Beastly likes Rotella 15-40

[11Rider]

Hidey Ho my compadres. I always poo-poo'd the claims that this or that oil made any noticeable difference in how good a bikes transmission shifts, but not any more. The PO of Beastly had Castrol semi synthetic, I think in 10/30 weight in there - a good oil.

A while back I inquired about what an '11s trans should shift like because mine seemed exceptionally rough. The general consensus is that these bikes just don't shift that smoothly. Well I just did an oil change and went to the Rotella 15-40 which is what I use in my other bike and the 11 shifts significantly better now. I'm very surprised since I went from semi synth to dino, but it is what it is. I would recommend that you guys try this stuff at your next oil change. It's a very popular oil amongst bikers for various reasons, but I'm especially impressed by the improvement in shifting. If I lightly preload the shifter before pulling in the clutch, she snickers into every gear very positively with none of the previous mayhem. FYI, the previous oil only had about 200 miles on it so it wasn't worn out. Just my thoughts - I hope someone finds this helpful.

[motoman]

Thanks.......we all pretty much been there done that...........problem is the Rotella hasn't been a diesel oil specificly now for over a year trying to cover a broader market I suppose........and caused my top-end valve train to sound like hay-bailer.........20-50Vav.......all quiet again and no consumption.

[11Rider]

Wow, mine sounds like a sewing machine it's so quiet (except for the exhaust and intake), not the slightest bit of smoke either. I guess each bike is a little different depending on mileage, wear, factory tolerances, etc.

[natemoen]

each bike has its own personality, likes and dislikes.

[cywelchjr]

each bike has its own personality, likes and dislikes.

Yup, mine likes castol 20w50, MC specific or not doesn't matter, but anything else I've tries has either made for a noisy top end or had it use oil.

[SFerinTEXAS]

Doing fine with 20w50 castrol GTX. Been using it for almost 30yrs. Seems your advice should be to avoid Castrol semi synthetic.

[3Phase]

My '80G, Columbo, likes oil. O. I. L. Oil.

Except for avoiding the Energy Conserving oil it doesn't matter what kind of oil I put in the engine: regular automotive; heavy-duty diesel; motorcycle-specific; recycled; expensive name brand or Wally World bulk. I don't use Amsoil but at the moment the bike's running with a belly full of some tasty Mobile 1 synthetic 20w-50 and it likes that just fine, too.

The engine doesn't consume any oil unless I run sustained high speeds or high loads, then it develops a slight thirst. The oil gets changed every 2,000 miles or whenever the bike lets me know the oil needs to be changed, whichever happens first.

Keep the engine filled with (accept no substitutes!) oil.

[cywelchjr]

My '80G, Columbo, likes oil. O. I. L. Oil.

Except for avoiding the Energy Conserving oil it doesn't matter what kind of oil I put in the engine: regular automotive; heavy-duty diesel; motorcycle-specific; recycled; expensive name brand or Wally World bulk. I don't use Amsoil but at the moment the bike's running with a belly full of some tasty Mobile 1 synthetic 20w-50 and it likes that just fine, too.

The engine doesn't consume any oil unless I run sustained high speeds or high loads, then it develops a slight thirst. The oil gets changed every 2,000 miles or whenever the bike lets me know the oil needs to be changed, whichever happens first.

Keep the engine filled with (accept no substitutes!) oil.

Where did you find 20w50 mobil 1? I think the problem on these engines isn't really synthetic, it's the weight, they need the heavier weight oil that's needed.

[3Phase]

I bought it at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Yes, it was expensive.

The valve cover was starting to pick up a nice tan when I checked the valves and synthetic oil is supposed to clean engines so I decided to give Columbo a treat instead of the usual diet of 15W-40 Rotella.

I'll check the valve cover again before the next oil change in about 600 miles to see if it actually cleaned anything before I go back to Rotella, or just go completely hog wild and splurge for a supersize jug of Walmart 20W-50.

I can't link directly to the O'Reilly's page but here's a copy/paste:

$9.69 Each
Part Number: 1-20-50
Line: MOB
Online: Not Sold Online
Store: Available
Mobil - Motorcycle Motor Oil
• Mobil 1
• UPC: 71924449251
• SAE 20W-50 Fully Synthetic
• V-Twin 4 Cycle
• Quart

[xs11lover]

It was 20-40 and that bike was one of the smoothest shifting I've had. Did you have gas in your oil?

[DGXSER]

Oh Goody, an oil thread!!!

[3Phase]

Oh Goody, an oil thread!!!

LOL! Yeah, really, I'm just waiting for the engine to 'splode from using v-twin oil in an inline four.

[3Phase]

Did you have gas in your oil?

Me? I haven't been able to find 20W-40 anywhere locally, just 10W-40 and 15W-40. No, there's no excessive gas in the oil when I change it, just the usual dark stuff from the detergent doing its job.

[11Rider]

It was 20-40 and that bike was one of the smoothest shifting I've had. Did you have gas in your oil?

Hey there buddy, first let me say I am thrilled with the bike. It's everything you said it was and more. To answer your question - yes and no. When I first got the bike from you I'm sure there was no gas in the oil but it wasn't the smoothest shifting bike I ever had. Maybe for an '11 it is but not compared to my XR as an example. No shifting problems, just extra clunky by my standards. The bike sat for a long time because of my back operation and three of the pilot jets got plugged, while I was in there I rejetted for the pods. Having run into a few problems along the way with the carbs (my own doing), I DID end up with a gas smell to the oil, that's when I changed it to the Rotella and noticed an immediate change for the better regarding the shifting. Just snickers into every gear very positively. So I would say that at least in this bike the Rotella is better from the standpoint of shifting than the Castrol. Thanks again for a great bike!

[latexeses]

You might be able to find 20-50 Mobil 1 at Wal Mart. I get it there for the Pickup. I get in the the 5qt. bottle.