Putting off the first service to 1200 miles

[HaulinAshe]

Take it for a 20-minute ride around D&H territory. Bring it back to them and ask for a quick inspection if you want.

Ride it easy for the 600, keeping the RPM below 6,000 as much as possible.

Stop at an Advance Auto or AutoZone and buy Rotella-T and good quality (Purolator or Mobil) filter. If you need any extra tools you can purchase them right there. I bet they'll have an oil drain pan you can borrow if you explain your visit, plus they'll take your used oil and filter for recycling. SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!!!

Ride the second 600 vigorously. Shift through all the gears. Run the RPMs high and often. If you are slabbing, be sure to run in 3, 4 and 5, not just 5th.

When you arrive home, have your preferred dealer do everything on the 600-mile service, including another oil/filter change. It won't hurt a thing.

Yamaha is pretty darn good about honoring warranty and taking care of things, as long as you have receipts to show you've been doing your part.

You can't change oil too often, but you can surely change it too late.

 

[Brodie]

It's probably not a big deal to wait. Saying that, I did mine @~75 miles, then again at the dealer during the 600 mile checkup, but I was at home so it was easier up on the lift plus had all I needed.

I'm inclined to agree. When I brought my bike home from the dealer, I changed my oil at around mile 50. I was surprised at the silvery sheen that spent oil had in it. That was suspended aluminum particles flowing through the oil filter. My reasoning was to mix it up really well, then get rid of it quickly. The second oil change at 600 miles was a lot clearer.

If you plan for it, it won't be such a big deal out on the road. Go the Wall Mart route. An oil/ filter change is about as basic as you can get on the bike - If you can figure out which end of the wrench to grasp you're half way there.

Brodie

 

[HaulinAshe]

I can't help but wonder... If he changes oil at WalMart, what exactly is he supposed to do with the used oil? Dump it out on the parking lot? Throw it in a WalMart trash can? Or pour it into the runoff pond at the edge of the parking lot?

Neither of the two WalMart stores in this area have any type of oil recycling, do yours? Maybe our WalMart stores are particularly backwards and lack that service.

 

[FJReady]

Probably have to find a 'super Walmart" withe the auto service option. Both the ones I visited (Idaho Falls, ID and Craig, CO) happily took my used oil. They even agreed to keep the $.99 funnel I bought for the next guy to use.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I can't help but wonder... If he changes oil at WalMart, what exactly is he supposed to do with the used oil? Dump it out on the parking lot? Throw it in a WalMart trash can? Or pour it into the runoff pond at the edge of the parking lot?
Neither of the two WalMart stores in this area have any type of oil recycling, do yours? Maybe our WalMart stores are particularly backwards and lack that service.

They take it back at my wally world as long as it is in its original container and you have the receipt saying you bought it there. They have a large round blue container where they store it in the garden center.

Dave

 

[cota95]

I can't help but wonder... If he changes oil at WalMart, what exactly is he supposed to do with the used oil? Dump it out on the parking lot? Throw it in a WalMart trash can? Or pour it into the runoff pond at the edge of the parking lot?
Neither of the two WalMart stores in this area have any type of oil recycling, do yours? Maybe our WalMart stores are particularly backwards and lack that service.

I found a WalMart in Virginia that had an auto service center. Let me borrow a drain pan and bigger wrench and took the drain oil.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Sounds like having the Auto Center at WalMart is the key. That's good to know.

 

[FJR1300Mark]

I'd lean toward changing it at 600 and look at the oil for things that shouldn't be there.

Good to know about the Walmart service centers helping out on oil changes while traveling.

 

[RadioHowie]

I believe the Owner's Manual states that Hell will freeze

Too late...the Saints already guaranteed that Sunday.

Sarah Palin will be elected President

Somehow you felt it necessary to make this thread political?

If I might direct the n00b to #2 HERE.

What you've done is frowned upon and can get you a personal reprimand from someone much more important than myself.

Don't take it personal...just take it as good advice, okay?

 

[doctorJ]

All the advice you got is good. One minor thing I'll add is that if you change your oil and filter (BTW, I did all my own 600 mi. service myself) and if you buy the gallon jug of rotella T6 synthetic, the change with filter takes more than the 4 quarts you get so will need to get one more quart size too. Or you can get one of the 5 quart size like Mobil 1 comes in as long as not energy conserving. And yes, it is ok to use synthetic oil that soon. Nick will tell you not to put anything synthetic (oil, final drive gear fluid etc) and to use only yamalube. I respect him but didn't take that advice since have been using synthetics for years. And my motorcycles seem to live long and prosper. Like Jeff said, I rode my 08 home from D&H also but made sure to vary the gearing and rpms often and not exceed 6000 rpms. I also stopped 2-3 times to allow a cool down before starting up again. I don't know if that helps any but had been told it was a good thing to do in the breakin period.

doctorj

 

[sredder]

You also could ask who is on your route home 600 miles from D&H and arrange an oil and filterchange, check out, and evening stop. I know several people who would be more than glad to help you out anytime, myself included. Keep that option open.

Sredder

Sanford, NC

05 A

08A

Several other toys.

 

[FJRBluesman]

My unprofessional HO is, 1200 miles won't harm anything. I could be wrong, but I do understand new parts, burs, etc metallic stuff in oil, but 600 miles shouldn't fry anything etc.

NOTE: Years ago, I bought a 1971 Toyota Celica off a guy with about 180K miles on it, he did NOT believe in oil viscosity break down etc. He used Arco Graphite back in the day, and he changed his oil about every 40K miles or so. I sold that same car (I changed the oil every 5K miles) with over 264K miles, still running strong. Just sayin'...

If you'd like to do it on the road, I agree, have some method of removing the oil filter, bring a 1/2 ratchet and proper (Gen1 17mm) socket, and crush washer.

You might be able to do this in the Autozone Schuckers, etc parking lot, buy one of those jugs that you drain oil into and can seal up. Many auto parts stores will take your used oil, check first.

Good luck in what ever you choose, and ride safe.

 

[Mcgyver74]

Being as I live in a urban condo I didn't have much of a place to do Oil changes, so what I would do is get a disposable pan (Usually an aluminum turkey roasting pan) at Walmart for 50 cents, a 1 gallon bottle of water, and a 99 cent funnel. I'd dump the oil, change the filter etc, drain the used oil into the water bottle (Dump or drink the water) then seal it with duct tape, and bring it to the nearest service station.. Places that sell Oil are required to take used oil..

of course now that I have a garage to work in it's much easier, but it can be done...