| Author | Message | ||
     Thefleshrocket |
I originally used to use Mobil1 15W50 in my bikes, until oil analyses showed that it sheared down to a 30-weight in as little as a thousand miles. I then switched to Amsoil 10W40, which seemed heartier and only sheared to a high 30-weight after ~3000 miles. However, particularly in my 12K-mile '05 Speed Triple, I wasn't happy with the shift quality. I tried various things, like adjusting the angle of the linkage (I've got Chinese aftermarket rearsets on it) and adjusting the clutch lever so that the clutch disengaged as far as possible from the bar (to attempt to ensure that the clutch was absolutely positively fully disengaged by the time the lever was pulled back to the bar). Those changes made some improvements, but the shifting was still a bit notchy until the bike had been run hard for at least 15 minutes, getting the oil nice and hot. Casual riding would take much longer for the shifting to be noticeably smoother. My '03 Vmax came to me with 19K on it. It had probably sat for much of the year before I got it, and I didn't know what kind of oil it had in it. It was finicky about clutch engagement from a stop--it would be grabby unless I accelerated with a moderate degree of alacrity. Shift quality was passable. Both bikes got a crankcase full of Amsoil Dominator 15W50. Now why would this be thread worthy? Dominator isn't marketed as bike-friendly oil, as it has friction modifiers in it which could theoretically cause clutch slippage. I'd read a thread a while back where someone on BadWeB mentioned that EBR had used Dominator in its race bikes and was pleased with the results. I was on the fence but figured I'd give it a shot--worst case, I'd end up doing a couple of clutch jobs. So far I've put about 600 miles on both the Speed Triple and the Vmax. The Speed Triple now shifts much more smoothly even when cold--about as well as it shifted with the 10W40 when it was warm. Shifting improves even more when the bike is warm. It's not Honda buttery smooth, but it's a huge improvement nonetheless and there are no clutch slippage issues. A common belief on the Vmax forum is that any synthetic oil is likely to cause clutch slippage--my opinion is that any bike which has a clutch that slips after being switched to synthetic oil had a clutch that was already weak and should be replaced. Not only is the clutch grabbiness gone in my Vmax, the clutch grabs hard--it will loft the front tire about 6" off the ground on the first to second shift, and that's with letting off the throttle to shift. My 1125 will be getting 15W50 at its next oil change. Unfortunately, that'll be a year to a year and a half, depending on miles, so I won't have results any time soon. I put in a K&N air filter at my last oil change and I want to go 3000 miles on the oil before changing so I can compare the engine wear and oil particulate numbers to the stock filter. I suspect that silicon will be noticeably higher with the K&N, with a commensurate increase in wear metals. Point being that in my experience thus far, Amsoil Dominator 15W50 is safe for wet clutches and is even slipperier than the 10W40. | ||
| Rodrob |
I've been using it in both my 1190RS and 1125R race bikes with excellent results. No clutch issues at all. | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
Rob, I think you were the one who said EBR liked the Dominator. It was probably a year or more ago--I'd been waffling about the Dominator for quite a while. | ||
| Rodrob |
Dominator is what they use in the race bikes. | ||
| Ljm |
I don't race the RS. EBR said to still use the dominator. Not sure under street use conditions that the 1125 is much different. |
