Treachery
Moderator
Okay, maybe that's not definitive enough:
For the love of all that's Holy, CHANGE YOUR OIL!
Okay, let me regroup a minute, and explain: I'm right particular about how I break in my bikes. Piddling along at 6K RPM (thank goodness KTM gives us 7K...) makes a perfectly good bike pretty boring for the first 600 miles, and from what I read can actually delay proper seating of the rings and running in of the transmission. There are also issues with heat cycling and heat distribution if those boring-a** rides are too long. Fortunately, I live where I can string together entertaining short rides that let me go through the rev range on accel and decel, and get home without subjecting the engine to too much heat or load. The method I use has been attributed to Rob Muzzy; my experience is that it works. Part of the process is to dump the oil early, typically by about 150 miles, and again at 300, then at the 600 mile service. I don't really want to start a debate about "break in oil" or "modern engines" or wasting oil. I just want to share today's experience.
First: Do you really have to pull the fairing uppers to pull the belly pan? Jeebs. And I can tell you the charcoal canister is going to the basement at the next change. That ba***rd is in a stoopid location. Second: I can remember when a buddy who had a KTM dirt bike told me that the first instruction for an oil change on it was "lay the motorcycle on the ground on it's right side." No joke. OUR version of Austrian oil change silliness is two drain plugs, with two screens, plus the filter. Gawd. The last vehicle I owned with an oil screen was an ancient VW. But I digress.
The filter is behind the typical KTM-style cover on the right side of the engine. They suggest you pull it out with reverse-jaw pliers. Meh. Two paper clips bent into very short "L"s did the trick When you reinstall the cover: The torque spec for the bolts is only 8 Nm, but wow did that feel too tight. I ended up backing the bolts out, and doing it "snug." I was afraid that going for the spec would be way too tight.
Here's what the filter looked like:
I don't know about you, but that filter looks pretty dang grubby. I know, it's "done it's job," but it shouldn't have had that much of a job to do.
Turns out that perhaps those screens ain't such a bad idea: Open those images up and have a look!
I was gobsmacked at the amount of debris in both screens. There was what looked like metal flakes and shavings, plastic bits, and green paint. There was even gelatinous crap that looked for all the world like moto snot. The larger of the two screens is in behind the main drain plug that faces the left side of the engine. If you look at the screen, the right end is the seating end with the O-ring. The next band is a magnet. That was coated with black glop that felt like moly paste. You can see it on the paper towel next to the screen and above the smaller screen. Given the amount of that goo, I'm glad the magnet is there.
As an aside, the hex for the main drain plug is probably supposed to be 17mm. None of my 17mm sockets fit; I ended up using an SAE socket that was still a little snug.
The second drain plug (with which the small screen is integrated), faces down and forward. 13mm hex. Fit like a champ. BUT, Here was what I found protruding from the hole after the oil had stopped draining:
Yeah, those are thin, coiled, metal shavings. (Insert face of disbelief emoticon here). Yeah, I really wanted those circulating around inside my engine for 600 miles...
I didn't take pictures, but there was more metallic debris in the oil at this first change than I've seen at an first change on any vehicle I've ever owned. The oil wasn't dark, but it was murky.
So, if I'm wasteful, I guess I'll have to wear that hat, but I can tell ya-I'm hugely relieved to have that oil and it's contaminants out of my engine. If the filters weren't so scarce, I'd change it again before I take it in for the first service.
Oh, BTW: This was on an engine with 226 miles!
For the love of all that's Holy, CHANGE YOUR OIL!
Okay, let me regroup a minute, and explain: I'm right particular about how I break in my bikes. Piddling along at 6K RPM (thank goodness KTM gives us 7K...) makes a perfectly good bike pretty boring for the first 600 miles, and from what I read can actually delay proper seating of the rings and running in of the transmission. There are also issues with heat cycling and heat distribution if those boring-a** rides are too long. Fortunately, I live where I can string together entertaining short rides that let me go through the rev range on accel and decel, and get home without subjecting the engine to too much heat or load. The method I use has been attributed to Rob Muzzy; my experience is that it works. Part of the process is to dump the oil early, typically by about 150 miles, and again at 300, then at the 600 mile service. I don't really want to start a debate about "break in oil" or "modern engines" or wasting oil. I just want to share today's experience.
First: Do you really have to pull the fairing uppers to pull the belly pan? Jeebs. And I can tell you the charcoal canister is going to the basement at the next change. That ba***rd is in a stoopid location. Second: I can remember when a buddy who had a KTM dirt bike told me that the first instruction for an oil change on it was "lay the motorcycle on the ground on it's right side." No joke. OUR version of Austrian oil change silliness is two drain plugs, with two screens, plus the filter. Gawd. The last vehicle I owned with an oil screen was an ancient VW. But I digress.
The filter is behind the typical KTM-style cover on the right side of the engine. They suggest you pull it out with reverse-jaw pliers. Meh. Two paper clips bent into very short "L"s did the trick When you reinstall the cover: The torque spec for the bolts is only 8 Nm, but wow did that feel too tight. I ended up backing the bolts out, and doing it "snug." I was afraid that going for the spec would be way too tight.
Here's what the filter looked like:
I don't know about you, but that filter looks pretty dang grubby. I know, it's "done it's job," but it shouldn't have had that much of a job to do.
Turns out that perhaps those screens ain't such a bad idea: Open those images up and have a look!
I was gobsmacked at the amount of debris in both screens. There was what looked like metal flakes and shavings, plastic bits, and green paint. There was even gelatinous crap that looked for all the world like moto snot. The larger of the two screens is in behind the main drain plug that faces the left side of the engine. If you look at the screen, the right end is the seating end with the O-ring. The next band is a magnet. That was coated with black glop that felt like moly paste. You can see it on the paper towel next to the screen and above the smaller screen. Given the amount of that goo, I'm glad the magnet is there.
As an aside, the hex for the main drain plug is probably supposed to be 17mm. None of my 17mm sockets fit; I ended up using an SAE socket that was still a little snug.
The second drain plug (with which the small screen is integrated), faces down and forward. 13mm hex. Fit like a champ. BUT, Here was what I found protruding from the hole after the oil had stopped draining:
Yeah, those are thin, coiled, metal shavings. (Insert face of disbelief emoticon here). Yeah, I really wanted those circulating around inside my engine for 600 miles...
I didn't take pictures, but there was more metallic debris in the oil at this first change than I've seen at an first change on any vehicle I've ever owned. The oil wasn't dark, but it was murky.
So, if I'm wasteful, I guess I'll have to wear that hat, but I can tell ya-I'm hugely relieved to have that oil and it's contaminants out of my engine. If the filters weren't so scarce, I'd change it again before I take it in for the first service.
Oh, BTW: This was on an engine with 226 miles!