Final Drive Oil

[bgross]

Both Rose (Hondapotamus) and Lucille (FJR) get the same engine oil (Rotella-T 15w-40) and the same final drive oil (Honda/Bel Ray 80w-90).

Both oils meet/exceed the mfg. specs. - and I don't get confused!

 

[HotRodZilla]

The Valvoline Synthetic is GL5. Says it right on the bottle.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

The Valvoline Synthetic is GL5. Says it right on the bottle.

How would you know? You got somebody to read it to you?

I have gotten so confused with all these options and this job is so difficult to do, I am just going to pay the dealership to do it for me on the new bike.

 

[Fred W]

Spec calls for GL-5
So use GL-5.

What you pay for it is between you and your credit card. If it says "GL-5" on the bottle, it's good.

FWIW, nowhere in any manual for 2014 called for GL-5. I think I saw it in 2013 Owner's manual but it was removed in 2014 Owner's manual.

You are right!

2013 OM says:

Final Gear Oil:Type:

Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil SAE 80 API GL-5

and the 2014 ES manual says:

Final Gear Oil:Type:

Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil exclusive to FJR1300/VMAX

Of course we all know that this is the exact same final drive. Wonder why the change in verbiage.

 

[Old Guy]

Spec calls for GL-5
So use GL-5.

What you pay for it is between you and your credit card. If it says "GL-5" on the bottle, it's good.

FWIW, nowhere in any manual for 2014 called for GL-5. I think I saw it in 2013 Owner's manual but it was removed in 2014 Owner's manual.

You are right!

2013 OM says:

Final Gear Oil:Type:

Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil SAE 80 API GL-5

and the 2014 ES manual says:

Final Gear Oil:Type:

Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil exclusive to FJR1300/VMAX

Of course we all know that this is the exact same final drive. Wonder why the change in verbiage.

How long has the "exclusive" oil been available. I was wondering if this is just a new product that they're pushing now. How much profit is there in a $24 quart of oil that you can't get anywhere else?

At any rate, you're right. The part numbers for the 2013 and 2014 final drives are the same. If I had a 2014 I guess I'd use the "exclusive" oil until the warranty expires. Then I'd use a good GL5.

 

[Fred W]

I'd assume that the exclusive is the same whale **** they have been pushing since the FJR came out, although the "exclusive" is a new part number.

The old whale **** was 9079E-SH001-00

New "Exclusive" is part number ACC-SHFTD-EX-00

I already switched mine over to Mobil 1 synthetic at the 600 mile service. I'm pretty confident that any warranty claims I make won't be for the final drive. (knock on wood)

 

[Pterodactyl]

Of course we all know that this is the exact same final drive. Wonder why the change in verbiage.

$$$$$$

 

[Top_Speed1]

Of course we all know that this is the exact same final drive. Wonder why the change in verbiage.

$$$$$$

So it scares lol, some users to go the their Yami dealer to buy the "correct" stuff. Why give away a corresponding number which can be easily cross referenced to some outside brand that both Yamaha and their dealer gets $0. Easy one Fred.

 

[Fred W]

Why give away a corresponding number which can be easily cross referenced to some outside brand that both Yamaha and their dealer gets $0.

Yet they did exactly that in 2013.

 

[kballowe]

I wonder...........

I used to complain that the final drive on all three of my FJRs "ran hot".

After some amount of research... it was discovered that final drive failures on FJRs are rare.

So, I'm using the Honda gear oil with the picture of the Gold Wing on the front (because some nice man gave me twelve 6.5oz. bottles.)

Still - maybe Yamaha has a new formulation? I'm sure that one size fits all - that this stuff is used for everything from the little Star 650 to the new beast of a VMax.

.... so maybe there was a problem SOMEWHERE and they reformulated.

Speculation, I know.

 

[majicmaker]

This has turned into a Most Excellent topic. My curiosity has been satisfied! Thanks, Guys.

 

[Old Guy]

This has turned into a Most Excellent topic. My curiosity has been satisfied! Thanks, Guys.

So, you've learned what? That everybody's right and everybody else is wrong?

 

[majicmaker]

This has turned into a Most Excellent topic. My curiosity has been satisfied! Thanks, Guys.

So, you've learned what? That everybody's right and everybody else is wrong?

Of course!!! Isn't that the way it always works out?

 

[idfc]

Of course we all know that this is the exact same final drive. Wonder why the change in verbiage.

Since this is the 1st Yamaha I own so I don't know what Yamaha's practice is. Does Yamaha have the habit of pushing their own expensive oil by stamping a specific model number on oil bottles and specified it explicitly in the manual, like the sentence in 2014FJR OM?

If yes, do they have model specific oil for all their other models?

 

[idfc]

Why give away a corresponding number which can be easily cross referenced to some outside brand that both Yamaha and their dealer gets $0.

Yet they did exactly that in 2013.

In the 2014 OM, the engine oil spec was spelled out clearly, but not the final drive oil.

Just wondering why...

 

[Bustanut joker]

This has turned into a Most Excellent topic. My curiosity has been satisfied! Thanks, Guys.

So I'm winning then Vic?? If you guys had have been paying attention, he asked for the least expensive alternative.

I fail to see where you've cut the cost anywhere.

Just hashed out a beat to death thousand times discussed, argued, debated topic .......

Again

 

[Bugnatr]

I'm with buster, NAPA gear oil works just fine-so far.....

 

[Warpdrv]

good ol 80/90 w gear oil will be just fine, since AFAIK they didn't change to some magical gears metal that will deteriorate with the same ol stuff I've been using for the last 10+ years - I aint changin to a new oil nor my freq - which is more then plenty often since it takes zero effort to do it...

Yammy is just trying to make some money on this - and honestly look at Yammy's track history with making changes to this platform....

 

[kballowe]

There are those folks that (for whatever reason) WANT to use the manufacturer's branded lubricants.

Yamaha would not market this stuff if someone wasn't purchasing it.

Just like those little bottles with the picture of the Gold Wing on front.... if you own a Gold Wing, then you know it's for YOUR bike and that's it's good stuff - because it has a picture of YOUR bike on the label.

I think they could at least put a picture of an FJR1300 on the bottle of the Yamaha juice !

 

[Old Guy]

good ol 80/90 w gear oil will be just fine, since AFAIK they didn't change to some magical gears metal that will deteriorate with the same ol stuff I've been using for the last 10+ years - I aint changin to a new oil nor my freq - which is more then plenty often since it takes zero effort to do it...

Yammy is just trying to make some money on this - and honestly look at Yammy's track history with making changes to this platform....

As Fred said, no change. Part numbers for the final drive unit are even the same for 2013 and 2014.

The ONLY reason I'd use the high-$ stuff would be to avoid warranty issues if I had one, but even then I can't see me spending that on gear lube when I've got a gallon of some good stuff sitting in my shop.