Maintenance intervals: Break in Oil changes & Chain lube

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by oldqwerty

...Spudrider, total miles don't mean much after how many rebuilds? Really, get 50k+ out of an original top end, with nothing but routine maintenance, only to allow someone who should know better borrow the bike and run it down the highway for three days until it locked up from the oil pumping out. Poor Tdub. I know of three other TWs that went over 50k on their original parts, nothing changed except carb jets and spark plugs. All three did break in with Valvoline, long lives with Mobil 1, Royal Purple, or Amsoil (all ester based synthetics). Two are still going since there owners know how to say "NO!" One got XT225 engine internal and trans when the original started that darned base gasket leak at 62K...

Total miles also don't mean much if a bike is babied, either. My Zongshen Sierra has been ridden hard for over 69,000 miles, and that has to count for something. However, I certainly understand your preference for synthetic oils.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by oldqwerty

...Walmart has Valvoline 4-Stroke in quarts for about the same price per volume as Rotella T3 in gallons. I checked today stocking up for my Cyclone's break in.

Thanks for posting the good tip. Valvoline is excellent motor oil, and the price for the Valvoline 4-Stroke Motorcycle Oil is very competitive.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Valvoline-...e-Oil/16879749

[woodlandsprite]

You gents are a wealth of information and I appreciate all the fine details thank you for taking the time to share!

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Thanks for posting the good tip. Valvoline is excellent motor oil, and the price for the Valvoline 4-Stroke Motorcycle Oil is very competitive.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Valvoline-...e-Oil/16879749

TurboT and I found that this Valvoline product turned black and seemed to lose all viscosity well within 10 hours of riding time on our quads. A switch to Rotella had the colour and texture where we thought it should be at 10 hours. YMMV.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

TurboT and I found that this Valvoline product turned black and seemed to lose all viscosity well within 10 hours of riding time on our quads. A switch to Rotella had the colour and texture where we thought it should be at 10 hours. YMMV.

Thank you letting us know about this problem, Weld.

[woodlandsprite]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

TurboT and I found that this Valvoline product turned black and seemed to lose all viscosity well within 10 hours of riding time on our quads.

yikes. right now I have the oil recommended/sold by CSC on hand - that's whats going in it at the first oil change, but figured I should lay in some other oil for subsequent changes. I guess it won't be that Valvoline Product!

[oldqwerty]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Total miles also don't mean much if a bike is babied, either. My Zongshen Sierra has been ridden hard for over 69,000 miles, and that has to count for something. However, I certainly understand your preference for synthetic oils.

Nobody I know babies their motorcycles. Most are fat old farts like me who are too stupid to know when to quit. Tdub has done SS1000s, BB 1500s, 112*F desert days, two of the tallest peaks in Colorado, Death Valley, -35* Canadian ice roads in the winter, and a horde of other stupid stuff, and still went over 50k on her original top end. She was still running fine after being run out of oil, locked up, then refilled, restarted, and ridden ~330 smokey miles home. Yamaha builds some tough engines, almost as tough as Honda's CT90, which run fine with fry grease in the case from what I hear.

[oldqwerty]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

TurboT and I found that this Valvoline product turned black and seemed to lose all viscosity well within 10 hours of riding time on our quads. A switch to Rotella had the colour and texture where we thought it should be at 10 hours. YMMV.

Valvoline makes an ATV oil for a reason. Quad service is generally way more severe than motorcycle service. You were using the wrong oil for the job. Not surprised you had a problem.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by oldqwerty

Nobody I know babies their motorcycles. Most are fat old farts like me who are too stupid to know when to quit. Tdub has done SS1000s, BB 1500s, 112*F desert days, two of the tallest peaks in Colorado, Death Valley, -35* Canadian ice roads in the winter, and a horde of other stupid stuff, and still went over 50k on her original top end. She was still running fine after being run out of oil, locked up, then refilled, restarted, and ridden ~330 smokey miles home. Yamaha builds some tough engines, almost as tough as Honda's CT90, which run fine with fry grease in the case from what I hear.

I know lots of people who baby their motorcycles. I'm glad you're not one of them.

If you don't like the 15W/40 diesel oils, you could keep yourself quite busy spreading your gospel on just about every other motorcycle forum. If you haven't done so, just go to ADVRider.com, Thumpertalk.com, or a host of other places and search 'rotella.' Many motorcycle owners have been using these oils very successfully for millions of miles on many different kinds of motorcycles. As with you, I am sure many of them don't baby their motorcycles, either.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by oldqwerty

Valvoline makes an ATV oil for a reason. Quad service is generally way more severe than motorcycle service. You were using the wrong oil for the job. Not surprised you had a problem.

Weldangrind is a very knowledgeable, and a very polite person. I'm sure he knows how to select motor oils, and doesn't deserve any condescending advice. I doubt the application was so terribly different to yield such unsatisfactory results. Maybe he got a bad batch of oil, I don't know. Even Valvoline can make mistakes; nobody is perfect.

[oldqwerty]

Well, since you can't win the personal attacks begin. Been there before. Good bye. I don't need your crap.

[No1Vic]

Not done many miles on my RX3 yet 180 in all just commuting and noticed oil level steadily rising....just siphoned 300ml off to bring it down to the max and it stunk of petrol :-(
So I've changed the oil completely and used Shells Advance X7 same as I use in my other bikes. The engine and especially the clutch sounds sweet again they were starting to rattle :-( Thin diluted oil no doubt.....

[katflap]

Hey Vic,

I finally got around to fitting a new injector. Will let you know in the coming weeks if it resolves this "oil level rising" problem.

Also I'm trying to blast my bike as much as I can. I read somewhere that being too gentle when running the bike in can create a glazed bore, leading to a poor piston ring seal.

Don't know if this is true or not but thought it worth a try, as I have done 1800 miles, it can't hurt

[No1Vic]

Look forward to hearing your results Katflap, I was keeping under 4500rpm when I first had the bike but using all the revs now and does run better... See how my oil level goes now I've put fresh oil in... Still to try a drop of two stroke oil in the fuel but considering your thoughts on how it might affect the injector.

[woodlandsprite]

GAH!
hit 200 mi today and have been stuck in the garage trying to do my first oil change.
Took the bash plate off to facilitate access...

the 17mm bolts for the oil screens are lodged to the point where nothing I've tried will get them off - it doesnt help that I have to use an extender to access them, so the socket keeps popping off when I try to really apply force.

Is there some trickery to this?

Also my oil was filthy :( glad I'm changing it at 200mi.