Oil Change

[jbodrill]

Hello All,
I want to change the oil on my 2005 Goldwing trike but I'm not sure what oil to use. I have viewed the video from this site and the oil that was used in the video was Castrol GTX 10W-40. I've seen other blogs suggesting some type of diesel oil. Does anyone have any suggestions on which oil is the best to use?

[Viking]

You can use 10W30 or 10W40 either one, HOWEVER there are oils formulated specifically for motorcycle use with wet clutch and transmission in the same oil. You should use one of these. There is a reason that companies formulate oil for specific applications, and that is because it works better in that application than something that was not made for it. Diesel oils and Car oils are not made to lubricate a wet clutch or transmission gears. Motorcycle specific oils are designed for this. Any brand of Motorcycle specific oil that has JASO MA/MA2 on the label will be better than diesel or car oil. This is not to say that the diesel or car oil will actually harm the motorcycle, only that they will not do the job as well. The JASO MA/MA2 (either/or) means that the oil is meant to lubricate wet clutch applications.

[SteveB123]

Diesel oils and Car oils are not made to lubricate a wet clutch or transmission gears. Motorcycle specific oils are designed for this. Any brand of Motorcycle specific oil that has JASO MA/MA2 on the label will be better than diesel or car oil. This is not to say that the diesel or car oil will actually harm the motorcycle, only that they will not do the job as well. The JASO MA/MA2 (either/or) means that the oil is meant to lubricate wet clutch applications.

Shell Rotella T-3 and T-6 Diesel are JASO MA approved.
Perhaps they need to change the label to "Motorcycle Oil" and raise the price!

Mobil 1 motorcycle oil is CF rated for Diesel, btw.

cheers

[cbx4evr]

Everything you want to know about oil and some you don't is already posted here.

/SearchSite. ... 6j104000j3

[jbodrill]

Thanks "themainviking", "SteveB123", and "cbx4evr" for the advise and the link.

[Viking]

Shell Rotella T-3 and T-6 Diesel are JASO MA approved.
Perhaps they need to change the label to "Motorcycle Oil" and raise the price!

Sorry bout that but it just ain't so.... T3 and T6 are JASO DH2 approved. That is a diesel rating, not a motorcycle rating. If it really was a Motorcycle Oil, they probably would raise the price

[SteveB123]

Shell Rotella T-3 and T-6 Diesel are JASO MA approved.
Perhaps they need to change the label to "Motorcycle Oil" and raise the price!

Sorry bout that but it just ain't so.... T3 and T6 are JASO DH2 approved. That is a diesel rating, not a motorcycle rating. If it really was a Motorcycle Oil, they probably would raise the price

Not too sure what you're implying....did you think I just made this up?

Rotella T approvals, source:http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotel ... s/tpl_pro/

http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... lla_t6.pdf
Rotella T6 approvals.

Both clearly showing MA approval.

[Viking]

Not too sure what you're implying....did you think I just made this up?

Rotella T approvals, source:http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotel ... s/tpl_pro/

http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... lla_t6.pdf
Rotella T6 approvals.

Both clearly showing MA approval.

No - not at all Steve. And in fact, you actually have an MSDS there that shows you are correct. I apologize. Although the word "clearly" to show that it is JASO MA approved is a little excessive, that new data sheet does indeed show that the T-6 is approved as you said. The data sheet I looked up must not have been the new and improved version, which quite clearly demonstrates that the internet is not necessarily the best source of information. So, I get to say sorry again, but in the other direction. It does appear though that the T-3 may not be JASO MA approved, from the same site that you showed above.

http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... lla_t3.pdf

http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotella/products/t3/

If I am mistaken in that one also, I will await your correction,

[F6Fritz]

I also have a couple Valkyrie's. I do and alot of people on the Valkyrie boards have been running Rotella T6 for years.

[SteveB123]

It does appear though that the T-3 may not be JASO MA approved, from the same site that you showed above.

http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... lla_t3.pdf

http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotella/products/t3/

If I am mistaken in that one also, I will await your correction,

There are several versions of T3. T3 "Triple Protection" is the one commonly found at WalMart, etc, and is MA approved.
I've found the T6 for slightly over $40 for five litres....full sythetic bike oil for $8 a litre! I'm usually an Amsoil fan....but not for 2 1/2 times the cost.

cheers.

[Viking]

There are several versions of T3. T3 "Triple Protection" is the one commonly found at WalMart, etc, and is MA approved.
I've found the T6 for slightly over $40 for five litres....full sythetic bike oil for $8 a litre! I'm usually an Amsoil fan....but not for 2 1/2 times the cost.

cheers.

Thanks for the information Steve - it is good to know. It is also sadly, impossible, to keep up with all the improvements in oil, although I do try. As a certified Amsoil dealer, I cannot even buy their product for $8 a liter, but I come close, with my wholesale costs. I certainly could not sell it for that. Before Amsoil made a 5W40 fully synthetic for diesels, I used Rotella T-6 in my truck, and paid the Shell bulk dealer $24 for four liter containers, as long as I bought by the case (IE: $96 for a case of four). I switched to the amsoil product when they started making it in the weight I wanted (for Canadian winter starting). I found I could start my truck about 15 C or 25 F degrees lower without plugging in than I could on 15W40. I have seen no difference in the way it runs pulling an 11K toy hauler. I did not really see any difference at all between the Rotella T-6 and the Amsoil product, so I don't have any beef with Shell Synthetics at all. As I am retired from selling Amsoil, I would recommend the Shell products to my friends in a heartbeat. I am going to check the availability at our limited Walmart today. (well it seems limited to me, anyway, )

[Mag]

Wait....so when I walk in to my limited super wally-world...what am I getting? Shell T6? T3?

[Viking]

Wait....so when I walk in to my limited super wally-world...what am I getting? Shell T6? T3?

You have a 'limited' SUPER Wally? Wow, and I thought I was lucky. Okay, so I went over to my "small" local walmart, and what they have there is Triple T Rotella, which is neither T3, nor T6. It is something else. It is about $5 a liter in the five liter jug, or $54 for a great big (four gallon or so) pail. This would NOT be a synthetic oil product, but it DID say JASO MA approved on the label. It was also a 15W40 oil which may be a bit stout for our Goldwing sumps. It would be great in hundred degree heat, but in more temperate, not so good, I think. Now, reading the labels at the Shell web site, T3 is called "Professional Value", is also 15W40, and is not JASO MA approved, and also does not appear to be synthetic, so I would personally stay away from the T3. But that is just me. The T6 looks to be right up my alley, but my Walmart did not have it for one thing, and I can get Amsoil for about a buck more a liter, so for me it doesn't matter that I cannot find the T6. If you look at the link that Steve provided, here:

http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotel ... s/tpl_pro/

you will see that they have many Rotella T products. The Triple T I found at Walmart is described here:

http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... s/1-53.pdf

It could be noted here, though, that Shell also makes Motorcycle specific formulations. You can see them here:

http://www.shell.com/home/content/produ ... bike_oils/

[SteveB123]

Looks like Shell is (somewhat) changing labels and names of products.
http://www-static.shell.com/static/can- ... otella.pdf

CTC has Rotella synthetic for ~$42.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4 ... ?locale=en

[feetup]

Wow, an oil for bikes thread with exclamation points!

How novel !!!

[Viking]

Wow, an oil for bikes thread with exclamation points!

How novel !!!

Beg pardon?

[feetup]

Seems like every time an oil thread is posted someone starts using exclamation marks to prove their argument.

I had a Prof in university that taught a series of lectures on the importance of empirical data when trying to prove a point. He called an argument without data "Proof by violent waving of the arms".

I call this proof by exclamation mark!!!

[SteveB123]

I wonder if the labelling is a US/CAN thing.

No exclamation points needed here.

Has anyone ever seen the Shell bike oils in Canada?

[Mag]

I will check out my "Super-Limited Wally" and see what they got. Have to admit, there is a lot of confusing info on oil, I just wish they would have "Motorcycle Oil, specifically formulated for 1988 Goldwings located in Washington State" then I would not screw it up, lol.

Oh, here is my exclamation, just to add to the discussion... (hands waiving in air emphatically)

[redial]

Just to add some comment on the topic http://www.penriteoil.com.au/northamerica_locator.php

I find that these products do me nicely, and they even have North American stockists and New Zealand and Europe (more exclamation), if you go through their product list for the a GL1500, you will find that in the specs for the products they often have "suitable for diesel" as well. So the demands of high speed motorcycle engines, and those of the low speed, high compression, diesel engines require the same sort of lubrication, as well as the coolants, brake fluid, and final drive oil.

Keep on smiling, and a couple more exclamations