ie why do manufacturers also specify checking when a time period has elapsed rather than just mileage..never understood this as surely those measurements only change as a result of various things going on when the engine is running.
Think I asked this question somewhere on the net ages ago but didn't get a good answer ..if it was on here apologies for the repeat!
Please educate me
thanks in advance
Bill
I think ( but am not sure) that servicing is done on age because oil deteriorates with age and its simply convenient to do the whole service at one time. Valves go out of clearance with useage and wear so if your bike has service interval for valve checks of 5000 miles and oil change is 5000 miles or yearly but you only do 1000 miles a year then you need only check the valves every 5 years but change the oil every year. Carb sync I would do annually as well
That's the way I see it but it's not written that way in service interval data....it implies they need checking once a certain amount of time has elapsed ..whether or not you've done any miles at all.
My Street Triple manual asks for check at 6000 and adjustment at 12000 miles. Gets oil and filters annually irrespective of mileage.
Because the only other way would be to have 2 separate service schedules - one for mileage related things, one for age related things. Which would be a right PITA for both owner and servicing agent.
Valve fairies, they mess up the settings when you are a naughty boy.
It’s possible to do a low mileage that involves lots and lots of short journeys; pretty much the most wearing scenario for an engine. So, also having a time-based schedule catches this scenario as well as longer rides.
It’s a massively simplified system but, generally, it works
If it bothers you, just ride the bike more?
Rachel
Starting the engine from cold is extremely hard on them, especially if they only do very short journeys and don't have time to get fully up to operating temperature. Condensation forms in the engine, which then combines with combustion residue to form acid, turning the oil to sludge. If you did a 1 mile trip every morning, the engine would be junk before you reached a mileage interval for servicing. A time interval addresses that problem.