May I ask a couple questions ?
Other than curiosity what purpose does an analysis really prove ? (I'm being serious) would it show you damage potentially fixin to happen ?
Also what was the cost and how long did it take ?
Lastly do you plan on doing it on every oil change ?
Thanks
Curiosity is probably the main reason, as a Busa should run 100,000 miles on oil from Walmart for normal road use, but my bike is a hobby and I enjoy every piece of this fantastic machine. I guess if you don't eat a Big Mac every day, with a coke for breakfast, then you don't have to bother about testing the cholesterol levels.
To answer your questions:
This could be a very long paper, but let me be short.
Purpose does an analysis prove?
ECM (Equipment condition monitoring, tells you how your oil performs and the condition of your motor) Most of these you can determine by other methods as well, but not all. A change in pattern (monitored through each oil change) of wear metal properties will tell you a problem is developing. Fuel dilution will tell you if you have a leaking injector. If you have a coolant leak, an oil analysis will tell you if it got into the motor. If you installed a faulty oil filter, an oil analysis will pick-up the particles. For me, the most important thing is how the oil is actually holding up. Ideally, you want a viscosity of 10 cSt at normal oil operating temperatures. Your oil operating temperatures will be different on the track, compared to cruising the country, so it depends on what you use the bike for, to choose the ideal oil. How do you know Amsoil put what they said into that expensive bottle? They don't pay fees, so there is no official API stamp on the bottle. Nothing wrong with checking them, to see if it is as good as they say it is.
Would it show you damage potentially on its way?
Yes, provided you trend from one analysis to the next and you have a wear failure developing. Otherwise, you can compare to other equipment averages and take a guess. There are many other failures, being non-wear failures, oil analysis will not detect.
Cost and how long?
$25, plus $1.90 postage got it back one day after they received the sample. They sent me a free kit before I changed my oil. I recon, if you buy expensive oil, it is worth it, otherwise go to Walmart and don't bother.
Plan on doing it for every oil change?
On the Busa, I will probably stop once I tested an oil with a few repeats, that gives me exactly the properties I am looking for.
I have a Husky, which I think won't do much more than 30,000 before the motor needs major work. This one I will continue with, it tore up a good synthetic within 1,000 miles like no other.
On the Harley, probably after I figured out what happens in heavy traffick, when you can start smelling that motor, because it gets so hot. Amazing but my first test was the standard Harley factory oil on a new bike, and 1,300 miles showed the oil still in perfect condition. Their oil gets made by Citgo, which gives me a moral problem to start off with, so it has to go.
