So on my ktm 500, which has 66,000 miles, Id mainly ran 20w50 Valvoline Dino motorcycle oil(ma2), which worked great and was cheap. Occasionally I'd run the full synthetic also (ma2).
Anyway I put a full new oem clutch pack in it around 50,000 miles, not for slipping but the opposite reason too grippy, the steels had some burn in.
When I changed out a piston later down the road, I started running the full synthetic exclusively, and this is where the clutch sliggage begun to happen, but you needed to have a good load in a tall gear under full throttle to make it happen. I went to a heavier clutch spring which helped but didnt solve long term, I installed some new fibers which helped but didnt solve long term, and issue was not resolving. In the end the Fiber plate pads were getting Hard glazed over time.
I then scrubbed all the steels with a wire brush, and lightly scrubbed the fibers, and ditched the Valvoline full synthetic and went back to the valvoline dino oil, and clutch held beautifully under the same conditions.
Keep in mind the dino oil would go 50,000 mile no problem, its when I exclusively when to the full synthetic, the clutch would not hold the same level of friction.
Which makes me really wonder how much value is in that MA 2 rating, as both oils had that rating, but the full syn is obviously slicker on the clutch, or not necessarily slicker, but glazing the clutch fibers, instead of just keeping them clean, like the Dino oil was.
Anyway I put a full new oem clutch pack in it around 50,000 miles, not for slipping but the opposite reason too grippy, the steels had some burn in.
When I changed out a piston later down the road, I started running the full synthetic exclusively, and this is where the clutch sliggage begun to happen, but you needed to have a good load in a tall gear under full throttle to make it happen. I went to a heavier clutch spring which helped but didnt solve long term, I installed some new fibers which helped but didnt solve long term, and issue was not resolving. In the end the Fiber plate pads were getting Hard glazed over time.
I then scrubbed all the steels with a wire brush, and lightly scrubbed the fibers, and ditched the Valvoline full synthetic and went back to the valvoline dino oil, and clutch held beautifully under the same conditions.
Keep in mind the dino oil would go 50,000 mile no problem, its when I exclusively when to the full synthetic, the clutch would not hold the same level of friction.
Which makes me really wonder how much value is in that MA 2 rating, as both oils had that rating, but the full syn is obviously slicker on the clutch, or not necessarily slicker, but glazing the clutch fibers, instead of just keeping them clean, like the Dino oil was.