How much engine OIL to take for oil changes
 

Hi,

I have often read that some people take engine OIL with them for a trans-Africa trip. Presuming I will be chaging oil before I leave London, (going down to South-Africa, west coast route, and wanting to change oil every 4000km) I will probably need to change oil for my F650GS in Mali and then again in Cameroon. Next one in Namibia no problem.

Assuming I will be hitting most capitals (for visa and the like), do I need to take oil with me, or should I be able to source some on route? Seems like a lot of oil to carry...

Thanks!

4000km interval seems a bit too short. Especially i assume when you aren't going there to desert rallye. You probably just travel right? Then at least 8000km with one interval is absolutely no problem for not very stressed engine with half or full synthetic quality oils!

Sure get aknowledged how much oil your bike consumes - you may need to add some after ridden few thousand kilometres (the level may get too low for some bikes on that time). Check the oil level often, (recommended every morning when the bike is been on stable ground all night long on centre stand so it has the precise level). So you only need to carry about 1 litre for refilling oil in this way.

Margus

[This message has been edited by Margus (edited 29 October 2004).]

F650GS has wet clutch, but indeed, if you cannot find any motorcycle speciefic oil on your area where you think you need to change it - you may temporarely use car-oil too as well. Just the cluch may get bit slippy on hot conditions, but usually does not and mostly the bike works identically the same as it would with MC oil.

Car oil is usually easily available on most places when you don't have room for oilfiltre and few litres spare MC oil in your luggage...

Margus

[This message has been edited by Margus (edited 29 October 2004).]

There's good quaity (car)oil available in all larger cities. Maybe not so much in Mauritania.

No worries