Which oil?

[BigDan]

Hi all,

I'm servicing the tiger at the end of the month, and I'm getting conflicting answers on which oil to use.

In one thread on another forum, one guy was using 15w50 fully synthetic, another using 10w40 semi, another using 15w 40 fully....

What do you guys use?

Cheers,
Dan

[John Stenhouse]

God another oil thread! Quick run!

[Mustang]

:lol:
seriously ?

use whatever floats your boat ...........but ummm here's a clever idea ............why not just use what is recommended in the owners manual.

having said that full synthectic is my choice

[BigDan]

Lol, I was a little worried I'd get this kind of response :P Fair enough, repeated posts are pretty annoying but as I said, I'm getting mixed responses.

So the Tigger doesn't really mind what oil you give it? My past two bikes (Suzuki Bandit and Kawasaki GPZ) wouldn't take fully synth because it made the clutch slip.

[Chris Canning]

I used Silkolene for some years and then Shell for the last 5 or 6 ,both were fully syn,but common denominator was that they were free  :roll:,and if in the future the same option applies for semi syn or not I'll be using that.

Go with what Attilla said,some of the suff you read on oil threads is laughable.

[Tigertriple]

I've used silkolene semi synthetic in the past but now use Castrol power one semi synthetic 10 / 40.

Best prices from M&P or Opie oils. Oil is a personal preference as many others have said. For me the Castrol is the best as it seems to make the engine run a lot smoother. Also seems a lot cleaner when it comes to oil change time.

I first tried it a couple of years ago when I had a Honda ST 1300 and have used it ever since.

Also worth using a K&N oil filter as they have a nut on them so are easy to put on and take off.

I tip I saw on Adrian Malloys Tiger website recommended attaching earth magnets to the sump plug and oil filter to help trap debris. I hate to say that I now have this on my Tiger. The magnets are available on fleabay for a couple of quid.

[BigDan]

Aye, I always use the K&N filters for the ease of use, although the placement of the filter on these Tiger 955s is brilliant. So easy to get to!

I also saw that tip on Adrian Molloy's page yesterday, so I'll be doing the same :) Not like it can cause any harm!

Cheers for the advice guys, i'll grab some semi 10w40 as always.

[Chris Canning]

I know it's going off at a tangent,but I run a Mercedes sprinter van for a living,mileages go into the stratosphere,coming across guys with vans that have done 500,000 miles and upwards are the norm,but there's a catch.

The service book says long life oil every 20,000/25,000 miles it's complete rubbish,about on par with Triumphs setting for chain tension,all the guys I know,me included do an oil change and filter every 5000,otherwise both engines and particularly turbos go on the blink around 250,000.

I've lost track of how many oil changes my Tiger has had in 32,000 miles,the bike is 11 years old so at least 11 and probably close to 15 because after a long trip I've dropped it out,I'm not suggesting everyone go to that extreme,but certainley more than the book says.

[metalguru]

Got two Vauxhall cars and being an ex VM apprentice kinda stuck to the brand so this is the stuff I use in the cars and watercooled bikes. Not a bad price to the door.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200504649373? ... 1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200504649373?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

[Bixxer Bob]

So are you saying that the scut about car oil being bad for wet clutches because of the friction reducing additives is just folklore MG?  :icon_scratch

[PeteH]

Full synth all the way, Castrol as mentioned but thats gone a bit dear lately or Shell...reasonable at Charlie Williams`s.

[Chris Canning]

So are you saying that the scut about car oil being bad for wet clutches because of the friction reducing additives is just folklore MG?  :icon_scratch

Surely you must have heard the technical term for the above!!!

Complete bollox  

[Chris Canning]

The only bike I know of thats had issues is the K1200 range,and I only know that cuz I've got one,BM have had all sorts of issues since the launch in 04,I'd love to know how many clutchs and gearboxs they have changed,I should do a separate posting about mine those concerned about saving 5 quid would be hiding behind their sofa!!,I digress.

Because of issues Castrol have brought out a 5-50,and things have got that silly the dealer ask's  :roll: your oil option at the service,but everything is fully syn.

[Timbox2]

The only bike I know of thats had issues is the K1200 range,and I only know that cuz I've got one,BM have had all sorts of issues since the launch in 04,I'd love to know how many clutchs and gearboxs they have changed,I should do a separate posting about mine those concerned about saving 5 quid would be hiding behind their sofa!!,I digress.

Because of issues Castrol have brought out a 5-50,and things have got that silly the dealer ask's  :roll: your oil option at the service,but everything is fully syn.

Me too, £14-00 a litre Though a trip to your local Ducati dealer may get you some petronas fully synth at £7 a liter

[metalguru]

So are you saying that the scut about car oil being bad for wet clutches because of the friction reducing additives is just folklore MG?  :icon_scratch

When I had the shop we had the rep from Mobil oil come round with the then new Mobil 1. They did the tests for boiling it up with a primus stove and a thermometer in each pan of oil and just boiled the hellout of both oils. The GTX boiled itself into crude again and the Mobil 1 just bubbled.
The rep after the test was very helpful and was answering loads of questions including don't use it in old aircooled engines as it will just glaze the bores and burn oil. The other thing was the grades, one for diesel and one for petrol, not recomended to use other than stated. The diesel varient has many more additives and detergent than the petrol. He did answer the question about using in bikes and he did say alot of badge engineering goes on within the oil companies and was puzzled by an oil specially for bikes. Triumph use Mobil 1.
As we had a large turnover of oil then as changes were more frequent we used to buy the stuff by the 45 gallon barrels, so it got used in anything that ran on synthetic. Never had any comebacks in all the years we used it. Oil by virtue of its manufacture HAS to meet a standard designated by the SAE number SG/SF etc so in theory any make of oil meeting the spec should do the job, we all know in reality some do not, although there are manufacturers who are paid vast amounts of money from oil companies to advertise / recommend their products. Many manufacturers will trap the buyer by saying a certain grade of oil should be used, oh and by the way it is only made by so and so and costs loads.
Strangely never had problems with Beemers, (must have been lucky), and even had it in my old 1340 FXR HD in the primary as a tryout cos HD don't give away thier oil grade so you have to buy the branded, no probs there either.
Probably just opened a can of worms as oil can be as personal as tyres, so thats my two penneth worth of useing fully synthetic in the trade.