Motorcycle Analysis

What can motorcycle oil analysis tell you?

motorcycle leaning on a kickstand

Motorcycle engine oil leads a hard life, often serving triple duty in the engine, clutch, and transmission. And a lot of bikes are air-cooled, which tend to run hotter than their liquid-cooled counterparts. We know you want to keep your bike running as long as possible, and oil analysis is a terrific tool for doing so.

We have a large database of samples from all different types of motorcycle engines, both new and old, and chances are good we’ve seen oil from your type of engine. An analysis will allow you to see how your bike stacks up to the rest. Our tests will also help determine if your bike’s oil is shearing down or thickening up from excess heat.

A lot of us are not blessed with a year-round riding season. Bikes in colder climates have to sit for at least a few months out of the year. Eventually the snow melts and riding season is just around the corner, but you can’t tell if the oil put in before the winter slumber is still safe to use just by looking at it. Or maybe winter isn’t a problem, but you haven’t been riding much and you’re wondering if you need to change the oil since it’s been a year since your last oil change. You might be surprised when an analysis reveals the oil is still in good shape and ready to be run longer.

Oil analysis can also help you choose the oil you run in the bike. Maybe you find yourself several days from home and 200 miles from the nearest town with a stoplight, down a half quart from the thrashing you did in the twisties the day before. That farm supply store you passed 20 miles back doesn’t have the special oil the dealership swore your bike needed, but if you’ve been testing and using other oils in the bike, you might be able to get your hands on a suitable alternative. Some bikes perform perfectly well with more common oils — you may get excellent results from something other than the expensive oil only found at the dealer. A lot of modern diesel engine oils are wet-clutch approved, and can be a good alternative to the boutique oils marketed for strictly motorcycle use.

Oil analysis is just as beneficial for bike engines as it is cars, trucks, airplanes, and boats. Start a baseline for your bike today with one of our free sampling kits and a specialized oil slip just for motorcycle engines!

About the Author

Image of quality control expert and senior analyst Luke, with his kid in a wheelbarrow
Luke is a master writer, quality control expert, motorcycle rider, and all around great guy. That alone is all you really need to know about him, but wait, there’s more! In his free time Luke trains Arabian horses, consults with foreign dignitaries on the value of the yen, practices reiki, applies for patents in nuclear energy, and snowboards. Some or all of this may be true about Luke; you can decide how much. His superpower is the ability to balance young children in a wheelbarrow. Note to potential employees: this is what happens when you can’t come up with anything for your website description.

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