preferred oil?

[alexXx]

so...i'm coming up on my first (while under my ownership) oil change...was wonder what our little GS likes to eat...any preferred brands / weights?  thanks all...


- alex

[alexXx]

also, this would be my first real tinkering of a motorcycle...any tips / tricks / stupid shaZam! to avoid doing?   :mrgreen:  thanks all...


- alex

[Kerry]

any preferred brands / weights?

For the "preferred" weight, see the oil filler cap:


The "preferred brand" question is a can of worms.  I used a full-synthetic for most of my 32K miles, but I recently saw the "error of my ways" and went with a mid-cost oil in the "preferred" weight:


But please understand that just about any 10W40 oil will work fine in the GS500.  It comes down to a largely emotional decision; kind of like choosing the fabric and pattern for your security blanket.

[Kerry]

any tips / tricks / stupid shaZam! to avoid doing?

* Unscrewing the filler cap may help the old oil drain out a little better.

* Make sure the new O-ring is properly positioned in the oil filter cover, and doesn't move out of place as you reinstall the cover (so it doesn't get pinched between the cover and the engine).

* Don't forget to put the spring back in between the oil filter and the cover.

* Replace the drain bolt (and tighten it) BEFORE you add the new oil.  :mrgreen:

* Pour in a little less than 3 quarts, run the bike for a minute or so, check the oil level and top off at that point.

[Alias]

any tips / tricks / stupid shaZam! to avoid doing?

* Unscrewing the filler cap may help the old oil drain out a little better.

* Make sure the new O-ring is properly positioned in the oil filter cover, and doesn't move out of place as you reinstall the cover (so it doesn't get pinched between the cover and the engine).

* Don't forget to put the spring back in between the oil filter and the cover.

* Replace the drain bolt (and tighten it) BEFORE you add the new oil.  :mrgreen:

* Pour in a little less than 3 quarts, run the bike for a minute or so, check the oil level and top off at that point.

You are running regular car motor oil with friction aditives in your bike?!? Hows the clutch? I tryed car oil, my clutch didn't like that at all.

[The Buddha]

Car oil exclusively for 45K and no clutch related issues... BTW Kerry... you are the only guy that will post a pic of a bottle of oil on the shelf at the store... please tell me you didn't have that picture taken for fun so you know what oil you put...
BTW I use 10W40 by accel 74 cents a quart at walmart. Its SF rated... meaning its got loads of additives...
Cool.
Srinath.

[MacDuff]

My preference Mobile One 15w-50.  

Tips:

Clean the filter area well before removing the cover.  There is a lot of dirt in that area.  

Filter cover bolts do not require much torque.  I also use anti-seize on the filter cap bolts.  Just because.

MacDuff

[Kerry]

BTW Kerry... you are the only guy that will post a pic of a bottle of oil on the shelf at the store... please tell me you didn't have that picture taken for fun so you know what oil you put...

No, I took that pic along with several others so I could post a sampling of the 10W40 oils (and prices) out there.  You were aware that my camera has a "For GStwin use ONLY" sticker on it, right?    (Not really.)

I use 10W40 by accel 74 cents a quart at walmart. Its SF rated... meaning its got loads of additives...

So you're using THIS stuff, eh?   :mrgreen:   I just might give it a try one of these days....

[octane]

Castrol SAE30. Clutch LOVES it. Seriously. After I switched to amsoil synthetic and my clutch started slipping the 30 weight cleared it back up. Been using it since.

[alexXx]

damn, kerry...is there anything you DONT have a picture for?

:mrgreen:


- alex

[Kerry]

is there anything you DONT have a picture for?

I've "only" got 231 images in my MiscFotos directory.  There must be at least a few more that I need to take....  

[alexXx]

so i'm getting the sense from a couple of your posts that synthetic oil ISN'T the way to go?  don't you have to do oil changes every 1000 miles with organic oil and 2000 with synthetic?  i tink i read that somewhere...

whats with this clutch slipping thing that varies with the oil?!? i didnt know that could be affected by choice of oil...

also another question...fill in the X...you should take your GS to get serviced every X,000 miles...


- alex

[Alias]

so i'm getting the sense from a couple of your posts that synthetic oil ISN'T the way to go?  don't you have to do oil changes every 1000 miles with organic oil and 2000 with synthetic?  i tink i read that somewhere...

whats with this clutch slipping thing that varies with the oil?!? i didnt know that could be affected by choice of oil...

also another question...fill in the X...you should take your GS to get serviced every X,000 miles...


- alex

Multiply those numbers by 3 :p

[The Buddha]

Well In my case there is no need, typicaly every 100miles or so it uses up the entire 3 quarts... so its like a oil change... I add a third evey 100miles or so... hence cheapo oil, cant afford better...   :x
Cool.
Srinath.

[werase643]

you can affor better you are just a cheap bastard....
....i'll go dig up the oil link ...again

http://www.yft.org/tex_vfr/tech/oil.htm

[The Buddha]

The Accel crap is better... you should see it... its grey right out the bottle... loaded with additives and makes for an ashy residue when it burns... and that will kill sensors in new cars... hence it says do not use in cars made after 1990. Its the good stuff...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Frost]

i use Rotella T with no problems at all...

i'm gonna switch to castrol for my next oil change though...canadian winter is around the corner...

[alexXx]

werase643, awesome link thanks...

srinath, what the hell does your bike do to all that oil?!?!?  


- alex

[werase643]

it's weird...it don't smoke  and it don't piss on his leg....but it uses the stuff

[Kerry]

so i'm getting the sense from a couple of your posts that synthetic oil ISN'T the way to go?

Strictly from a monetary viewpoint.  I have NO complaints after having used Mobil1 15W50 for all those miles - except for the high (and ever-increasing!) cost of the stuff.

don't you have to do oil changes every 1000 miles with organic oil and 2000 with synthetic?  i tink i read that somewhere...

Until now I have always run synthetic and I have still changed the oil around 3,000 miles.  I probably could have gotten away with going 4 or 5, but I chose not to.

whats with this clutch slipping thing that varies with the oil?!? i didnt know that could be affected by choice of oil...

I've heard / read about it, but I couldn't tell you what it's like.  If my clutch has been slipping, it's news to me.  But since I've basically been a one-brand man I couldn't really compare, except to say that the last couple hundred miles on my new Castrol Syntec 10W40 have felt  about the same as ever....

also another question...fill in the X...you should take your GS to get serviced every X,000 miles...

Ah, a trick question!

MY answer?  Service your simple-to-work-on-two-valves-per-cylinder-air-cooled-bike yourself according to the Maintenance Schedule.  A repair manual and a set of tools are a LOT cheaper than shop labor, and you will learn a ton.

Sure - if something comes up that you can't handle, go ahead and "shop" it.  But the only time I have done that (and I started out on my GS as a total "noob") was for reconstruction after I ... dare I mention it? ... pasted that cow.