This could be very confusing for some riders. One of the big bonuses of a fully synthetic is that it holds its quality for many miles (40,000 miles is some diesel cars) yet people are saying to change it more often than the manufacturer recommends. I would expect the change interval specified by Ducati would assume that people may not be using fully synthetic and so are reduced to take that into account. At the end of the day the individual is free to use anything he wants and to change it whenever he wants, but please change it when Ducati says to change it and not when another rider changes his as Ducati are the people who really know.
Quite so. We don't see many people changing their belts earlier than Ducati say, now do we?? If you read studies on various oils (yes, I'm that sad), the big divide is not between manufacturers, it's between fully synthetic oil and other types.
Opie oils are trading on the 675 forum. They do an extra 10% off for members and often run competitions/offers. I usually get mine delivered from them. Good people to deal with [emoji106]
Is there any logic behind using a heavier grade oil when using a dry clutch? I used a 10w-40 in my 848 with the DP conversion as thats what I was given with the bike, but i've saw a few recommendations for using a 15w-50.
Can only talk for the 1098, but I'm willing to open my big fat gob. If you check the manual you'll see that there are a range of acceptable viscosities dependent on the ambient range you ride the motorcycle in. In Jockland for example I will not be riding below 0 C and I cannot remember the last time we seen 30 C Sooooooooooooo, I can use 10/30, 10/40, 15/40, 15/50, 20/40 & 20/50 I asked this question too and got no reply so used 10/40 With the Motul 300V in the 10/40, I felt the gearbox was noticeably clunkier and louder. Next year I out in 15/50 and the gearbox was quieter and I didn't experience the occasional mis-change that I had with the 10/40. Another data point was on engine temp. With the 300V 10/40 the bike ran noticeably cooler, but IMHO it was overly cool. I've been using 15/50 ever since Obviously this is more about the top than the bottom number, my own take would (if I could get) be to run 10/50, as the lower number is the one that really counts for wear when road riding (when the bike is cold is when you get most wear and the lighter viscosity results in higher flow & lower pressure through the engine) Just my personal experience take as you will John
Which has nothing at all to do with the fact that it is made by Motul but just the thickness of the oil. If you think that putting a thicker oil in makes it quieter and that is better, then try filling the sump up with grease, it will be even quieter. The second, bigger number it only how the oil performs when it is hot (which occurs very quickly after a start) and the first number when the oil is cold before starting the engine. Ideally you need a small first number, 0 would be great as the oil circulates the engine very quickly after start up. A 40 or 50 will cover anything else at the top end.
Don't get mixed up with the need for older engines to need a thicker oil and older engines needing thicker oil because that was all that was available at that time. so the owners manual quoted that thicker oil. On my 1991 BMW some crap old oil is specified, but the piston rings do not know how old they are when they rub against the bores and a modern oil helps them. The handbook also tells me what the best tyres are, but no way am I going to use a 25 year old tyre design when I can use a modern one. An old 20w50 mineral oil will never lubricate as well as a modern much thinner synthetic oil does. The thinner synthetic will sound noisier but it is lubricating better. When old oils were used, oil changes used to be short, perhaps 3000 miles, because there were so many additives that broke down over use whereas a modern synthetic has much less of an additive package and has a life of 20,000+ miles.
As a data point when I ran on Shell 10/40 I did not experience the overcooling I got with the Motul, similar speeds, same roads, similar ambients. Do you have any recommendations for grades and manufacturer for the grease for my next change? Oh and careful you don't cut yersel there on that wit Bob
For the grease, go for the darkest colour that you can find, and then, as with wine, go for the oldest sell by date available. The oil can not really have much effect on a water cooled bike, you can only see the (water) coolant temperature on the gauge anyway.
Yes newer oils are far more superior at lubricating and thinner oil lubricates better, but note that if an older engine which has run on mineral oil all its life without problems then gets treated to a fully synthetic oil, it can result in oil getting past the rings, buring oil, oil leaks etc. Also applies to an engine that has been run on semi all its life quite happy, then it gets fully synthetic put in can have the same results of burning oil. Not all the time but can happen Also newer engines have far better machining tolerances, where an older design engine would benifit from the thicker lubricant, especially on the big ends. I don't think anyone can go wrong with frequent oil changes, even if you didn't replace the oil filter just change the oil inbetween services.
If that is the case then it is nothing to do with the oil being synthetic but it being thinner. That situation would only arise when the engine that has been run on mineral all of its life has the rings etc clogged up with carbon and rubbish from the mineral oil. The rings are designed to push freely against the cylinder walls at all times and cannot recognise what oil is lubricating them. You will find that the tolerances on any engine built in the last 30 years are quite fine and are only there to allow for heat expansion rather than for the use of thicker oil. Are you saying that a piston ring has a gap from the cylinder wall for an older engine? Are you saying that the two bits of metal rubbing together in an engine from 1990 will know that the difference between those in a 2016 engine and they will even know what oil you are using? You can change the oil as often as you want but the oil companies make oil that can last 20,000 miles, then the engine manufacturers tell you to change that oil at 12,000 miles, are you saying that you know better and everyone should change it at 1,000 miles? You can go wrong because there is always the chance of doing something wrong when you do anything mechanical that is not needed.
Bob go ahead and rubbish my replies with flippant answers as you see fit ............................ I'm too old & do not have enough time to "debate." I answered from, empirical experience, a question I had asked but got no answer to a couple of years back, & I thought may help another forum member Here for others (not you obviously) is a IMHO a good read on oils Motor Oils - It Is So Very Misunderstood Gettin ma coat John
Ha ha, no I didn't say replace oil every 1000 miles nor imply that, simply saying you cant go wrong on an itermidiate oil change. I posted my reply based on my 30 years experiance as a mechanic and twenty of them years in the motor trade. I have witnessed 1st hand and diagnosed issues where going from mineral oil to semi synthetic oil to a fully synthetic oil has caused problems, also where engines have failed to 'run in' after a rebuild. Most high mileage engines benifit from going to a slightly higher viscosity, it tends to prelong engine life, quiten it and aid in oil consumption. Extended service intervals nowadays on vehicles are quite common, but based on the 'norm' If you do short runs and lots of stop starts and low milage, its recommended to replace your oil before the 'NORM' but you'll already know this. anyway thats my 2cents for what its worth. got better things to do.
Well I use that Motul 300V. Mainly because it sounds cool and I like the picture on the front. And it's frickin well expensive which is always very reassuring. People who don't use Motul 300V are simply wrong. So there.
Gotta love a good oil debate haha The 848 spec was 10-40 but then it would seem that after all those years of old Ducatisti using 15-50 Ducati seemed to take note and all of a sudden they changed the spec and listed 15-50 for the 848. My 848 loves 300V 15-50
I like to use Motul as well. I use it both in my 748R engined track bike and also fully in my recently rebuilt LC250 Yamaha. Yes it is expensive but the two stroke oil in particular with it's low smoke nature really seems to suit the bike.
