Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods Oil change time

It's time for my first oil change and my local dealer say's I should us the Mobil 1 oil he sells but he's charging $54 dollars per gallon for it.
Question? What other oils are compatible for our 790's?
Also, what are our alternatives for oil filters because he wants $14 Dollars for a Triumph filter.

OH...PAAAATTT!!


or you could look here in the TECH VAULT

Thanks for directing me to the info RobBA5!

Also, pickup a new 14 mm crush washer for the oil drain plug at your local auto parts store.

you don't need a new washer for the drain plug don't even need to soften it just reuse it. I did last change on both our bikes and no leak. I think Amsoil motorcycle oil is best. Slightly better than the stuff your dealer wants you to buy and can be had at Napa.The Amsoil is superior to many oils maybe all but I am probably missing one or 2. Comparisons done by many different sources all seem to agree .

Eek! Another oil thread!

I've been using Shell Rotella T 5w40, which is somewhat popular around these parts. Member Blackwind..aka Keith...put up an oil analysis thread from Blackstone Labs while using Rotella T, and had some good results back. You can check it out by clicking here. Rotella T 5w40 is available at WalMart in gallon jugs.

Some of the washers are copper based they are only a few cents each if you really need to anneal (soften) copper washers hold in flame for 30 seconds then quench in cold water (copper being the only metal you quench in water to soften).
I use pensoil 20-50 diesel oil it is by far the best oil I have used. I tried Mobil 1 far too thin for our gear box so threw it out
give the diesel a try it is fantastic

Note - When you pull the oil drain plug, the oil shoots forward quite a distance (18 or 20 inches maybe?) for the first quart or so.

One of the good things about our Triumphs is the bike on the kickstand position is just right for an oil change. You don't need a lift, etc.

Quite a few members of this forum are running Rotella T synthetic with good lab results. The proof is in the puddin'

I've been using the same original drain plug washer for 15,000 miles with no leaks. I haven't even bothered (too lazy) to heat it.

I like to use a wooden riser under my kickstand (after I've loosened the drain plug) to try and get as complete a draining as possible.
Other than that, what Bucky says

I put a 2 buh six under my rear wheel to push the oil a bit, but I'm weird that way.
I shake the oil jugs too, to get the additives into suspension -
must be an old head injury...

Do yourself a favor & follow dealer recommendations. If you are not mechanically inclined you can't go wrong. You may save a couple of bucks now by exploring alternatives, but may regret it later.

I will wade into this even though I will probably regret it later.

Shell Rotella T 5W-40 or T 15W-40 are both good oils, but they are not great oils. As a matter of fact all oils that say they are synthetic are good oils. The only problem with most synthetic oils is that the main component is petroleum oil (Group 3 petroleum oil). Besides Shell Rotella being a diesel engine oil (which isn't bad for our bikes, it just isn't necessarily the best thing), its main component is Group 3 petroleum oil.

I have looked for API test results on Shell Rotella oils and haven't had much luck, so either the oil is very good or it isn't so great and they don't want anyone knowing. I am sure the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Bottom line it is your bike, and your money. If you are spending less than $6.00 per quart for your oil then you are buying a Group 3 petroleum oil product. It might say synthetic, but most of what is in the container is dino lube. Group 4 (PAO)and Group 5 (Ester) synthetic oils are man made and have no impurities in them, which makes them at least twice as expensive as petroleum. Plus almost all true synthetic base stock is made in the USA. So if you are using true synthetic oil, it wasn't being imported from some 3rd world country.

If you are using Shell Rotella oils then change it every 3,000 miles or 4 months. The main reason for this is that all petroleum oils use what is called viscosity Index improver (VI improver) additives, which due to heat and time break down into acids and will promote rusting. True synthetic oil has no need for VI improver additives, since the oils viscosity rarely changes even if half of it is burned off. Just remember in the refining process petroleum oil is only two steps away from Tar.

Sorry, now back to your regularly scheduled program!!

But... But... But...

Synthetics (including group 5s) do not extend engine life,
nor do they reduce engine wear, when compared to quality dino stocks.

If you know different, show me the proof.
I've been looking for 30 years and can't find it.

And I'm not talking about Amsoil's web site either.

Google it, there are many test charts and ALL put Amsoil and Mobil 4T at the top.(MX4T or what even the equivalent to the Triumph 4T is. I don't feel like looking it up again)

As far as extended engine life , it simply follows that less wear translates into longer engine life as long as another cause isn't created like an extreme lean condition for example.

I had to laugh.

Saturday at the office, I was surfing the net and logged on to the Shell Oil Rotella Motorcylce Forum. (Not nearly as active a forum as ours I might add.)

There was a post from a new Bonneville owner asking about using the Rotella-T in his new bike, and somebody (obviously one of our own here) replied that I, meaning me, had been using it in my Speedmaster with good results, and then he even posted one of my Blacksone Labs Oil Reports!


That was all back earlier in the year, and I just logged on for the first time since February, I think.

Anyway, I learned of the Rotella-T Synthetic here, and doing my own research, found the Rotella site and their Motorcycle Forum. I am very pleased with the oil, but just had to laugh at how my posts here are now being posted on that forum as evidence to another Newbie there. Gone full-circle, so to speak.

If you change your oil at proper intervals, you can use anything you like as long as it does not contain friction modifyers that would harm the wet clutch. Proper intervals, however, are going to be different for everyone depending upon how, and how often, one rides. If you change it 3 times a year, and don't screw up your clutch, use whatever you like. If you want to race it, you probably have another plan in place already.