[cbxer55]

I recently switched from using Suzuki synthetic 20W-50 to Motul 15W-50. I think 4T. For those of you who say engine oil doesn't make a difference in shifting, think again. My bike now shifts like my B-king or CBR600RR. It shifts so damn nice, I can't believe it's the same bike. Put about 100 miles on it today. never missed a beat. Even 1st-to-2nd. And it found neutral every time, with no histrionics, like it has had recently. Don't think I'll ever try another oil in this bike. Less than 250 miles to 40,000. I changed it about 700 miles or so ago, But today, I noticed how well it is shifting. Also using the K & N filter, which has an 11/16 nut on the end. So much easier than using a damn filter wrench or one of those damn cup things, which always seem to get stuck on the filter.

 

[HyperPete]

Oh no another dreaded oil thread! 😉
Bring on the opinions!

 

[Metalman]

I wonder if your transmission is breaking-in at almost 40,000 miles. When I bought my 2008 Gold Wing, it shifted terribly. By 10,000 miles it was shifting as smooth as butter. Now at 35,000 miles if shifts better than an automatic transmission. It could be wearing-in or it could be that I've learned how to make smooth gear changes.

 

[HyperPete]

Mine began to shift GREAT at 36,555 miles.
(After backcutting 2nd gear and upgrading the transmission with the newer and custom parts to prevent another failure.)

 

[cbxer55]

Yeah, mine has been doing alright. But now, WOW! Funny thing is, the oil has been in there about 750 miles. Never noticed before yesterday, how much smoother it is. And while I used to get the occasional shudder, that's been absent for awhile now as well. Not once last year. No indication while riding yesterday, that it might try and do it again. 250 miles to 40,000 as of yesterday.

While I never make the 1st-to-2nd without the clutch, it's even making the 3rd through 5th clutchless so nice and smooth.

 

[Zoom]

Mine seems to shift better/smoother every time I change the oil. I always believed it wasn't so much a different oil as it was the oil was new. Kind of like a new set of tires always feel so much better than the old set, not so much the brand as it is being new. I'd be interested in hearing if it still shifts noticeably better after a couple thousand miles.

Mine seems to shift better in cooler weather than it does when it gets really hot out. Not sure why that happens, with the engine being water cooled you wouldn't think there would be a difference.

 

[bigpapaXCT]

In terms of longevity of the motor, oil won't make a difference at all. In terms of shifting, I have heard people go from synthetic to regular and state it is so much better, and of course the opposite way. Here is part of a post I just put up on Facebook earlier today. This is from the wife's 109.

I already decided to do a full rebuild so we tore the motor down. 81k miles on this motor and what did I find? I found that I was amazed. The crank and rod bearings are in great shape. Obviously they have wear, but no indication they wouldn’t last for many more miles. The transmission also, no issues before tearing down and is in great shape. The shift fork has a mark on it, but no grooving at all. She complained that every now and then she had a grinding from first to second, but I truly believe that was her on a lazy shift. In the lower case, there was not as much as a spec of metal and not even any flakes. If you put this motor next to a 5k mile motor that was tore down, I think it would be hard to tell the difference unless you knew which was which.

The end result is that she has all new bearings, oil pump, crank balance shaft bearing and a back cut transmission and rings going in. Cylinders were hones as well. Sometime this week I am hopeful to pick up all the parts and start putting the motor back together.

This isn’t another oil post, but some have hit me up to ask what we are using. Since the very first oil change, this bike has only seen Valvoline 10wx40 NON-SYNTHETIC oil. It is in a blue or black bottle. It is called v-twin or 4stroke oil. I have changed her oil every 4k miles, or slightly under, and always used a HF138 Hi-Flow oil filter.

 

[Metalman]

Mine seems to shift better/smoother every time I change the oil. I always believed it wasn't so much a different oil as it was the oil was new. Kind of like a new set of tires always feel so much better than the old set, not so much the brand as it is being new. I'd be interested in hearing if it still shifts noticeably better after a couple thousand miles.

Mine seems to shift better in cooler weather than it does when it gets really hot out. Not sure why that happens, with the engine being water cooled you wouldn't think there would be a difference.

I agree with both paragraphs. I was recently riding here in KY when the temperature was in the mid 50s and noticed that the Nine shifted smoother than usual. I also found on my 2006 that in hot weather, particularly when I'd been pushing the bike hard, it didn't shift well. I wonder if the oil under those conditions is foaming.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Oil change tip #1 - Don't screw the dipstick in to check level.

Oil change tip #2 - Don't leave the dipstick unscrewed when you start the bike.

After changing my oil last weekend without a drop hitting the garage floor, I quickly learned tip #2.

 

[cbxer55]

Just coincidentally with a change to a never tried before oil. OKAY!

 

[bigpapaXCT]

Just coincidentally with a change to a never tried before oil. OKAY!

It isn't even worth replying to trolls.

 

[cbxer55]

I didn't think there were any trolls on this site. Man, they're all over Zero Hedge. There, we have the capability of junk voting their asses.

 

[bigpapaXCT]

I didn't think there were any trolls on this site. Man, they're all over Zero Hedge. There, we have the capability of junk voting their asses.

I think you found the only one oh the forum. Lol

 

[cbxer55]

Things that make you go hmmmm.It appears the so-called trolls post is now gone.

Hmmmmm.

Anywho. For mine, it seems the longer I ride it and the hotter it gets, the better it is. I've been out riding it for hours sometimes, and it's running so damned good and shifting so damn good at the end, I almost decide to keep on riding.

But, was out riding four hours last weekend, and according to the oil temperature dipstick I have, oil temperature never got hotter than 180 degrees. Maybe a degree or two, but it's a small needle that I have to lean over to see. Usually just check it at those long nap-inducing traffic lights we have here. Yeah, in stop-and-go traffic on an 80 degree day, oil temperature never got hotter than 180. And yes ma, I have checked the dipstick using the boiling water method. Water boils at 212 degrees. Boil a pot of water and stick the dipstick in it, should be pretty close. Mine is.

 

[Zoom]

And yes ma, I have checked the dipstick using the boiling water method. Water boils at 212 degrees. Boil a pot of water and stick the dipstick in it, should be pretty close. Mine is.

If you want to be real exact with that, and with you being a mechanic you probably already know this, but you need to adjust the boiling point for altitude. Or more exactly for the air pressure. For instance in Denver at their altitude water will boil at 202 degrees. The higher you go the lower the temp it will boil at. I remember in school we would put a cup of water in a vacuum chamber and create a vacuum and it would boil at room temp.

There are charts available that show the boiling point relative to the altitude you are at.

 

[bigpapaXCT]

If you want to be real exact with that, and with you being a mechanic you probably already know this, but you need to adjust the boiling point for altitude. Or more exactly for the air pressure. For instance in Denver at their altitude water will boil at 202 degrees. The higher you go the lower the temp it will boil at. I remember in school we would put a cup of water in a vacuum chamber and create a vacuum and it would boil at room temp.

There are charts available that show the boiling point relative to the altitude you are at.

LOL, beat me to it Mike. I do the boiling test because we are at 500' so I don't think it makes a difference.

 

[cbxer55]

I'm in central Oklahoma. Not sure what altitude we are at, but it's no where near Denver. But, my point was simply that the M109R doesn't seem to tax the oil too heavily. Even in the summer, when it's pushin 100 degrees, and I'm out riding for hours, it rarely if ever goes above 200 degrees. And it you're running some good synthetic, 200 degrees is a YUGE nothingburger.

Years ago when I used to still owned a Honda CBX, I has installed an oil temperature gauge. One fine day, going through Baker CA on my way to Carson City Nevada, while stuck in traffic on a 100+ day, the oil temperature was pushing 325 degrees. Bike was running like crappola. Had to stop and let it cool down. When I got back from that trip, I removed the factory five row oil cooler, and replaced it with a 14 row cooler. After that, in the same conditions, it was running 250. Not bad for an air-cooled inline six. Yup, I was running Motul 20W-50 in that bike all the way back in the early 90's and 00's.

Bike below isn't mine, but it's pretty close to what mine looked like. It has the 14 row oil cooler on it. The stock one is almost invisible, it's so small.