GeoffD wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:22 amPart synthetic & semi synthetic are the same thing, Castrol power 1 is good stuff
What do you think about using fully synthetic Geoff? Castrol say its 'best' but from what iv`e read its not worth spending the extra dosh? and oddly they say Activ (which i`m guessing is standard mineral oil) is 'good'
Mezo.
"A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion"
Using mineral oil will not necessarily cause slippage of the clutch. Depends on the added friction modifiers.
A fully synthetic oil is in all regards and purposes a better oil (better mechanical properties), but these bikes we designed for semi-synthetic oils, so that's what I would use. Especially with an engine thats not new, as a synthetic oil tends to clean a lot better, which can lead to oil leakages.
Bowler wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 8:28 amUsing mineral oil will not necessarily cause slippage of the clutch. Depends on the added friction modifiers.
I used mineral oil on my rebuild (that`s all i had handy) and with brand new plates i got slippage, kicking myself for being so stupid.
Mezo.
As said, that's probably due to the friction modifiers in the oil, not the fact that it's mineral. Als Motorrang says the specification of the oil is what matters.
I've had friends that used the cheapest oil they could find from a budget store, which worked fine as it had the right specifications and no (expensive) friction modifiers.
Mezo wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:44 pm
What do you think about using fully synthetic Geoff? Castrol say its 'best' but from what iv`e read its not worth spending the extra dosh? and oddly they say Activ (which i`m guessing is standard mineral oil) is 'good'
Mezo.
I wouldn't use fully synthetic oil on these bikes it's pointless (and expensive)...
The Castrol power 1 semi or part synthetic is perfectly ok, however ( and this isn't advice it's just what I do ) due to the known gearbox problems on these bikes, I use 15w40 semi synthetic, if I was going across the water where the sun shines I'd use 20w40... I prefer the thought of a bit thicker oil around the gears... and I also change it every couple of thousand miles... I use Halfords oil too, it's as good as anything else
Thanks everyone for your replies and education on oils. I definitely underrated this important aspect of my bike, especially having a new and old bike. I'll take the advice and stick to semi synthetic and look for the thickest oil available.
It does not matter if you use mineral, semi synthetic or synthetic oil, as all those types have a whole range of oil qualities available. I am sure there are semi synthetic oils out there which let your clutch slip like hell ...
Basically, if not specifierd for 4T motorcycle use, you shluld stay away from oils with a huge viscosity range like 0W-60 or "low friction" printed on the bottle.
The smaller the range, the more "basic" (low additive level) and wet clutch friendly a given standard oil will be.
I have not seen any 15W-40 oil causing clutch slip yet.
Andy
Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice (Henry Ford)
I'd use 20w40... I prefer the thought of a bit thicker oil around the gears... and I also change it every couple of thousand miles... I use Halfords oil too, it's as good as anything else
