I have been through a lot of different oils in my Concours14 looking for the best shifting at a reasonable expense. I was happy with Rotella 5w40 T5, until they changed it to the T6 a few years ago. I was adding zddp to get the good shifting back. I ran a fresh crankcase of Delo yesterday for a couple of hours and it shifts very nice. I dare to say the best this bike has felt in 30k miles. The Delo is soon to be in my other rides... At 5 dollars a quart it is a bargin compared to syn M/C oils..
Delo 5/40 smooth shifting!
- Thread starter ddtmoto
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The gearbox in my airhead BMW uses gear oil. Makes it a bit easier to ponder motor oil for the thing. I am using Mobil 1 gear oil in it.
Just to make sure, even though this Delo 5w-40 does not carry official JASO MA approval, it should be safe for shared sumps/wet clutches, right?
When my customers complain about shifting my experience it
can be traced to clutch drag and not the oil... I doubt a
rider can tell the difference in a BLIND shift test...
usually a rider develops a feeling about an oil based on how
enjoyable they are traveling down the perverted highway...
like toilet paper you can roll freely or wipe sh*t off
someone's A hole...
So here's my method to check your clutch for drag... your
gears can't shift smoothly if your clutch is part way engaged...
1 Place your bike on the center stand...
2 Start engine and establish a steady idle...
3 Squeeze in the clutch and hold... shift into first gear...
4 Now look at the rear wheel... if it's spinning step on the rear brake...
does this action drag down the engine rpms???
If you bike is equipped with an cable then adjust the clutch lever
knob clock wise (out) 1/4 turn and check again check for clutch
drag... if you bike is equipped with hydraulics bleed system and check
for bubbles...
Ultimately you want the rear wheel to stop when the engine is idling
and first gear selected with the clutch lever is squeezed in...
In conclusion
After 25 years dealing with customers I think its not a question of
oil so much as a question of technique and clutch...
My RC30 and RC45 customers will ask for the same slick shifting oil that
made their friend's RC30 and RC45 shift so smoothly after it left the
Busy Little Shop... I hate to break it to them but it wasn't the oil
that made the difference it was rider technique and the elimination of
clutch drag... so before I will dump one slick shifting oil for the
next slick shifting oil I work with them on their technique and their
clutch... then and only then will they understand that they were
fooled into thinking it was the oil when in fact it was technique and
clutch...
I think we are after the same thing... smooth shift without upsetting
the suspension... the secret is moving the foot quicker than clutch or
throttle... go easy with the clutch and throttle but move your foot
quicker... but worry there is no such thing as too quick... its early
form of seem-less shifting...
can be traced to clutch drag and not the oil... I doubt a
rider can tell the difference in a BLIND shift test...
usually a rider develops a feeling about an oil based on how
enjoyable they are traveling down the perverted highway...
like toilet paper you can roll freely or wipe sh*t off
someone's A hole...
So here's my method to check your clutch for drag... your
gears can't shift smoothly if your clutch is part way engaged...
1 Place your bike on the center stand...
2 Start engine and establish a steady idle...
3 Squeeze in the clutch and hold... shift into first gear...
4 Now look at the rear wheel... if it's spinning step on the rear brake...
does this action drag down the engine rpms???
If you bike is equipped with an cable then adjust the clutch lever
knob clock wise (out) 1/4 turn and check again check for clutch
drag... if you bike is equipped with hydraulics bleed system and check
for bubbles...
Ultimately you want the rear wheel to stop when the engine is idling
and first gear selected with the clutch lever is squeezed in...
In conclusion
After 25 years dealing with customers I think its not a question of
oil so much as a question of technique and clutch...
My RC30 and RC45 customers will ask for the same slick shifting oil that
made their friend's RC30 and RC45 shift so smoothly after it left the
Busy Little Shop... I hate to break it to them but it wasn't the oil
that made the difference it was rider technique and the elimination of
clutch drag... so before I will dump one slick shifting oil for the
next slick shifting oil I work with them on their technique and their
clutch... then and only then will they understand that they were
fooled into thinking it was the oil when in fact it was technique and
clutch...
I think we are after the same thing... smooth shift without upsetting
the suspension... the secret is moving the foot quicker than clutch or
throttle... go easy with the clutch and throttle but move your foot
quicker... but worry there is no such thing as too quick... its early
form of seem-less shifting...
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Yep, some riders know little about the workings of their machines. they would not know if their clutch was out of adjustment if it bit them on the ear. But, a few of us can feel the difference and changes a new oil can sometimes make. Yup we can. Most riders wouldn't be able to notice and have no clue as to what's going on inside their bike. But, not everyone is that type...
When a guy changes his oil and now the bike shifts different, it's prob the oil. Nothing is changed but the oil. The clutch didn't all of a sudden miss adjust itself, it's a fact, some oils are lacking what a bike's gearbox needs and will shift different than another oil. Some bikes are very tolerant of oils. Some are picky.
When a guy changes his oil and now the bike shifts different, it's prob the oil. Nothing is changed but the oil. The clutch didn't all of a sudden miss adjust itself, it's a fact, some oils are lacking what a bike's gearbox needs and will shift different than another oil. Some bikes are very tolerant of oils. Some are picky.
I have an old Honda Goldwing. The manual says to use sae engine oil, and what weight for the temp. I bought it used and have no idea what was used in it until then. After doing some reading on the a Goldwing site .I decided to do my own test to find an oil that helps it shift a bit smoother . I adjusted the cable which on that model is all you can adjust. I started with Rotella t 15w40 wt. Shifting seemed good for the first 1500 miles then started to feel crunchy during shifts. Next oil change I went with Delo 400 15w40 wt. Shifting seemed better longer but by 2500 miles it also was getting crunchy during shifts. Next I tried Mobil Delvac 1300 15w40 wt. It seemed to shift the best right up until change time.My last oil was Walmart 20-50 wt. It actually feels better then the lighter wts I've been using. Gas milege never varried much with either oil I used . It always gets between 42-46 mpg. I never experienced and slipping of the clutch even in the 5-7k range, with any of the oil I used just crunchy shift quality as the oil got up in miles. I tend to change it between 3-4k which if half what the book calls for. It's a 1982 model with 50k on the clock.
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The only oil that I have given up on before it wore out and was notchy was Redline M/c 10-40. 4500 miles and still shifted like day one. All other oils for me shear down and shift bad in 1500 to 2500 miles... I just don't want to spend $12 a quart on my oil. If I dont get at least 3k out of the Delo 5w40, it will be back to Redline for me...
Eh, my bikes always shift smoother with a fresh oil change. Well, except for the Moto Guzzi's. (dry clutch ;-))
THAT being said - just as Mr. Cahuna has pointed out - there ARE differences.
The thinner oils appear to work better for faster clutch plate separation.
Funny thing though - I also find that Mobil Delvac works the very best in the primary chaincases on my Harleys. Smooooth and positive shifting. Automatic transmission fluid (roughly 15 or 20 grade) also does that - but for only a short time.
A 50/50 mix of Mobil Delvac 15w40 and Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 works very well in my water-cooled bikes and the very smoothest in our GL1800 Gold Wing.
Don't try this at home.
THAT being said - just as Mr. Cahuna has pointed out - there ARE differences.
The thinner oils appear to work better for faster clutch plate separation.
Funny thing though - I also find that Mobil Delvac works the very best in the primary chaincases on my Harleys. Smooooth and positive shifting. Automatic transmission fluid (roughly 15 or 20 grade) also does that - but for only a short time.
A 50/50 mix of Mobil Delvac 15w40 and Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 works very well in my water-cooled bikes and the very smoothest in our GL1800 Gold Wing.
Don't try this at home.
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Are you sure you're not using Delo 15w40? If not, I guess you are using the Delo 5W-40 which is a synthetic. I haven't seen that oil on the shelves anywhere.
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Wal Mart carries the Delo 400LE 5W-40 for $19.95 for a 4 quart jug.
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