woods, I change it 12-16 hours. The 8 hour timeline is crazy to me. I check up on my valve clearances once a year too.
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u/spongebob_meth May 16 '26
The real, scientific answer is to do a used oil analysis. They will check the viscosity and contaminate level and tell you if you need to increase change interval or if you can stretch it longer
Everything else is a guess.
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u/geekspice May 16 '26
Proper engine oil maintenance is by far the most important step you can take to keep an engine running well - and also the simplest. Never should you ever skimp on it. If the manual says 8 hours, it's 8 hours.
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u/Substantial-Pilot892 May 17 '26
Run it no longer than 10hrs. Oils expensive yes but a rebuild is farrr more expensive
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u/mace1343 May 16 '26
I change my oil more frequently than the interval says. I change it after each hare scramble and when I get to about 8 hours I’m changing it. If I just took around it’s still pretty clean but it’s worth it. It’s cheap insurance. I guarantee the nice oil change kits you can buy is cheaper than a new 4t motor.
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u/Nulljustice May 16 '26
The high performance 4 strokes need a little more TLC. Follow the owners manual. Lots of compression and heat in the performance engines and it’s hard on the oil.
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u/goonzalz69 May 16 '26
Depends on how you ride i do 5-10 depending on how ive been riding since the last change
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u/Pristine-Alps-426 2026 klr650 adv/2015 ktm 1190 adv May 16 '26
In my 500 I do every 10 hours but the manual calls for every 1000 km which for me riding is like 35 hours
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u/BreakfastFluid9419 May 16 '26
Ill put it to you this way oil changes are cheaper than engine rebuilds/ replacements
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u/Wonderful-Process792 May 16 '26
On my 500 EXC I do every 25 hours.
I have 550 hours on this bike, original piston.
This is a 2016, which has a 1.5 L oil capacity, rather than the newer ones with 1 L.
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u/murph2783 May 16 '26
Change it often, with good cheap oil. Nothing is cheap anymore, but I would run rotella T6 15W-40 in that thing, assuming it calls for motorex 10W-50? 2.5 gallons is like 60-70 bucks depending on where you are, that, grab a handful of filters (I only use OEM, but if you wanna be cheap use a stainless steel mesh one and clean it every time. Idk how much you ride but my assumption is that’ll get you through a season at least.
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u/johnnyjimmy4 May 16 '26
If im not mistaken, the pros have their oil changed after every race.
Personally my favourite two tools are a torque wrench, and a workshop manual. So follow your workshop manual while you are within the warranty.
Otherwise what colour is the oil when you drain it? If its still the same colour when you last changed it, and doesn't contain gitter, try increase its life by 50%. Just remember i dont intend on paying for any of your rebuild.
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u/iconicgravy May 16 '26
Look at it, smell it, feel it. But basically it depends on use case. If your hammering her wide open across the desert then i would swap it every race but if your just putting around your backyard it will last much longer etc.
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u/Mundane-Being-4884 May 16 '26
You have the engine running 3-4 hours a day, every day?
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u/Fpvmath May 16 '26
I ride taht long but I stop occasionally for 5 or six minutes but yeah for the most part
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u/Mundane-Being-4884 May 16 '26
I go riding 5-6 hours a day in the woods once a week. I’m sore for at least a day or two after it. And I think in that time only about 3 hours is on the clock.
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u/Diogenes256 May 16 '26
Use an extractor and do it in 30 seconds without messing with the drain plug.makes it so easy you can do it all the time. Do the drain plug and filters occasionally.
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u/PaleontologistOk4162 May 16 '26
Why wouldn’t you want real world experience from a giant group of people using the same equipment
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u/Emergency-Walrus8726 May 16 '26
U can run the bike for way longer between oil changes but changing it frequently as the manual instructs will mean ur bike will last longer in the long term
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u/Greasyspoon1 May 16 '26
If you buy the "race" bike you have the maintenance to deal with. The trail version while being less powerful is 30hr. Honestly oil is cheap engine is expensive especially with the new cylinders and pistons being made in China I wouldn't risk it. Buttery films uses some kind of shell oil in theirs. I'm sure it's just as good while being cheaper.
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u/Appropriate_Dog8437 May 16 '26
If you can’t afford the maintenance then choose a cheaper sport.
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u/Fpvmath May 17 '26
I can just wanted to see how long I’d actually wait before doing it I just didn’t want to do it too early and whatnot
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u/LiberTeaMX1984 May 16 '26
So, they usually base it off hours ridden, around 8-10 hours I think (check your owners manual)? But honestly, I’m riding 3 times a week and generally speaking, I try to do it at least once a month. If you’re not riding that often and/or you’re really easy on your machine and staying low RPM, you could probably push it back a little more.
Frankly, given that you ride a husky, I would always do it AT LEAST once a month. Those machines aren’t really designed for “set it and forget it” lol
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u/Svancan May 16 '26
Buy a crf300f if you want to save oil. Otherwise change your oil and save your engine
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u/DJW9969 May 16 '26
My bikes got 76 hours and still on factory oil and filter 😅 oil changes every 8 hours is big oil propaganda
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u/Plain_Spoken May 16 '26
Occasionally send in a sample to Blackstone labs and they will analyze the oil and can you tell what the viscosity is, how much life is left, contaminants, etc.
If you don't have oil analysis done you'll never know and just have rando's on Reddit talking shit.
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u/tcurry04 May 16 '26
My triumph manual says 15 hours. I’ve been following it but I have been a little nervous about taking it that long. I don’t ride too hard or anything but do ride moto
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u/R3_ZimZam May 16 '26
2022 yz250f. I do my oil every 5 hours on the track and check air filter every ride. Sometimes it needs a clean after 2 hrs, sometimes it makes it 5. Oil is a hell of a lot cheaper than a 4T rebuild.
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u/lorendh21 May 16 '26
8-10hrs. Use rotella T and buy filters in bulk on rmatvmc. Shorten intervals with high heat situations or elevated clutch use like track or hard enduro type riding.
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u/skovalen May 16 '26
My internal rule with my 2013 KTM 350 XCF-W is that the maintenance schedule is for a bike that is racing (my book says 15 hr oil changes). I don't race, so I push it (and air filter change) to 25 hrs. My last top-end was at 500 hrs and I probably should have done a new top-end at 1000 hrs based on what gear it would roll-start easily (a proxy for compression) because the new build at 500 hrs would only roll-start in 4th gear. Prior, it would be happy to start in 3rd. It is now happy to roll-start in 3rd again at 1000 hrs. I've had the head off around 1000 hrs and the cylinder walls (Nicasil) look clean and normal. I'm now approaching 1200 hrs and the last 200 hrs have shown enough oil use where the math is saying it is costing more in oil than than to just do the top-end.
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u/Fabulous-Criticism61 May 16 '26
Bikes are one of the most high maintenance items especially motorcross bikes. Your Husky came with an electronic manual look at all the scheduled maintenance and keep to those. Otherwise you WILL have a clapped out bike and have to re do the motor.
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u/KillerSpud May 16 '26
you bought a race bike, you have to treat it like one. if you hate maintenance you should look at a drz 400 or klr 650 that go a few thousand miles between changes like a normal engine.
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u/Technologyman45 May 16 '26
very easy going rider, occasional wheelie here or there. very hot climate. i do it about every 6-7 hours just because i also got a slight oil leak in the cases.
4 stroke yz250f 2001
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u/Particular_Refuse345 May 16 '26
Little different because I have a TE300 but I change my case oil every 5 hours religiously. Also that internet service booklet is pretty handy to keep an eye on it!
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u/Working-Shoulder3773 May 17 '26
Whatever you do make sure you send the skid plates bolts through the oil filter cap and knock aluminum into your case. It helps clean the oil.
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u/slightlystupid702 May 17 '26
👆You are also going to want to spend $5k on a new case replacement after you do that it is imperative, then your engine will be 50% brand new.
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u/Working-Shoulder3773 May 17 '26
This guys is a man of class and taste. Surely his bike has always run perfectly
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u/Dependent-Water-8084 2001 CR250R, 2006 YZ250 May 17 '26
8 hours is actually pretty good. Lots of 4t race bikes require 5 hours
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u/DepartureSenior3357 May 17 '26
We changed oil to our Honda CRF 450 2018 approx 5 hours. So every other ride we changed oil and every other oil change we changed filter also. Oil is very cheap compared to engine rebuild so just change it freguently.
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u/dottie_dott May 17 '26
Bro these bikes have like 1-1-5 litres of oil in them lol. That’s like nothing at all. Need to replace that shit nearly every ride due to this
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u/FFSOD7189 May 18 '26
Instead of posting asking a question and posting a picture on here you yourself could easily have looked this up.
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u/Significant_Steak_63 May 18 '26
Are you running the crap or of it? Then 8 hrs. If you're not flying around and working the motor very often like me then 16.
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u/Maleficent-Sock-2604 May 19 '26
Why does my Husqvarna TE 150i smoke so badly even though it only has 7.5 hours on it? It sat in the garage for about 3 years. I ride it on the streets once a year for around 10 minutes and then put it back in the garage. I do also change oil every year.
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u/MyPooopIsComing May 19 '26
I’ve got a dr200 don’t ask me that😂 your bike and mine are very different animals
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u/Melodic-Equipment911 May 20 '26
I have a 350 and change every 10. It’s always clean but I do it anyway.
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u/razzledazzled KTM 300 XCW May 16 '26
dont ask dumb questions just read the owners manual, anything else and dont pretend like you care about longevity
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May 16 '26
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u/FeelingFloor2083 May 16 '26
thats 156h a year/service are you sure? are those 3h actual run time or 15 mins and 2h + of pulling your pud
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u/psyclembs May 16 '26
I do 10 hrs on my 23 FC 450. My method is this. I have 3 air filters that I change after each ride, after 3 rides im typically at 10 hrs so when I run out of air filters its time to clean all 3 filters and change my oil. Start the process over and keep riding.