Shifting Issue Fixed

[Slappy]

A while ago I did an oil change with Mobil 1 15w50. Ever since the bike has 1K miles it has had Mobil 1 15w50. When the oil was fresh I had issues with the shift forks and the bike not wanting to go from 1st to 2nd gear. The tranny would clunk but the N light would come on and require a second attempt to go into second. This continued until the oil gets about 3500 miles on it then it goes away. Frustrated and in desperate need of an oil change I just switched over to Yamalube 15w50 Full Syn and the problem has completely gone away. With new fesh oil I have no issue going from 1st to 2nd.

I know all you Rotella and Delvac users will say should use this oil or that oil. If anyone is having an issue with shifting you just might want to try a "Motorcycle Oil" and see if that doesnt fix your issue. FWIW.

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Crap, now that you fixed your shifting issue, we'll never be able to keep up with you..... :blink:

 

[radman]

Interesting in that in almost 50,000 miles, I've never had any shifting issues, regardless of oil brand, until the oil had 2-3k miles on it-then the prick would start getting clunky.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Interesting in that in almost 50,000 miles, I've never had any shifting issues, regardless of oil brand, until the oil had 2-3k miles on it-then the prick would start getting clunky.

Need more data:

Have you been using (or, have you ever used?) Mobil 1 15w50?

Or, Yamalube 15w50 Full Syn -- or, any "Motorcycle Oil"?

 

[Jagermeister]

I'm a firm believer in YamaLube, after switching back and forth twice. It shifts easier, runs smoother, and gets better fuel milage with Yamalube, as opposed to Mobil 1, Rotella Synthetic, etc. Most recently, I tried Castrol R4 Superbike Synthetic, thinking it was all in my head. It's not; I definately notice more vibrations and clunkier shifting.

The explanation from Yamaha tech guys is the increased use of Anti-shearing agents in Yamalube. I dunno, it just works better.

 

[FJRSTAR]

Gunny, Jagermeister.

 

[Constant Mesh]

I think you're dreaming if you think your choice of oil is affecting fuel mileage. Maybe if you were running 10W or 20W oil it might be a bit easier for the pump to circulate the oil. Supposedly Honda went to 5w-20 oil in their car engines attempting to eke out a little better fuel mileage. If synthetic oil offered better fuel mileage Honda would most likely be recommending synthetic in all their cars -- but they don't.

Oil quality does affect shifting -- clutch operation, shift drum and fork operation.

I've tried lots of oils and I like Castrol's Tection Extra diesel engine oil the best. This stuff is supposed to be the equivalent of Rotella and the other diesel oils. From my use it seems superior. Shifting remains good all the way to 4K miles.

 

[HaulinAshe]

I've had the same difficult shifting experiences with Yamaha racing bikes running Mobil-1 over recent years. Exactly the same.

Difficult shifting when the oil is fresh, especially in cooler temps. As the oil "ages" the problem lessens. Rotella-T has some of the same characteristics for me, but in reverse. Gets noticeably more difficult to shift as 3-4,000 miles approaches. That's more to be expected IMHO.

I have been using the 2-tablespoons of STP treatment added to each Rotella-T oil change recently. So far so good. But I'm definitely concerned about long-term effects and have considered going back to Yamalube myself. After all, it's only money, right?

In my 2-smoke adventures you could only pry Yamalube from my cold, dead fingers, no matter what brand bike it was. Best damn 2-stroke oil ever made IMHO.

Your observations are so parallel to my recent own, I just have to say Hmmmmm....

 

[SkooterG]

I think yer all fukin NUTS!!!!!

It ain't magic, it's fukin OIL!!! And one ain't all that different than another for the most part.

For crying out loud, the next thing I'll hear is how brand X motor oil cleaned the bike, shined it, made the tires last longer, grew hair on Warchild's head, and gave Iggy some friggin clothes!

Keep on believin folks!

 

[Scab]

I think yer all fukin NUTS!!!!!
It ain't magic, it's fukin OIL!!! And one ain't all that different than another for the most part.

Riiiiiiiight... I bet you put Mobil 1 in that beemer, didn't you?

 

[radman]

Low viscosity oils do improve mileage-by a small amount. Manufacturers install and promote/suggest/demand the 0-20 and 5-20 oils because it increases mileage, again, by a small amount-but, spread over a fleet of cars, helps to satisfy CAFE requirements for a 27.5 mpg average spread over the entire range of cars offered by said manufacturer.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is the sales weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 lbs. or less, manufactured for sale in the United States, for any given model year. Fuel economy is defined as the average mileage traveled by an automobile per gallon of gasoline (or equivalent amount of other fuel) consumed as measured in accordance with the testing and evaluation protocol set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

So, that tenth of a mile per gallon is worth a lot of dough-in fact, the guv charges manufacturers $5.50 for each tenth over 27.5mpg a fleet gets-to the tune of about $500m last year.

Back to skoots, as has been said before, use whatever floats your boat. For what it's worth, heavier oils tend to improve shifting, and quiet things down a bit-motorcycle specific oils have more ZDP, which tends to improve gear life over time, but has little if any effect on shift quality-they also are free of friction modifiers, the bane of bike clutches. Diesel specific oils are also free of FM's, in fact pretty much all oils outside of the 30w max spec are, hence the successful use of diesel oil in millions of bike miles. Same goes for any 10-40, 5-40, 15-40, 15-50 oil out there. I personally use M1 15-50 in summer, Rotella 5-40 in cold weather, and toss in some GM EOS supplement now and then as gear insurance when I can talk my Chev supplier out of a few bottles at cost. Truth is, despite what some have written, or what some believe, few, if any, are problems with the FJR attributable to oil issues-including compression loss, valve guide failure, geartrain problems, irritable bowel syndrome, acne, or late onset puberty. Well, the acne may be oil related, but the crude we all know and love/hate.......

 

[HaulinAshe]

I'm not about to debate the various qualities of oils. I think what this post was initially saying is that he changed from oil-A to oil-B and believes to be experiencing smoother shifting. It could be the viscosity. It could be different FMs. It could be any host of NEPRT items. But none of that discounts the user's perception and his reality of a difference.

I've run thousands of oil changes on my personal, Yamaha MX bikes to definitively say I had some stubborn shifting problems with brand new oil. Discount it as BS all you want. In my universe it's a reality proven through time and observation. I'm not speculating why.

This is one of those times I have to step up and simply say, Hmmmmmm.... I might agree with this guy.

 

[weekend rider]

Wow this is really some heavy duty stuff,to shift or not to shift......................

The mind works in mysterious ways, to oil or not to oil??????????????? :crazy:

 

[FJRBluesman]

For crying out loud, the next thing I'll hear is how brand X motor oil cleaned the bike, shined it, made the tires last longer, grew hair on Warchild's head, and gave Iggy some friggin clothes!

All that did happen... well except the hair on Warchilds head. But it's good stuff!

And.... extended use will prove that slappy's butt will no longer be sore.

Oh man, I should have saved that one for Friday......

 

[Ari Rankum]

Truth is, despite what some have written, or what some believe, few, if any, are problems with the FJR attributable to oil issues-including compression loss, valve guide failure, geartrain problems, irritable bowel syndrome, acne, or late onset puberty.

Yebbut, the FJR has been directly linked to erections lasting longer than 4 hours...

 

[Wicked Webby]

Ok, here is my .02 cents on this.

The only thing I have noticed with my 07A.. (I have been using Shell RT Full Synthetic since 3k, Now 17k) . If I have my oil level in the "recommended" range of the window.. It is a notchy shifter. In contrast..If I have my oil level filled just to the top of the window... It shifts very smooth.

WW

 

[Scab]

Okay, lemme see...

We've all seen oil studies. Some credible, some questionable. But all show differences in brands of oils.

I can use heavier weight oil when it's hot, but not when it's cold.

Oil is oil, but I can't put 'car' oil in my bike because an additive will make my clutch slip.

So, why is it so unreasonable for a rider to find one oil provides better shifting than another? No, this ain't magic. It is variance.

Hmmm...

 

[SouthernCruizer]

Just sold my '04 FJR with 72,200 miles on it..been running Rotella 15-40 in it..damn thing shifted very smoothly. Got the '08, still breaking it in, and the 3rd to 4th gear shift is a *****. Hope after I change the break in oil and put in some Rotella it shifts as smooth as the '04 did.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

So, why is it so unreasonable for a rider to find one oil provides better shifting than another?

Because, there's no scientific test (given) to prove it one way or the other. It's just someone's 'feeling'. There may be an ASTM test for this (shiting smoothness)? -- but, it wasn't referenced.

(Altho....as depicted in some photos posted on this forum -- it's all about feeling....)

'Scab': I can use heavier weight oil when it's hot, but not when it's cold.

Modern multi-viscosity oils obviate the necessity for this.... :blink: