ST1300 Oil Viscosity and brands recommended

deej said:
I've always use Amsoil Full synthetic, but at $15.00 a quart, good by! Chevron 10-30 here I come. ;)
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It is hard to find a non motorcycle branded 10w30 that is not labeled Resource Conserving. That label would indicate no compatibility with a wet clutch so pay attention to the container markings. I think you would have better luck with a 10w40 or 15w40 not labeled Resource Conserving, both of which are listed as OK for the ST1300 in the service manual.
 
These oils were recommended by Opie Oils for the ST1300 -

The best oils there are the Silkolene Pro 4 and Comp 4, Motul 300v, Red Line, Shell Advance Ultra 4 and Castrol Power 1 Racing.
The Motul 5100, Castrol Power 1, Shell Advance VSX and Silkolene Super 4 are good cheaper alternatives.


...and for the final drive:

Castrol Manual EP 80w Mineral Car Gearbox Oil
 
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dduelin said:
It is hard to find a non motorcycle branded 10w30 that is not labeled Resource Conserving. That label would indicate no compatibility with a wet clutch so pay attention to the container markings. I think you would have better luck with a 10w40 or 15w40 not labeled Resource Conserving, both of which are listed as OK for the ST1300 in the service manual.
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I ended up biting the bullet and using the Amsoil. 20160208171359_amsoil_synthetic_metric_motorcycle_oil_10w_40_1lt.jpg
 
deej said:
I ended up biting the bullet and using the Amsoil. 20160208171359_amsoil_synthetic_metric_motorcycle_oil_10w_40_1lt.jpg
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I just did some extensive research on the FJR and other forums and ended up choosing Rotella T 15w-40. Non-energy conserving and a couple of other bonuses. It's closer to the viscosity recommended for most bikes. It also has JASO MA on the bottle which means it's OK for motorcycle clutches. It's hasn't been formally test for JASO MA, but Shell guarantees it to exceed the testing standards. Another good oil is the Mobil Delvac 1300. Same characteristics as the Rotella T, but doesn't have any JASO rating. It's been used all across a lot of various motorcycle forums.

These are not synthetic oils. Most of the of the blends and just about every pure synthetic starts with a lower base stock like 10w or even 5w then uses modifiers to get up to the 40w. These modifiers don't last as long as the base oil so you end up loosing viscosity over time. I tried the Rotella T6 5w-40 in both my ST1300 and FJR and just didn't like the way the shifting felt. When I went back to the 15w-40 it just felt like there was more "cush" in the transmission and shifting. The T6 does carry the same JASO MA rating, so it's fine for the ST and FJR and I know a lot of people use it.

All of these oils can be purchased at Walmart. The Rotella T as low as $12.50/gallon. The T6 for around $21/gallon. I like the idea of running synthetic for long trips, but I like the feel of the 15w-40 in my bike. If I take a long trip I'll just change the oil immediately on return, or maybe even change it on the road if it's an extended trip.

The AmsOil and Mobil 1 MC oils are good! But even some of those aren't JASO certified formally or informally if I'm remembering correctly. It's 10w base viscosity can be a little lower than the recommend viscosity for some bikes.

Just my 2 cents worth while the subject is fresh in my head. There are lots of opinions when it comes to oil. All of these oils are all pretty good. Just pick the one that give you the best piece of mind. If that oil is $10+ a quart, so be it.....
 
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Been using Rotella T 15-w-40 dino oil for 170,ooo kms at 6000 km intervals with no issues, no oil consumption and if it is good enough for $35,000 Cat,Cummins and Detroit diesels it is good enough for my Honda and meets Japanese specs! Cheaper than synthetics too!
 
Just curious if anyone has a reason NOT to use T6? Other then you like something else more. Anything BAD about T6?
 
st1300r said:
Some find the t6 causes notchy shifting after it wears a little.
Blrfl said:
I found that and switched to Delo last year. Don't have enough miles on it yet to give it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

--Mark
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I will give that a confirmation, IMO.

Used Rotella in the old bikes since it was JASO rated and it worked when I first got the ST, after a few changes I took Larry's suggestions and switched to the Delo. Prefer the feeling of the Delo in the ST1300.
 
st1300r said:
Some find the t6 causes notchy shifting after it wears a little.
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After what wears a little? The bike or the oil? I have about 4000 on my first T6 oil change. Bike has about 11,000. I got it the bike used with about 7,000 miles. Seems OK. Transmission or something in there is a bit noisy at stop lights in neutral. Clutch in quiet.
BTW not arguing the point, just trying to learn some.
 
JimGregory said:
After what wears a little? The bike or the oil? I have about 4000 on my first T6 oil change. Bike has about 11,000. I got it the bike used with about 7,000 miles. Seems OK. Transmission or something in there is a bit noisy at stop lights in neutral. Clutch in quiet.
BTW not arguing the point, just trying to learn some.
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Jim, a low pitched rumble from the engine when in neutral and idling is normal and nothing to worry about. It's not related to the oil in use. On the thread topic..... I'm like some others here. In my use conditions, Rotella or Mobil 5w-40 synthetic results in shifting getting a little notchy by 3 or 4,000 miles and I'd feel like changing it long before it actually needed it. And I used it a lot, not just an oil change or three. At some point I added all the oils and miles in use and I think I recall using Rotella 5w-40 for about 70,000 miles. So anyway I'd be paying 50% more for it compared to RotellaT 15w40 which seems to give the same feel until I change it at 5 or 6,000 miles. I just never have been able to go 8,000 miles. I know Honda says I can and plenty of us do it but I prefer not to. The 15w40 oils by Shell and Chevron (Rotella and Delo 400) just feel better to me in my bike and at 160,000 miles I'm settled in to what works well for me. When I took the cross country trip I went back to Mobile 1 MC oil because I thought I might go to 10,000 miles w/o a change and a full synthetic would worry me less. Otherwise it's a 15w40 for me, generally RotellaT, with a change at 5,000 miles or so.
 
JimGregory said:
After what wears a little? The bike or the oil? I have about 4000 on my first T6 oil change. Bike has about 11,000. I got it the bike used with about 7,000 miles. Seems OK. Transmission or something in there is a bit noisy at stop lights in neutral. Clutch in quiet.
BTW not arguing the point, just trying to learn some.
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Yeah the oil. Presumably after it shears a little. The clutch rattle is normal never noticed if oil brand effects it much. I have the dyno rotella in there since it was cheap and I was planning a quick oil change after fixing the crank bolt and installing new clutch springs. Probably ought to do that this week. T6 will go back in only because I have a jug. After that might try something else.
 
dduelin said:
Jim, a low pitched rumble from the engine when in neutral and idling is normal and nothing to worry about. It's not related to the oil in use. On the thread topic..... I'm like some others here. In my use conditions, Rotella or Mobil 5w-40 synthetic results in shifting getting a little notchy by 3 or 4,000 miles and I'd feel like changing it long before it actually needed it. And I used it a lot, not just an oil change or three. At some point I added all the oils and miles in use and I think I recall using Rotella 5w-40 for about 70,000 miles. So anyway I'd be paying 50% more for it compared to RotellaT 15w40 which seems to give the same feel until I change it at 5 or 6,000 miles. I just never have been able to go 8,000 miles. I know Honda says I can and plenty of us do it but I prefer not to. The 15w40 oils by Shell and Chevron (Rotella and Delo 400) just feel better to me in my bike and at 160,000 miles I'm settled in to what works well for me. When I took the cross country trip I went back to Mobile 1 MC oil because I thought I might go to 10,000 miles w/o a change and a full synthetic would worry me less. Otherwise it's a 15w40 for me, generally RotellaT, with a change at 5,000 miles or so.
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Thanks Dave. My bike is doing everything very well for now but I will wait and see. I don't do many miles so oil changes are a seasonal thing for me.
The rumbly noise is definitely transmission or clutch related. Noise at idle, clutch out. Engine hot. Pull clutch in noise goes away. Seems normal to me and I'm not worried about it at all. Most bikes I have ever had have done this to one degree or another. Just a little additional stuff spinning.
 
I have been using Rotella and Valvoline 15W40 with one or two times Delo 15W40, looking nice and clean at nearly 100,000 miles doing 5,000 mile changes. I like the Valvoline Premium Blue 15W40 the best, get it for around $10 a gallon when on sale at a Rural King or Menards.

Right Valve ST1300.jpg
 
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How many miles will you ride with a Synblend oil? Been following this thread for a while now and paying attention to people's experiences with the oils.

I have no problems exceeding 8,000 miles with a pure synthetic oil. Once did slightly over 9,000. Since I plan on a Long tour this summer I need the distance. A dino only oil won't do it (for me at least). What is the Synblend oil range?

Also, what Mobile 1 oil version would work in the ST?
 
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