I posted this in the motorcyle section too, but in case the transmission gurus don't see it there, here it is again:
A couple months ago I dumped the factory transmission fill on the RT and put in Mobil 1 75/90 GL-5 rated gear oil. The manual recommends straight 90 weight or 80/90. A lot of other RT drivers are using the 75/90 or the 75/140 and reporting smoother shifting. My shifting was OK at first (I didn't really notice a drastic improvement), but has gotten progressively harder to downshift when cold over the last few weeks.
The first 20 minutes of riding is very difficult because of the awkward downshifting--it feels almost like the transmission is DRY. As soon as it warms up, the shifting is normal and very smoothe. And before you ask, I've double-checked the fluid level in the transmission--it's right at spec.
Is the problem aggravated because of the colder ambient temps (45-50 F) we've had, or is there something else going on that isn't related to the Mobil 1 gear oil? Would the Mobil 1 75/140 likely cure this problem? I'm leery about using the 75/140 because the manual doesn't spec that weight and the bike is still under warranty.
Thanks in advance for your opinions!
Rob
A couple months ago I dumped the factory transmission fill on the RT and put in Mobil 1 75/90 GL-5 rated gear oil. The manual recommends straight 90 weight or 80/90. A lot of other RT drivers are using the 75/90 or the 75/140 and reporting smoother shifting. My shifting was OK at first (I didn't really notice a drastic improvement), but has gotten progressively harder to downshift when cold over the last few weeks.
The first 20 minutes of riding is very difficult because of the awkward downshifting--it feels almost like the transmission is DRY. As soon as it warms up, the shifting is normal and very smoothe. And before you ask, I've double-checked the fluid level in the transmission--it's right at spec.
Is the problem aggravated because of the colder ambient temps (45-50 F) we've had, or is there something else going on that isn't related to the Mobil 1 gear oil? Would the Mobil 1 75/140 likely cure this problem? I'm leery about using the 75/140 because the manual doesn't spec that weight and the bike is still under warranty.
Thanks in advance for your opinions!
Rob
