By Wroosterl - Member # 2619 on http://www.thumpertalk.com/
Visit this thread on thumpertalk here http://www.thumpertalk.com/bike/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=003892
In the beginning (up to 100 miles or so), change your oil like a maniac. there are some leftover bits of the yamaha manufacturing plant floating around in your cases, ya gotta get that stuff out of there. so, get your bike home from the dealer. start it up, run for 5 minutes, get the oil warm. dump the oil out, clean the filter (use aerosol brake cleaner). do engine break-in gently for 30 minutes, dump the oil, clean the filter. ride harder, an hour later, dump the oil, clean the filter. (assuming that there are no tears or holes in the brass filter screen, you should get 5 or so reuses out of the stock filter...maybe more. i just habitually change mine out after 5 uses for peace of mind). thereafter, change the oil and clean the filter after every 2 rides, or 100 miles, or however much you can afford to. keep in mind that maintenance is always cheaper than repairs. many people, i assume, are like me and once things are broken in etc they clean the filter every other time that they change the oil. but it's certainly not going to hurt to change/clean more often.
also, you don't need to remove the "frame filter", located at the bottom of the front downtube tank, *unless* you have reason to suspect that something catastrophic has occured in the engine. i've had the frame filter off twice, and there was never anything in it. the frame filter mesh is sized to collect things the size of BB's, not the metallic grit like the oil filter collects. perhaps one day you'll find your crank pin in the mesh, but with some good luck you'll never have to pull the frame filter off after it's 2nd check at 50 miles.
as for oil, i think i can summarize (without danger of nuclear war here) as follows:
a) break-in (~50 miles) using non-synthetic oil.
b) afterward, use a high quality oil and change it and the filter as often as practical.
c) do not use any oil that has an "EC" Energy Conserving designation in the API service circle. (see back of oil container for rating circle)
d) drain the oil with the engine warm.
e) if you uncerimoniously drown the bike, change the oil immediately, and then again 5 minutes later, and then again 5 minutes after that. you can use any cheap oil here since you are just going to dump it after running with the bike for 5 minutes in your driveway. then go for a nice long ride, get it good and hot, and drain it again. you need to get rid of *all* the water, else your crank bearings are going to get, well, cranky.
Aside, just a data point:
i, and many others riding yama's 4 strokes, have used and continue to use Mobil 1 15W-50 "Non-EC / Red Cap" synthetic motor oil, available in single Qt and 5 Qt sizes at your local Wal-Mart for a pretty nice price. as forest gump stated, "and that's all i have to say about that."
You can order yamaha parts, like the high quality OEM replacement oil filter, from www.partsfish.com and www.rockymountainmc.com (see their new OEM parts area). you can also get a "better"(?) filter from www.scottsonline.com http://www.scottsonline.com/products.php?PartType=3 -- it's said that it filters smaller particles. around $70, and is supposed to last you forever.