Does synthetic oil expire while in your engine?

Question

Basically I ride a motorcycle very infrequently and tend to not ride it at all during the winter, so it sits in the garage for a long time during the year. I use stabilizer on the gasoline but I am unsure how often I should change the oil since I don't reach the 4,000 mi recommended oil change mileage before a couple years have passed. Should I just change the oil every 2 to 3 years regardless of how much little mileage I've accrued? Or can I safely extend that date to 4 or 5 years?
The engine is a Rotax model, and it uses 100% synthetic oil.

jwh20 · Accepted Answer

You should follow the manufacturer's oil change recommendations.
Generally they recommend miles or time whichever comes first.
The oil itself doesn't break down but it collects moisture from the air which causes the additives in it which are there to handle moisture to be consumed over time.  So the oil should be changed even if the bike sits for long periods of time.
Of course you can delay changing it but you asked if it was "safe" to do so.  In my opinion the safest course of action is to follow the recommendations of the people who made it.

Does synthetic oil expire while in your engine?

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