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From rotella T6 to mobile 1 vtwin back to rotella T6

33K views 30 replies 17 participants last post by  BBob 
#1 ·
Ran rotella t6 with no issues went to mobile 1 vtwin 20w 50 thought i was doing the good owner thing buy spending more on oil :crzy:

To me it felt like my clutch was slipping when i would gun it like going say 20 mph gun it and more noise then action :p was not like that at the beginning seemed fine at first then started in after say 200 miles :confused:

Just changed back to rotella T6 will se if shes back on track after a few 100 miles wac

BTW there was nothen on my magnetic drain plug :)
 
#3 ·
HEY bL33d
Just wanted to 2nd your opinion of Rotella T6. I know it has been said many times before BUT Rotella T6 is one of only a small handful of oils that are PURE synthetic and ranks at the top of the oil ladder, along with Redline, Motul, and Amsoil. There are perhaps 2 or 3 others that are nearly pure. All the others are variations of blends with Dino oil whether they are hydrocracked or otherwise. I'm certainly not saying these other oils aren't very good, because they are. They just aren't PURE synthetic. The legal definition of synthetic can get a little shakey too. I'm still running Victory's best, but will be changing to Rotella T6 on my next service. I ran Rotella and it's predecessor (long before they came out with T6) in all my BMW's for 43 years and hundreds of thousands of miles without a glitch. Ten years of Harley's before the BMW's (but that's another story) . Now I have finally seen the light and switched to Victory (XC, that is) and have not regretted it at all. Have a good ride!!!
 
#5 ·
Done a lot of reading re: bike oil over the year. One thing I've learned recently is that semi-syn oil is limited to no more than 30% syn. Also have read post on various forums say that the 100% syn oils have indeed made their clutches slip. Trying to strike a happy median - with myself - I have resorted to blending my own. I'm mixing, 50-50, regular Rotella and T-6 Rotella 100% syn. and using that in my XC. I would like to be able to do this with oils that go up to a 50 wt. but haven't figured out which oils to use to accomplish this. Any suggestions??

RR
 
#10 ·
Seems like a lot of folks get into trouble with synthetics when they use car oil that is rated without the friction modifiers the Victory oil, Amsoil V-Twin, and Mobile 1 V-Twin have.

Those ratings are the key thing. I notice the Rotella has the correct rating even though it's a car oil. Seems to me 4 quarts of the Rotella 15w40w blended with 1.5 quarts of Mobile 1 V-Twin 20w50w would be just right. I imagine using the same Rotella with 1.5 qt's of Synth Rotella would be just fine as well. In fact I've been running that combination for 4k miles now and it works just fine. Next go around will be the Rotella/Mobile 1 V-Twin mix.

Using quality oil is the key and oil that's rated for use with wet motorcycle clutches.

I'd like to add that there has been zero degradation of shifting on my bike during the last 4k miles. No change whatsoever at all. If anything it has gotten better but I guess that's to be expected since the bike is new.
 
#11 ·
It is not recommended to blend different oils as the additive packs could adversely effect the oils.

A 40 weight oil is recommended for the Vic and there is no need to use a 50 weight.

Use a High quality oil with the proper API and/or JASO Ratings and you will not have a problem.

The Best isn't cheap
Cheap isn't The Best


Bob
 
#13 ·
I bought my Vision (my first Victory) in March 2010. My only complaint was the noisy transmission. Ran into a guy who owned an 08 Vision with over 75,000 miles on it. He told me to make the switch to Rotella T6 and leave out 1/2 Qt. of oil and add 1/2 Qt. of Lucas Oil Synthetic Oil Stabilizer. I tried it on the third oil change (which I did myself) and not only did it cut the tranny noise in half, but shifting was easier and quieter. Have had no problems with clutch slippage either.
 
#14 ·
engine oil formulation

20% of a quart of oil is additives which enhance the base lubricant properties. Mineral oil refined from crude oil is made up of HC molecules of varying size and shapes and provide certian benefits. Synthetic oil is chemically engineered in a lab to posess enhanced properties of various sorts. I'm trying to keep this simple and in layman's terms. Synthetics have superior temperature operating range and resist breakdown leading to the formation of harmful deposits and acids in the crankcase. Mineral oil has limitations but possess superior cushioning of shear forces imposed by transmission gears. A multigrade oil is actually made up of the lower number base stock to flow well when cold and polymer additives cause it to behave like the upper number when at operating temperature. Trans gears chop these polymers and reduce the oil to the lower number over time. Pure synthetics have a more difficult time protecting as well as mineral oil does in the presence of tranny gears and the proper amount of additives to allow synthetics to do so also increase the likelihood of clutch slippage. This is why a syn blend is best. Also as the oil number goes up the heat transfer ability decreases. There has to be a balance because of the wide range of climate zones present in the US. The 50 oil may project the ability of increased hot weather protection, but do so at the expense of reduced heat transfer. Victory has chosen 20W-40 because it is the best blend of protection and heat transfer. Other oils may work as well but be sure to do your research first and be aware of what your Victory needs to perform as engineered. NEVER use automotive oil in a motorcycle engine because several critical viscosity, extreme pressure, and shear resistance additives which poison automotive catalytic converters have been removed from automotive oil which are critically required by engine/trans/wet-clutch combo assemblies. Rotella is a good oil for older automotive and current diesel engines which need ZDDP and other additives which do not employ automotive catalytic converters. However Shell engineers did not consider heat transfer or wet-clutch parameters because water cooled diesel engines do not need them as critically as an oil/air cooled engine. It is always best to use a motorcycle engineered oil in a motorcycle for best service life and performance. Rotella T6 is 5W-40, and Rotella Triple is 15W-40. Ma Vic specs 20W-40 for many, many reasons. Please accept my .02 worth and add it your own research.
 
#15 ·
Non of this would be an issue if Vic oil was not over priced. My advice to all of you is to watch the Mobile One oil very closely. If you catch it right you can get any oil they sell including 4T or Vtwin 20-50 very reasonably. I bought 120 quarts of Mobile 1 V twin for $5.49 a quart.

Has anyone done test of used Victory oil and compared it to T5 or Super Dxa. I am just about to pass 10k miles and I will do 2 2500 mile tests on Super Dxa, then I will try T5 unless the Mobile one sale arrives before that. I will post the results if someone here wants to interpret.
 
#16 ·
Oil testing

I have used Falex Corp. in the past. I did some research on Honda branded straight and syn-blend, and other oils for my Honda CX Turbo business. I was marketing an oil additive called "Multi-Lube" to CXT owners to help protect the turbocharger bearings. They were very thorough and reasonably priced. They are in Sugar Grove, Ill., just West of Aurora, Ill. western suburbs of Chicago. http://www.falex.com/
 
#17 ·
There is a problem I see over and over. People think that because Rotella has a Self Imposed JASO MA rating, it is "Motorcycle Specific". It is not.

Another problem is people think that because they can use Rotella, They can use ANY Diesel oil. They can NOT.

An oil with a CH or higher rating can only be used if it has the JASO MA rating.

The base of the oil, whether synthetic, semi-syn, petroleum is not important as to clutch slippage or wear either. As long as the oil has the proper proper API and/or JASO Rating, it can be used in in a wet clutch application.

AMSOIL, for one, has developed specific ant-wear additives to give the absolute best wear protection for the gears in the transmission.

Take a look at the ASTM Tests in the M/C Oil Test White Paper.
http://bestoil4you.com/files/MC_Oil_Study.pdf

The Best isn’t cheap
Cheap isn’t The Best


Bob
 
#18 ·
There is a problem I see over and over. People think that because Rotella has a Self Imposed JASO MA rating, it is "Motorcycle Specific". It is not.

I wonder if any other companies "self impose" ratings. Is there a way to find out what companies actually submitted a product to the appropriate testing authority for certification in its advertised use and who did not?

Another problem is people think that because they can use Rotella, They can use ANY Diesel oil. They can NOT.

You lost me here. You can use Rotella, despite the fact they have a self imposed rating? T5, much like Super Dxa does not carry or advertise a JASO rating but they hold up and out perform a few JASO MA "advertised" oils.

An oil with a CH or higher rating can only be used if it has the JASO MA rating.

The base of the oil, whether synthetic, semi-syn, petroleum is not important as to clutch slippage or wear either. As long as the oil has the proper proper API and/or JASO Rating, it can be used in in a wet clutch application.

AMSOIL, for one, has developed specific ant-wear additives to give the absolute best wear protection for the gears in the transmission.

Take a look at the ASTM Tests in the M/C Oil Test White Paper.
http://bestoil4you.com/files/MC_Oil_Study.pdf

That's good information on M/C specific oils. Did Redline not agree to submit? I would love to see the same tests run on a few HDEO's, just to prove all the guys who run something other than a product for its intended use, are slipping clutches, or pre-maturely wearing out their motors.


The Best isn’t cheap
Cheap isn’t The Best


Bob
I think and many may agree, that while a bottle may or may not have certain letters or pictures on the label, its possible it may be very well suited to the application. At our own peril of course!


 
#19 ·
Rotella has not been tested but they legally use the rating from their additive suppliers.

The other oils must have the proper API ratings to be used in a wet clutch application.

A diesel oil must therefore carry a CG Rating specifically... It can be CG/CH but the CG must be present to be used in a wet clutch... With a gasoline engine oil, it must be SG or SG/SH if it does not have the JASO MA or MA 2.

The oils in the tests were based on sales volume or competitiveness in the industry. It would be cost prohibitive to try and test nearly every oil as some of these tests are Very expensive.

The oils tested were "Motorcycle Specific" so it would not be an Apples to Apples comparison to bring in other oils.

AMSOIL M/C oils are designed with Specific additives just for M/C's to offer ultimate performance instead of usinf a "Fit-All" product.

I can tell you that I am not impressed with Red-Line and I have sold AMSOIL to RedLine sponsored race teams. It is a fantastic feather in the cap when you sell AMSOIL to an International Race Team and they have cases of RedLine stacked outside the hauler for "Advertising" purposes.

NASCAR is another great example. So many people think the oil brand on the car is what they use.

The Best isn’t cheap
Cheap isn’t The Best


Bob
 
#26 ·
While Rotella is not specifically rated for use in motorcycles, it does contain certain additives and properties that make it well suited for any vehicle wth flat tappets, that being the ZDDP (Zinc) content.

I have never, nor will I ever cheap out on oil for any of my vehicles......PERIOD! Saving $20 bucks an oil change for $20,000 motorcycles, is (in my opinion) INSANE. You will drop big bucks on wax and other cleaning products, leathers, gloves and other various bling but not oil.......... Go figure!!!
 
#28 ·
But, there other additives for Motorcycles such as Anti-Rust and Corrosion Inhibitors geared toward periods of not riding where regular oil will wash off the cylinders in a relatively short period of time. AMSOIL has specific Anti-Wear additives for the transmission on common sump bikes. It is also developed to either maintain or even slightly gain in viscosity where other oils shear out of grade. I would Always want the oil to gain slightly instead of lose viscosity if I have my druthers.

I totally agree on the thought about what people will purchase and try to cheap out on oil and filters.

That being said, I am sure you will be switching to AMSOIL as it's cost per mile is about the same as Rotella much less more expensive oils.

Steve; you seem to be under the impression that more cost equals better oil. Some people think the same thing about wine. Neither are true.
Bob, I don't think he is saying more expensive is better or, he would be touting Rotella which is an inexpensive oil. A good oil for the price, there are just better out there.

Oil, is the Lifeblood of your engine. The oil filter, is the Kidney that keeps it clean.

The Best isn’t cheap
Cheap isn’t The Best


Bob
 
#30 · (Edited)
Bob, I am afraid that you misunderstood. High dollar does not mean high quality. Im my most humble opinion, the oil you use should be rated for use in motorcycles or have the properties and additives that make it well suited for that use.

In addition, I am a firm believer in regular oil change intervals, based upon severe use schedules. I have a 1984 Honda VF700S that I purchased new. Other than the oil it came with when new, it has always had a synthetic or synthetic blend oil in it, for the majority of it's miles that was Golden Spectro 10w-40 until that became difficult to find (ie: impossible). I was very happy with the performance of that brand for many years and many miles.

Since, I have tried Motul, Valvolene, Silkolene and Rotella 5w-40 Synthetic. The one that "feels" the best is the Rotella, both in engine noise, coolant and oil temperature, and transmission smoothness.

In the Honda Owners' manual, it specifies an 8,000 mile oil change interval, with no mention of severe usage. Personally I feel that is far too long. I change the oil and filter at intervals that are in the 3,000 to 4,000 mile range. Even with the 10's of thousands of miles on this bike it has never been apart and from what I can see by peering into the oil fill hole, is as clean as a operating room. Is that a testiment to the oil or the oil change interval? I have no idea, but I am not about to change either.

I also look at availability. When travelling if I need some to add, Rotella is easy to find when compared to many. To me this is also important.

Now, in my 1973 Norton 750 Commando, which I also bought new, I use either Silkolene or Brad Penn, preferring Brad Penn. No problem with finding some, because I never ride that far away from home.

Why do I prefer it? Because it is green!!!! Makes it easier to spot the origin of leaks!!

Cheers!! cheers Steve
 
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