Newbie Q

[slick50]

My buddy let me borrow his SV650 for the summer. The bike needs an oil change. I have found a great little write up for the oil change but have a question on what type of oil to use. I realize I need to use a 10w/40, but is there some specific type I need. Can I just pick up a couple of quarts at a local Autozone?

Thanks in advance,
Slick

[Dysco]

You can if you want to but if you like your buddy and you respect that he loaned you a bike, you go down to Performance and buy a few quarts of motorcycle-specific oil. Then you leave the half empty bottle where he's gonna see it.

[Anonymous]

Actually you want to use motorcycle-speicific oil and new filter.

I'm unsure where you are geographically but there are some shops I would recommend you buy from:
Up north: Car Quest (hopefully Quick636 or Gramps can chime in with exact location, as I am unsure)
Central: TK Motorsports at 8th/I-25
West Metro: TFOG Motorsports (not totally sure of the location, somewhere around 6th/Indiana?)

10w40 is fine for a street bike. If you're unsure of what he had in there, I would go with a semi-synthetic blend like Castrol Actevo, or Silkolene. You can also use the Mobil 1 MX-4T as it's a semi-syn oil designed for bikes.

While you're there get a new filter, should set you back about $6-7. Do NOT get the "FRAM equivalent" from your local autozone, they are crap.

Beyond that just heat up the oil that's in there, position a drain pan under the drain bolt, and take the bolt out (don't lose it, and the oil will be hot!). Drain all oil. Remove the filter, this gets trashed (wrap it in a plastic bag first if you want). Rub a coating of new oil on the new filter's O-ring, install, and tighten it hand tight, then gently tighten it a bit more with a wrench. Put the drain bolt back in, refill with oil. That's about it... (oh and dispose of the old oil properly please! Most autoparts places have disposal tanks...)

[wulf]

14mm wrench.
oil filter wrench.

get a friend or a rear stand, to hold the bike up when you check the level while filling.

i use penziol semisynthetic in my sv. filters i pick up at excel on colfax

[slick50]

Thanks everyone.
I know I had to use motorcycle specific oil for my dirtbike, thats what prompted me to ask about the oil for his street bike. I am located up in Lafayette, so I will most likely run out to Colorado Powersports to grab some oil, filter, and a filter wrench.

Thanks again for the help