Oil filter question.

[chrishiggs]

Just wondering what the Suzuki manual says re. oil filter change interval. I've got the Haynes manual and it states that the filter should be changed with the oil every 4k. Every other bike I've ever owned specifies the filter should be changed every second oil change. What say Suzuki? Thanks in advance. 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Because I want my engine to last as long as possible, I change my filter every time I change my oil.  I start thinking about changing my oil at 1500 miles, and definitely change it before 2000 miles.  But then, I own a 1980 GS850GT, and not a newer GS500.  But it's the same engine technology.  I buy filters 5 or 10 at a time from Z1 Enterprises.  Make sure you check your valve clearances often.  The manual says every 4000 miles.  I run mine on the loose end of the spectrum but I still check mine at least twice a year. 


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[chrishiggs]

Thanks for that. Yup, I guess the more frequently the better. Figure I'll go with changing the filter with every oil change though I'll probably stretch the interval to 4,500 as I'm useing fully synthetic oil. Will be putting high milage on this GS so just trying to establish if some of the suggested service intervals are possibly more frequent than might be necesary. (I wonder if these are the suggestions that date back to when the bike was conceived in the seventies when manufacturing tollerances and motor oils maybe weren't quite as good as they are now?) Cheers. Chris

PS Nice GS850 by the way! I have owned two GS550s in the past, (one was a 1980). Great bikes. I believe the GS500 is esentially the middle two cylinders of the fours. Always fancied the 650 or 850 for the shaft drive touring potential. (Also- still got the shim tool which I can now use on the 500!!) 

[ohgood]

Thanks for that. Yup, I guess the more frequently the better. Figure I'll go with changing the filter with every oil change though I'll probably stretch the interval to 4,500 as I'm useing fully synthetic oil. Will be putting high milage on this GS so just trying to establish if some of the suggested service intervals are possibly more frequent than might be necesary. (I wonder if these are the suggestions that date back to when the bike was conceived in the seventies when manufacturing tollerances and motor oils maybe weren't quite as good as they are now?) Cheers. Chris

PS Nice GS850 by the way! I have owned two GS550s in the past, (one was a 1980). Great bikes. I believe the GS500 is esentially the middle two cylinders of the fours. Always fancied the 650 or 850 for the shaft drive touring potential. (Also- still got the shim tool which I can now use on the 500!!) 

keep us posted on your impressions of the synthetic oil vs dino oil. any change in shifting, clutch feel, etc ? ok ?

4,500 miles sounds like a long way to go with an air cooled engine. then add in the clutch/tranny sharing that oil... well you get the idea.

[gsJack]

I use the 15W-40 Delvac or Rotella heavy duty truck oils and change at 2000-2500 mile intervals in my 02 GS which has over 66k miles on it now.  I change the filter every other oil change.

On my previous 97 GS I used Mobil 1 15W-50 full synthetic auto oil for about 50k miles and then changed to the 15W40 Delvac as oil consumption went up.  Changed the Mobil 1 and filter at 3k intervals.  I put 80k miles on the 97 GS and then my son took it for a commuter bike and ran it up to 88k miles and then put in a low milage used engine when the oil consumption went way up on the old engine for fast freeway commuting.

My 97 GS ran cooler on the 15W-40 oil than it did on the 15W-50 oil requireing a lower grade of gasoline in hot weather.  I see no advantage to using a synthetic oil in the GS500.  You're experience may vary.   

[chrishiggs]

Thanks for the feedback. From what I have learned as long as you are using an oil made specifically for bikes (wet clutch) there should be no specific issues in using a synthetic verses a mineral based oil. Using oils designed for cars with seperate/dry clutches can apparently induce clutch slip due to friction modifiers/inhibitors in car oils and apparently fully synthetic oils are best avoided when running in a new motor. Having said that I used various (good quality) car specific oils in various bikes I ran in the eighties with no obvious problems- who knows!...From what I've been told a modern synthetic oil takes longer to break down than the mineral equivalent meaning that, therefor at a push, you can go longer between oil changes meaning you  can theroretically err on the lazy side when it comes to maintainance!) Also an older motor may burn more of a lighter grade oil (10-40) than a 15/20-50. Reckon I'll stick to the 10-40 as I'm in Scotland where it's now down to about -10C and the lighter viscosity is probably more necessary than for you guys stasteside in fairer climes! Either way it seems there are so many different opinions when it comes to oils it's hard to know what to beleive! All that said, I do reckon that given how robust the GS500 motor seems to be, the service intervals apear to me to be very conservative. I have a 2002 R1 which Yamaha advises an oil change every 6k and shims checked every 26k. It's a more highly stressed motor and probably won't last half as long as a gs but I wonder if Suzuki based their info on 70's oils. Anyway, I'm rambling here- too much red wine! I should say the reason I ask is I have hatched a plan to take the gs to morroco this autumn, funds permitting, and I'm trying to work out in advance an easier "on the road" service strategy. Thanks again for the input. Cheers! Chris

[ohgood]

Thanks for the feedback. From what I have learned as long as you are using an oil made specifically for bikes (wet clutch) there should be no specific issues in using a synthetic verses a mineral based oil. Using oils designed for cars with seperate/dry clutches can apparently induce clutch slip due to friction modifiers/inhibitors in car oils and apparently fully synthetic oils are best avoided when running in a new motor. Having said that I used various (good quality) car specific oils in various bikes I ran in the eighties with no obvious problems- who knows!...From what I've been told a modern synthetic oil takes longer to break down than the mineral equivalent meaning that, therefor at a push, you can go longer between oil changes meaning you  can theroretically err on the lazy side when it comes to maintainance!) Also an older motor may burn more of a lighter grade oil (10-40) than a 15/20-50. Reckon I'll stick to the 10-40 as I'm in Scotland where it's now down to about -10C and the lighter viscosity is probably more necessary than for you guys stasteside in fairer climes! Either way it seems there are so many different opinions when it comes to oils it's hard to know what to beleive! All that said, I do reckon that given how robust the GS500 motor seems to be, the service intervals apear to me to be very conservative. I have a 2002 R1 which Yamaha advises an oil change every 6k and shims checked every 26k. It's a more highly stressed motor and probably won't last half as long as a gs but I wonder if Suzuki based their info on 70's oils. Anyway, I'm rambling here- too much red wine! I should say the reason I ask is I have hatched a plan to take the gs to morroco this autumn, funds permitting, and I'm trying to work out in advance an easier "on the road" service strategy. Thanks again for the input. Cheers! Chris

i don't know how oil is marketed or packaged in scotland  - but over here we can buy regular old 10w40. no friction modifiers, no 'motorcycle' stamp on it, and no motorcycle price tag either.

i used castrol gtx 10w40 for the first 22,000 miles because that's what the dipstick said (aside the part about castrol).

i'm now trying mobile 1 fully synthetic, and to tell the truth, there is no difference in clutch feel or gear engagement. i'll see if ti burns more or gets dirtier / whatever on the next oil change. i generally change the bike's oil every 2,000-2,500 miles, and the filter every other (per gsjack's suggestion).

aside the smokey startup one day this week when it was 20F or so outside, i haven't had an engine issue yet. lots of carburetor hiccups, of course, but no engine issues.

your R1 sounds similar in maintenance to the newer gsx-r's. a tech told me they don't need -anything- until around 23,000 miles, then it's a valve adjust time. i'm sure it burns through tires, gas, oil, and chains faster than you care though

enjoy the ride

[pallybear]

Where do you get the o-ring (as the filter doesn't come with one)?

[average]

I don't know where you're getting your filters from, but even the fram filter comes with the gasket at Advance/Autozone(ch6000). Might want to try another brand. 

[Asym]

I tried the Castrol full synthetic and the gears and shifting never felt right on my 07. When I changed out the synthetic it seemed like it was much thinner then when I put it in. I change at 4000 which should really be 3600 with the 10% off of the speedometer, with a new filter. I've switched to the diesel rotella after reading many people on here and other boards talk about it, it doesn't seem to break down like the synthetic did and its so much cheaper than the synthetic.

Synthetic was around $6 per quart, rotella was around $13 for the gallon jug. I don't know if other synthetics are better but the Castrol synthetic didn't feel right when trying to shift in mine.

[average]

Isn't Rotella specificly designed for diesel engines?  I didn't think you could run an oil like that in a non diesel engine. (insert huh smiley here)

[Asym]

Isn't Rotella specificly designed for diesel engines?  I didn't think you could run an oil like that in a non diesel engine. (insert huh smiley here)

Rotella has most of the diesel certifications but can be used in anything. If you go to the Rotella site http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=rotella-en&FC2=/rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/product_rotellamulti.html under applications it does list motorcycles. Also check out the forum link on the left. It has a section for motorcycles and there's a post of a TL1000S drag bike using the Rotella.

[BaltimoreGS]

My work uses 15w-40 "diesel" oil in the higher mileage Toyotas to help reduce oil consumption

-Jessie