Offroad oil change interval?

[Oxxa]

How often do we change the oil if the bike is used 80% offroad?

[Ray Ride4life]

The same as onroad, the sand will be outside of the engine. Airfilter is a different story.

[DaveT7]

Good question. I know MX riders change oil often, so it might make sense to up the anti if you do a lot off-road. Is there any sense in asking your Yamaha dealership? 

[Oxxa]

2 minutes ago, DaveT7 said:

Good question. I know MX riders change oil often, so it might make sense to up the anti if you do a lot off-road. Is there any sense in asking your Yamaha dealership? 

My yamaha dealership says 5,000 km, manual says 10,000km. I don’t fully trust them, but I am doing 5k to 10k depending on how rough i ride. Usually about two oil change/air filters per year.

[Ray Ride4life]

3 minutes ago, DaveT7 said:

Good question. I know MX riders change oil often, so it might make sense to up the anti if you do a lot off-road. Is there any sense in asking your Yamaha dealership? 

MX bikes also have maintenance on an hourly rate, not in KM.
European bikes need oil changes every 12.000km but i do it between 7500 and 10.000km no matter where i ride.

[Oxxa]

2 hours ago, Ray Ride4life said:

The same as onroad, the sand will be outside of the engine. Airfilter is a different story.

You don’t keep first and second gear in steep uphills and engine break on steep downhills for 10 hours a day on road. so i think offroad miles are rougher than road miles

Edited April 3, 2023 by Oxxa

[Rider 101]

I do mine at 5000km max.

[roygilbo]

7 minutes ago, Oxxa said:

Do you keep first and second gear in steep uphills and engine break on steep downhills for 10 hours a day on road? Guess not. so i think offroad miles are rougher than road miles

Careful with your "Guess not's" Oxxa.  @Ray Ride4life is a pretty stand up guy and has been a very strong contributor to this forum.  A little respect is due.  

[Oxxa]

Just now, roygilbo said:

Careful with your "Guess not's" Oxxa.  @Ray Ride4life is a pretty stand up guy and has been a very strong contributor to this forum.  A little respect is due.  

Apologies. No offense intended english is not my first language

[Enroth]

My service manuał say 10000km

I wanted change no later than 6000km

Now after 3500km mostly offroad on fresh 10w40 yamalube full synth i already fell that it is time to change.  Clutch don't work like it should and gears change is much more stiffer.

[Alan M]

1 hour ago, Oxxa said:

You don’t keep first and second gear in steep uphills and engine break on steep downhills for 10 hours a day on road. so i think offroad miles are rougher than road miles

1st and 2nd gear for 10hrs in a day. Are you practicing for this years Red Bull Romanics .

 

Modern engine/gear oils can handle many miles and extreme operating conditions, as Ray said, air filter intervals are a different matter.

 

If you clutchless downshift off road then maybe change oil more frequently to remove dog debris but other than that I’d just follow Yam’s recommended intervals.

 

 

[Ray Ride4life]

6 hours ago, Oxxa said:

You don’t keep first and second gear in steep uphills and engine break on steep downhills for 10 hours a day on road. so i think offroad miles are rougher than road miles

It's not the gears you use but the rpm's and the T7 doesn't need high revving with its power delivery.
My rpm's are not that different on- and offroad.
I do ride the bike hard and that's why i do change a little early but i don't panic if i get a little over it once and a while.

[Oxxa]

3 hours ago, Ray Ride4life said:

It's not the gears you use but the rpm's and the T7 doesn't need high revving with its power delivery.
My rpm's are not that different on- and offroad.
I do ride the bike hard and that's why i do change a little early but i don't panic if i get a little over it once and a while.

How early do you change the oil?

[Ray Ride4life]

58 minutes ago, Oxxa said:

How early do you change the oil?

European bikes have to change every 12.000km but i do it between 7500 and 10.000.

[john_aero]

i normally do it at 75% of recommended intervals or sooner if i have been doing some wet trail riding (for me this means I'm stuck in mud revving and clutch the bike a lot)

 

That or every 12 months (some people don't do 10k KM in 4 years)

[Fabros]

Every 3-5.000km. Fresh oil is a cheap way to take care of the engine. 

[OK185]

12 hours ago, Ray Ride4life said:

MX bikes also have maintenance on an hourly rate, not in KM.
European bikes need oil changes every 12.000km but i do it between 7500 and 10.000km no matter where i ride.

 

12.000km? I think it's actually 10.000km, at least in my manual. 

Anyway I am in warranty and until now I changed it at the dealer every 10.000km, but mostly road use.

If I did the maintanace myself I would do it every 7.500KM probably to stay at the safe side. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by OK185

[DT675]

I change my oil somewhere in between 1000-3000 miles.  I don't keep track of the mileage but change it when it starts to darken in the site glass.  The darker it is, means there are more contaminants in it like clutch fibers etc.  On my other bikes that don't have a site glass, I determine the change interval based on how it looks coming out and make small adjustments which will now be based on the mileage.  On this T7 however, there is no motorcycle that is easier to change oil on.  Just try a KTM or a full fairing sport bike.

Edited April 20, 2023 by DT675
I type stupid

[RioRideNM]

90% off road for me in sand, hot temps, and revving up hills… i run the 10w-50 semi yamalube for the temps and change 1000-1500 miles.
 

Overkill, but it keeps the oil doing its job as well as keeps me noticing other things due when riding off road so often. As mentioned above, you can burn through filters often so keep eyes on that also.