Toutsuite
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Posts posted by Toutsuite
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Welcome to the forum Chappers! Check out the Customs section and Gallery for some of our latest adventures in aftermarket pipes and other bits and bobs. Enjoy!
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And being purely empirical, since once the engine is warmed up it 1) works fine, in fact better than before the oil change, and 2) doesn't get as hot, it's obvious that it's lubricated better than before.
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So, if i've got this right then,10w 50 is thicker than 10w 40 at operating temperature
Wont that result in poorer lubrication?
I think the difference is that the 10w 50 has a wider temperature operating range. At operating temp, I think there's a range within which viscocity of a given oil must fall. It can be too thick, but it can also be too thin, so one oil being thicker than another at op. temp. doesn't necessarily mean poorer performance, as long as it falls within that range.
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Btw, cold startup this morning was a breeze given the temperature (9 degrees), even the starter turns quicker now, and no funny noises from the engine!
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Probably a good time to remind people that most car oils contain additives that will kill a wet clutch in a bike so the bargain car oils from their local supermarket may not be a bargain after all.
Seconded!
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I use Rock Oil Guardian 10/40 semi synth in the SV (V twin) and rate it very highly. JASO MA, JASO MA2 and API SL approved - whatever that means.
The JASO MA2 bit means it's certified to work with wet clutches. The nice chemist at Fuchs explained that to me!
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fuchs = silkoline then?
Yup, and it only comes in 1L bottles, about £11 a pop.
Fuchs / Silkolene also make a fully synthetic for racing bikes and the like.
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This should be of interest to all you V-twin owners out there.
I bought my draggie 650 back in August, and there have been no problems (apart from a snapped speed cable), even after installing new pipes and rejetting. However, as the weather started getting a bit chilly, cold starting the engine started to worry me a bit. The engine is noisier right after cold startup, I would imagine because the oil hasn't had time to fully lubricate the engine yet. The usual ticking of the tappetts was more like a clack with the engine cold, and it was several minutes before the noise settled back down to a ticking. So I started reading up on motorcycle engine oils.
I read some good things about fully synthetic engine oil specially formulated for bikes and v-twins in particular. Mobil makes the Mobil1 V-twin oil, but it's very difficult to source outside America. So I went looking around for alternatives and found the Fuchs equivalent as per the title of this post. So I ordered it off the web to give it a go. I even emailed Fuchs themselves with a couple of questions regarding any potential problems with the clutch plates etc, and received a very detailed (and reassuring) response from their customer service chemist. The oil uses some kind of electrostatic technology to cling to the metal inside the engine and thus provide better lubrication.
So here are my first impressions after a day's riding, having changed the oil from bog-standard mineral oil to this stuff. Did I notice a difference? Immediately!! First off the engine just runs and feels and sounds smoother. It's also noticeably quieter. It revs more enthusiastically than before and I swear it feels like I've gained a little power, like 1 or 2hp. I'm not saying that's what's happened, I'm saying that's what it feels like: just noticeably more pep. I rode around south London in moderate traffic and I don't think the engine got as hot as it would normally get (stands to reason with improved lubrication). And when I went on the A2 even the well known vibration all 650 and 1100 dragstars suffer from around the 60 to 65 mph mark in 5th gear was attenuated! Still there of course, but not as bad. I also let the old girl cool down a bit to give her a cold-ish start, and there was no sign of the earlier issues with cold starting. I'll know for sure tomorrow morning when I fire her up again.
But the biggest difference the Silkolene oil made was to the clutch. It's like I've got the clutch off a different bike now. So much smoother gear changes, no more occasional sticky plates, no more clunckiness, I can find neutral easily, and downshifting is a breeze!
It's very rare that I wax lyrical about any product, but I'm pretty convinced as long as Silkolene keep making it, I'll keep using it. Highly recommended.
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To be honest I am not too bothered by the power, there is more than enough for a cruiser. I just wanted more noise, mainly for safety.
I will just re-jet and leave it there then.
I concur. And whilst PeterC has a point, as long as you don't rely completely on noise for safety, you will find it does help! I've certainly noticed a difference in car drivers being aware of me, especially when I'm filtering, but I still get near misses with twitchers and other dozy fucktards! So be alert at all times, don't relax just because your pipes are loud.
And if after a while you decide your pipes are too loud, look up "smartpartz" on google. They make bolt-on quiet baffles for almost every aftermarket exhaust out there.
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I would primarily recommend taking your bike to a mechanic with a dynometer so that they can jet it proprerly for your current configuration without blind guesswork.
Fitting a K&N would mean an increase in power and a reduction in mpg. And you'd have to rejet again. So you need to decide 1) do you want to gain 2-3hp and lose a few mpg, and 2) do you want to do it now to avoid having to rejet twice.
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hey paperback, this might be useful:
http://www.dynojet.co.uk/tuningcentres-detail.php?id=246
May I ask, in what way have the Jardines been modified? Are they much louder than the stock mufflers? Do you get a lot of burbling and popping on the overrun (when you close the throttle)?
It may interest you to know that unless you also do something about the air intake, fitting any aftermarket pipes that are more or less straight-throughs involves a slight loss of power, and when rejetting to counter an overlean mixture, you lose a bit more power again. The place I went to has a dyno and rejetting meant losing one pony. Not that I can tell...
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Leathy, none taken mate!
neversaydie, you could have picked a later pic showing how she looks now, with new pipes, saddlebags and new grips!
Is it me or does the silver draggie also vaguely evoke certain classic british bikes of yesteryear, as well as american cruisers? Can't quite put my finger on which one though...
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Cheers NSD!
I think the dragstar classic looks like the HD heritage soft tail, the dragstar custom looks more like the dyna wide glide (or the other way around!) In any case HD aren't the only ones to have made cruisers, other american companies were making them in the 30's when they were first developed. So just because a bike's a cruiser. doesn't make it an HD clone.
HD bikes are good looking, there's no denying that. Leathy's sportster is a nice bit of kit and will always have more cred than mine, and that's fine, it's just how these things are!
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ok I'll give it a go.
Done, thanks!
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Hi Drewpy, I thought the original jpg at 4000X3000 pixels might be a bit too big so I downsized it to 640X480. Still no joy.
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Agree with mr T. I've yet to find a Harley as pretty as a well sorted Draggie. While bobbers aren't quite my bag, I can appreciate the "stripped" ethos. And HDs *are* expensive - to buy, to fill up, to service, and to accessorize. And you really are paying for a badge more than anything. it's not like you're buying exceptional build quality or reliability.
Oh, and an R6? I bet you love changing your tyres every 6 months! Has it tried to kill you yet? :-)
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as above, but when I point it to the selected pic on my drive it attempts to upload but after a while I get the message "Failed to set photo".
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Hey remember when I said I was hoping to regain a horse or three after rejetting? Turns out I lost one more! Now down to 34bhp peak, just one pony above the restricted limit, darn it! It turns out if you want to squeeze every last ounce of power from your bike you run her lean as fuck - and change your engine every six months! Apparently that's what some ultra-performance sportsbike nutters do, maybe some of them can comment on here. I just wish someone would explain the physics of it though. I don't mind the power loss, it's not noticeable, and the bike now runs much closer to the ideal line (still on the lean side). The guy told me he had to change the jets twice as the first set of mains he put in were too big and produced an over-rich mix. The rejet incl a new dyno reading cost £95, which is not bad. And as far a mpg goes, did a run last weekend up to Buntingford, from Sarf London and back, and averaged 58mpg which I'm quite happy with!
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Hey Blam, don't you miss the power of the Magna?
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Very nearly got knocked off the bike not long ago as mumsy in small people carrier comes careening over the hill, which is also a bend, of a narrow road (cars parked on both sides) next to the local park, and totally ignores the fact that there is a big, fuckoff silver shiny bike (and a scooter behind me frantically beeping - has obviously had more practice than me in that regard!) me very much on my side of the road, and sticking to the side for dear life! No slowing down for mumsy, not even the tiniest flick of the wheel to avoid a collision; not on the phone, surprisingly, both eyes dead ahead, just jaw-droppingly oblivious! Oh yes, there are people out there who should not be allowed the use of a pair of scissors unsupervised, much less be in control of a large moving vehicle. And all this on a Saturday afternoon, with the park at its busiest. Mental.
Anyhoo, sorry to hear that Nys, but glad you're back on the saddle! Similar thing happened to me in Athens, a terrifyingly long procession of moons ago, knocked off my Honda CM200 by some dozy little old lady. I was doing about 20km at the time so no damage to me, but quite some to the bike. Man those forks bend easy!
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Piccies! Must have Piccies!
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It's amazing to think, some people spend all that money on a new bike and accessories and then hardly do any riding!
Maybe when they get it brand new, they're afraid it'll get soiled! -
Great Campa, I'll have a look!
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She's well kitted out and in good nick by the looks of it! Very nice! And only 6.2K miles? Wow, that's less than 500 miles a year! I did 500 miles in a month! Make sure you get a good cover for it if you don't have a garage. If you do, lucky you!
Maybe when they get it brand new, they're afraid it'll get soiled! 
Silkolene V-twin 10w-50 fully synthetic motorcycle engine oil
in Yamaha Workshop
Posted
Took no offence nsd, sorry if my last response came across as a bit testy, that was not the intention. Oops!
You may have a point about the warranty, but I wouldn't think that applies to my 9 year old bike though.
As for the rest, you might be right for all I know, it's just that I've developed a feel for the engine between me legs as it were (oo er missus!) and it just feels like it's much happier with this oil. Fuchs make a 10/40 part synthetic if you're interested and want to play it a bit more safe.
In the specifications section of the manual to my bike it lists a range of viscosities that can be used dependent on the temperature range of the environment, ranging from 10W30 to20W50. The 10w40 is more suitable for our climate no doubt, but I chose the oil primarily because it was fully synthetic. I think it should be fine, but maybe others more knowledgable can wade in here.
Finally, it should be born in mind that I went from bog standard mineral oil to the fancy-pants fully synth, resulting in a very noticeable difference in general performance. Others who might try going from something more advanced than plain mineral oil (like partly synth) to the fully synth 10w50 might notice less of a change.