Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Oil & Oil filter

I've looked thru the archives and can't find where someone found a oil filter at a Autozone or somewhere that will fit the America and also a brand of oil that's pretty good to use.
Anyone recall???

Here are two options for you. Fram does make a filter that fits, it would be available from Autozone (I only use Fram on vehicles I DON'T like).
NAPA Gold Oil Filter FIL1358 - I use this filter
K&N Oil Filter KN-191 - also available at Autozone

Thanks for the info. Keep it in the wind,bro.

You can buy the oil, filter, and washer from Brent as a kit for like $50 @ www.newbonneville.com

How often do you change your oil and filter? Do you go by the book?

3000 miles. Everyone has their own opinion about changes. I don't have a technical reason for 3000, it just 'seems' right to me. It's easy to remember (both the cars are at 3000). With full synthetic, you're probably safe for twice that much.

Are there any oils costing less than $12 a quart that will work?

Wow! Be great if it works.

Hard to beat Brent's oil change kit that includes a new copper washer too... But by all means, if you find something cheaper go for it, just make sure it's compatible!!

i use rotella t syn in my voyager and it works well, but the voyager is water cooled and rotella t is 5/40 weight.

as cold as it gets in nebraska, i still use 20/50 amzoil (dealer stocks it)in my speedy and a napa gold filter every 4000 miles. it gets hot here in the summer and i like the idea of 50 weight for those days. i bought a magnetic drain plug for my next oil change. can't hurt.

5 weight seems too low for very cold days for a twin to me. i read some good things about rotella t though. it's diesel based oil, whatever that means. rotella web site

bob the oil guy oil freeforall got to forums for mc's

cat

I'm using Castrol Act-Evo 4T 10/40 wt. Has synth properties at non-synth prices. While oil is certainly the life's blood of the engine/tranny, it's not black magic. Any premium grade 4-stroke motorcycle engine oil will work just fine, although not a good idea to switch to a petroleum based product if you've been using synthetic.

I went to Autozone and bought a Bosch 3300 filter and 4 quarts of Castrol synthetic 5w-40 oil- for about $26. I've been changing my oil at about 3500-3800 miles.I've built a homemade jack and will clean and oil my chain this weekend.
Saving money to buy the new low-rider seat.

Hey BD,

The only real issue with the oil whether synthetic or Petro, it needs to be formulated for WET CLUTCHES. You will likely get into trouble if you don't. That is a manufactures requirment so if you have warrenty I think this is an area to pay attention to.

Amsoil and Mobile are the top dogs that I am aware of and Amsoil (according to their literature) rates out better than them all.

I just changed my oil last month after 4000 miles and it was spotless Amsoil and Triumph allow for 6,ooo/mile or one year intervals.

ed

I was just at the dealer and I asked about oil for the TBA. They recommended Mobil1 15W-50 made for the Triumphs. They showed me a gal jug and it was Mobil1 with the Triumph logo endorsed by Triumph. it was $50 for 1 Gal. Wow! this stuff is expensive. You probably better off buying everything from Brent.

Hey, anyone ever tried Redline Oil? The stuff is awesome in cars, just don't know anyone who's tried it in a bike?

MCN did an excellent test and write-up on oils back in '03 but I can't find the issue it was in right now. They tested about 30 oils from several different makers - standard petro and synthetic, motorcycle specific and standard automotive.
The testing was pretty comprehensive and what I took from it was; there are two major things an oil must do in addition to lubrication (or in order to maintain good properties) disperse heat and not loose viscosity, and neutralize acid build-up from combustion. Some oils are better at one, some another. The racing oils (expensive oils from Silkolene and Motul) tended to do a very good job of handling heat but were no better then middle-of-the-pack for acid neutralization. This sort of makes sense since race bikes get frequent oil changes - often after every race and handling heat is much more important for this type of application. Dealing with acid build up is more important for regular street bikes since we (most of us)only change our oil once or twice a year and we'd rather not have a lot of acid floating around in our crank cases in between.
The Mobil MX-4T product scored in the top 10 for both and I've been running this in my Trophy now for years with good results. Amsoil scored in the top 5 in each catagory making it the highest scoring oil overall when both issues were considered.
Their conclusion supports the info I've read in several other articles:
1. Change your oil regularly - despite what manufacturers and oil companies say 6-7k between oil changes is a long time for small high reving motorcycle engines.
2. Motorcycle specific oils perform measurably better in motorcycles than almost all car oils.
3. Fully synthetic oils performed measurably better than standard petroleum oils and most blends (semi-synth.)
4. If you are going to go 5-6k between oil changes a fully synthetic motorcycle oil is a must.

I run Amsoil in my BA figuring at about $7 a quart (last time I bought it) it is about as good as I'm going to do for regular street riding.

Keith

I've been using the WalMart Rotella (Synthetic), and had done some research on it before I did. Satisfied me - the differences between the Amsoil and Mobil One oil were only significant if examined on a minute scale. Any reasonable maintenance intervals with any good fully synthetic oil is not likely to ever cause any problem with any engine - if it did, it would be mighty hard to proove it was the oil's fault. Machines and motors were never intended to last to eternity without some heavier maintenace at some point along the way (as in a ring job, valve job, valve adjustment) - but because of variants in the driver's seat, some results may vary. The Rotella is good stuff - I see no reason not to use it. On the other hand, I have a list of oil filters I have carried in my wallet for 6 months or more - gleaned off the old site here - listing short, and long filters of various brands. I only made a short list, of those "approved" filters according to one of our members here. Been to several parts houses and WalMarts, and the only thing I could find was the Fram, at WalMart Finally found the Bosch, and one other at an AutoZone way across town that I just happened to be in. Considered buying the Triumph filter, but haven't. Changed oil at 500, and 4000 miles - and can't get to 8000 fast enough!

With synthetic oil it sounds as if 3-4000 miles is a good interval for a change. What about the time parameter? For cars it's recommended (by the oil change places at least) 3000 miles/ 3 months for non-synthetic. Does this apply for bikes with synthetic as well?

BlackD0g,
CHeck out this previous post about oil and such.

BA forum oil discussions

Later
Paul

I changed mine over the weekend. I got to 600 miles and honestly don't know when I'll be able to get it to the shop for the 600 miles service. I figured it would be better to go ahead and change the oil and get the rest of the 600 mile service when I can get the time to get there.

The hardest thing was finding the oil. The NAPA gold filter was as easy as driving a mile down the road. The oil on the other hand went like this, NAPA, 2nd NAPA, Advance, one bike dealer, Autozone. The final autozone had it in the back. The last case of the Mobile 1 4t, or whatever the stuff is recommended in the manual. I figured I would stick with the exact stuff for this first change. Wow, that stuff is truly black gold!!! $50+ for the case.

Changing the oil was a breeze. I mean, like crazy easy. Ran her for about 10 minutes, pulled the plug, let her drain, forever! New washer, replaced the plug, pulled the filter, primed the new one, screwed it on, refilled. I mean, not for nothing, but that's probably the easiest thing I've ever done!

Definitely going in for the service though. Chain seems to have a bit too much play, and just want to make sure everything else is up to snuff!

Anyone notice there is no place for a dealers stamp for a 600 miles service in the owners handbook?

If you do take it in (I wouldn't)make sure you tell them you did the oil or they'll do it again. Honestly they don't do much else other then change the oil at 600 hundred - minor cable adjustments, chain adjustment, tire pressure, brake fluid level, ect. You could do all this stuff yourself in under 20 minutes. You've already done about the only thing they have a right to charge you money for. I would call them and ask what else is supposed to get checked and just do it. You should know how to adjust your chain anyway since sooner or later you'll probably have to do it yourself - it's no harder than changing the oil was. The bar swap you have planned will be significantly more difficult then anything that goes on with the 600 mile service.

Keith

That settles it! I'll save the money and put it into powdercoating!!

I was at Wal-Mart and they have Mobil1 15W-50 but it didn't say it would work on motorcycles. Do motorcycles really need the special oil or is it the same stuff. the Mobil1 15W-50 at Wal-Mart was only $23 bucks. That's a big difference.

we run a wet clutch so the oil must be for a wet clutch as well.

I wondered the same thing. According to the Owners manual the regular Mobil 1 met all the requirements needed. My hunch is that it wouldn't make a lick of difference. But just not willing to risk it to save $20.

I think I'm going to try to find the Amsoil. It seems to have the best rating. I think the Amsoil with the Napa Gold Filter or K&N191 would be the best. The Amsoil is about $7.00 a quart. I just need to find a local source. I don't want to pay shipping costs.

Just found this info on www.mobil.com. It explains the difference between the Mobil1 passenger car oils and Mobil1 motorcycle oils.



So how is Mobil 1 for passenger cars different from Mobil 1 for motorcycles?

First, let's be clear about Mobil 1's overall benefits compared to those of conventional motor oils, whether for passenger cars or motorcycles:

Superior long-term engine protection.

Superior high-temperature stability.

Excellent low-temperature starting.

Outstanding engine performance.

Low volatility/low oil consumption

It's a little hard to generalize about the difference between Mobil 1 passenger-car motor oils and Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. That's because not all viscosities of Mobil 1 passenger-car oils have the same levels of zinc and phosphorus, and there are even greater differences among the three Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. In general, Mobil 1 motorcycle oils have:

Additive packages balanced differently for motorcycle engine and transmission operation. For passenger vehicles, fuel economy and emission system protection are higher priorities. These require low phosphorus systems and the use of friction modifiers.


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What are the overall advantages of Mobil 1 motorcycle oils?

In addition to the overall benefits listed above – specifically, high-temperature stability and low volatility/low oil consumption – Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle oils also offer superior anti-corrosion performance compared to conventional motor oil, which is important in many parts of the country where bikes may sit in garages for several months of the year.

Compared to conventional oils, Mobil 1 motorcycle oils provide superior wear and high-temperature protection, and promote engine cleanliness and lower oil consumption.

Once you get past these general advantages, you have to deal with each specific motorcycle oil one at a time to understand the benefits.


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Okay. Let's start with Mobil 1 MX4T. What does it offer that Mobil 1 for cars does not?

Mobil 1 MX4T is designed for sport bikes. Most of these bikes have multi-cylinder/multi-valve engines and use a common sump, which means the engine oil lubricates the engine, transmission and wet clutch. So unlike Mobil 1 for cars, Mobil 1 MX4T has no friction modifiers, which could lead to clutch slippage.

The motorcycle oil also has more phosphorus/zinc for enhanced wear protection at high engine speeds and high loads. Remember, most bikes don’t have catalytic converters, so higher levels of phosphorus are not a problem.

In addition, Mobil 1 MX4T uses different dispersant/detergent technology for better high-temperature performance and engine cleanliness. Mobil 1 MX4T is also offered in a different viscosity grade than Mobil 1 for passenger cars.

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What about Mobil 1 V-Twin oil? How is that different from Mobil 1 for passenger cars?

Mobil 1 V-Twin oil is designed for air-cooled, large-displacement bikes. Because of their design, these engines can generate very high localized oil temperatures and high overall bulk-oil temperatures.

As you know, a typical air-cooled V-twin's rear cylinder gets a lot hotter than the front cylinder – it's a matter of airflow. When it's hot out and you're stuck in traffic, the oil temperature in your bike climbs rapidly. Above about 250°F, conventional motor oil is going to break down. Mobil 1 V-Twin synthetic oil is good to above 300F.

Like Mobil 1 MX4T, Mobil 1 V-Twin has high levels of phosphorus/zinc and the same high-temperature detergent technology for superior wear protection and engine cleanliness, even at elevated oil temperatures.

With Mobil 1 V-Twin oil, you can go the full length of the manufacturer's recommended oil change intervals with ease.

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The owner's manual says I should change the oil every 5,000 miles or once a year. I change my oil every 2,500 miles or twice a year. So why do I need that kind of protection?

For peace of mind and added protection. You pay a lot for a bike these days, so why risk running your engine in ordinary oil? Just like Mobil 1 synthetic oil for cars, Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle oil helps keep your engine clean – free from varnish and deposits – and smooth running mile after mile, no matter what conditions you ride in.

Mobil 1 benefits engine life and performance. In fact, the lubrication capability of Mobil 1 motorcycle oil helps maintain peak horsepower and acceleration throughout the life of your engine. And with Mobil 1 you can go the full 5,000 miles between oil changes.

So, if you want to ride your bike long and hard and not be concerned about the oil, choose Mobil 1 motorcycle oil.

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Based on years of use and known test results there are only two oils I would ever considerer using. Amsoil and then a distant second Mobil 1. Anything else I would consider a waste of my time and money.

Check out Amsoil website at www.amsoil.com they do several API comparison test with various other brands including Mobil 1.

Tom

Does the red cap mobil 1 say its for use in motorcycles

I am with Tom (tcv) on this one, Amsoil or Mobil 1.
Why take the chance?

Someone mentioned using a diesel oil - that is probably a big no-no. Diesel oils have additives installed to neutralize the high sulfer content and inhibit the formation of soot deposits. Some of these additives may play havoc with a wet clutch and even form deposits in an air cooled gasoline engine.

And being the cynical s o b that I am, I wouldn't believe everything I read on a manufacturer's web site, or in a magazine.
I'm sticking with Amsoil. Sometimes a bargain ain't no bargain.

Man these oil threads sure do seem to get everyone's kickner's in a knot. Wonder if anyones tryed marvel mystery oil yet....

I love marvel mystery oil. I used it for years in my cars, trucks and yard equipment. Never had any engine problems. Big believer in it. I add about 2 ounces per 5 gals. You don't need much. I won't add it to a brand new bike but older stuff it works great.

I understood that the only place you could buy the 4T Mobil 1 oil was through your Triumph dealer. Thought that it came in a big jug, not in smaller qt. bottles. Mobil 1 does make an MX4T, but I don't know that it is the same as the Triumph exclusive. It does appear compatible for wet clutches, though.

My suspicion is that the Triumph branded Mobil oil and the MX-4T are very similar oils. Maybe not exactly the same but similar at least. (wouldn't it be funny if "MX-4T" stood for something like "Motorcycle Oil 4 Triumph")

Anyway, use what you'd like but remember Triumph specs their branded oil (of course) for all of their bikes. So this oil is designed with the idea in mind that it is going to be used in 600cc sport bikes. You can't pull out of your driveway on a 600cc sport bike without pulling 8000 rpm. Normal riding on a bike like this would be like riding your BA or Speedy at red-line all the time and as such, they tax an oil to a far greater degree than our twins do.

To me, $50 a gallon racing oil for a bike that runs between 10-14k rpm most of the time, okay. For twins spinning at 4-5k - overkill.

Just my $.02,

Keith

You can get Mobil 1 4t motorcycle oil at most autoparts stores.
it is available in 10-40 and 20-50 .
20-50 is what should be used in air cooled bikes like ours.
I was going to pick some up today but the Autozone was out of the 20-50.
So I went up the street and got the Amsoil I have used in the past.
the mobile 1 was 7.99 a quart and the Amsoil was 6.55 , I think I will stick with the Amsoil.

I just ordered Motul 5100 Ester 15W50 motorcycle oil, a K&N Oil Filter from newbonneville.com which I am going to use.

What are the instructions for an oil change? Do I just drain and pour the oil from the screw? Any washing? How many quarts does it take?

Thanks
Thanks

Who on this site is an Amsoil distributer? I know we went through this on the old site, but I don't remeber who dealt with Amsoil? I know I know I could just go over there and search, but I'm feeling a bit lazy today.