Used Oil Analysis - 2006 Triumph Sprint ST 1050, 2,500mi on oil, 3,000mi on bike

[adg44]

Oil was Triumph-specific Mobil1 Racing 4T 15w50.  This was the second oil change, as the first was at 500 miles.  Was using the OEM oil filter during this interval as well.



As you can see, Iron is elevated because of the break-in process, same goes for the Copper.  Lead is a little high, and Aluminum is significantly elevated, so we'll see how those sample on the next oil change.  

M1 sheared down to a 40wt, acidity was a bit high at 2.10 TAN (Total Acid Number), flash point significantly dropped, and fuel dilution was a bit high.   Karl Fischer (KF) water is high as well.

I switched to Repsol 4T Racing 10w40 for this current interval (3,000mi - 6,000mi), and will sample at the next oil change to see how the Repsol stood up.  

The triumph manual says an oil change at 500 miles, then another one at 6,000 miles.  I decided to change it halfway through, and from this analysis, it was absolutely necessary to change the oil.  

Just thought I'd share...

- Anthony

[caddydaddy]

Looks very similar to the results of my '08 Sprint.

[ZED]

Looking at the sample report I'd say you tend to do a lot of short trips like city riding with it where the oil doesn't get hot enough to vaporize some of the contaminants?

Should be interesting to compare with your next analysis.  I've never seen an analysis done on a consumer vehicle before, only industrial equipment, so this is interesting.

[Bjorn Toulouse]

I've never seen an analysis done on a consumer vehicle before,........

Can't be too anal, eh?


Rex

[caddydaddy]

Can't be too anal, eh?


Rex

Nope!  I had the oil in one of my cars tested, in which they found coolant.  A replacement intake manifold gasket cured the problem before it cost me an engine!  

[SprintSTboy]

Great information!  Thanks

[Cricket1]

Yeah, that is a nice way to track your oil's health.

Pilots do this with their engine oil on a regular basis, but then again, an average engine for a Cessna 172 is about $20,000, so spending $100 to have the oil analyzed makes sense. I am not so sure it makes sense on a motorcycle, but hey, whatever helps you sleep easy at night.  

[caddydaddy]

 so spending $100 to have the oil analyzed makes sense. I am not so sure it makes sense on a motorcycle, but hey, whatever helps you sleep easy at night.  

I only pay around $22 and I'll do it maybe once a year, just to make sure she's ok!  

[Cricket1]

Ooooo, that's more like it. Care to tell us where you have it done?

[caddydaddy]

Ooooo, that's more like it. Care to tell us where you have it done?

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

[JPerkins]

Can't be too anal, eh?


Rex

Would be great to buy his used bikes.  

[adg44]

I do it on all my cars and my bikes.  It was very useful on the oil change on the Viper, because it showed the Mobil1 sucked in that application.  Although over the past couple of years, all the Mobil1 results have been poor, mainly because they stopped using as good of an additive package, and they have been using Group III base stocks.  I did hear that they are now going to start using Group IV base stocks again, so I'm looking forward to seeing a UOA of that.

I wasn't going to sample it on the Triumph, but I wanted to see if a 3,000 oil change was necessary, or people were just being overly cautious and changing it at 3k instead of 6k.  This proves that 3k should be an oil change interval, not 6k - at least during the break in process.  I am going to resample at 6k (I refilled with Respol 4T Racing 10w40 instead of Mobil1 4T 15w50), so we'll see how the Repsol does.

Hopefully this will help some people who are on the fence about doing a 3k oil change, as it shows it is necessary.  

- Anthony

[adg44]

Looking at the sample report I'd say you tend to do a lot of short trips like city riding with it where the oil doesn't get hot enough to vaporize some of the contaminants?

Should be interesting to compare with your next analysis.  I've never seen an analysis done on a consumer vehicle before, only industrial equipment, so this is interesting.

Actually, I should add about the type of riding.  I bought the bike in April of 2008 with 0 miles on it.  It was a leftover from 2006, still in storage.  I did the 500 mile oil change at the end of May 2008.  Then I did this change in December 2008, so it was 2,500 miles in just over 6 months.

Most of the riding was long trips, about 200 miles in a day.  I don't commute on the bike, so if I go out, it's just for pleasure.

- Anthony

[Bjorn Toulouse]

Would be great to buy his used bikes.  

I'd be worried that the bike was broken in "by the book".  


Rex

[adg44]

I'd be worried that the bike was broken in "by the book".  


Rex

Exactly.  I wanted to see if it was true that their service interval is correct, so that's why I changed it early and spent the money to get this oil sampled.  Hope this can help a lot of other people see that a 3k oil change interval, at least during break in, is extremely neccessary.

[chimera]

Thank you very much for posting up your results.  Very informative.