Oil Change

Just bought me a beautiful white used 2006 interceptor (6k miles) and first order of business is a nice fresh oil change. Do any of yall have recommendations as to what oil is best? Synthetic vs standard vs blend etc. I live in Seattle and commute every day on the bike and twisties on the weekends.

 

Oil is always a highly debated subject no matter where you go. Some will swear by dyno oil, some by sythetic. As long as you run non-energy conserving oi since you have a wet clutcl, you are fine. It is up to you what you do from there.

I personally run the Motul 300v full synthetic double ester. Some say it is overkill but I treat my ladies very well, human and mechanical.

I have ran dyno, semi-syn, and full syn in the VFR. I can say for a fact that the full syn lasts longer, provides much smoother shifting, reduces engine noise, and allows the engine to run cooler than semi-syn or dyno oil does. If I had would spend the money for the oil analysis, SPL meter, and something to measure pressure on the shift rod, I could scientifically prove all of these to you. My engine runs cooler per the temp gauge, my shifts have much less resistance, the engine has less noise to her, and I go much longer between changes before shifts start getting clunky (sign of time to change the oil).

 

Byrd:

First of all, congratulations on your purchase and good luck with her. If you are half as happy with it as I am with my red '07, you'll be a happy man indeed. In no particular order, here are my thoughts on the topic.

1. I concur with Meatloaf. While you're probably just fine with a good mineral oil changed frequently, the piece of mind given by spending a few extra bucks on a synthetic seems like cheap insurance to me.

2. Alack and alas, while we have lots of opinions about oil on this website (including the above), we have little hard data. It would be a great thing to get some of the so-motivated owners to get their used oil analyzed and publish a summary of their results for the various oils.

3. If you're interested, one overview of the motorcycle oil scene can be found at:

All About Motor Oil

4. Last and not least; my '07 owners manual specifies 10W-30 oil as the preferred oil, with 10W-40 as an acceptable alternative. The choices of fully synthetic 10W-30 oils are rather limited; Honda (no idea who makes it for them) HP4S, Amsoil, Repsol, Maxima are some that are available. Redline also makes a 10W-30, but lists it as meeting JASO rating MB, which is for dry clutch machines (Harley) not the MA rating for wet clutch machines like ours.

The bottom line is that lots of VFRs have lots of miles on them without a history of lubrication-related issues. Pick a good oil and filter, change it regularly, let the engine warm up a bit before going hog-wild on the throttle, and enjoy the ride.

Best wishes,
Bob S.

 

Thanks for the quick replies and the good info guys... I'll check out that article.

 

I have been pleased with Torco TR-1 10W-40. I am still of the 3000-4000 mile oil change crowd. Synthetics are fine, but I still like the traditional for my bikes.

 

http://vfrworld.com/forums/mechanics-garage/21525-just-put-shell-rotella-5w-40-test-actual-oil-analysis.html

 

You guys need to stop confusing our new member. We all know that Shell Rotella T is the best oil to use in the VFR. :biggrin:

Welcome aboard!

Rollin

 

Just follow ur manual................Forget the rest. They will confuse u more

 

Agreed 100%

I use it in every vehicle I have owned for the past 8 years, never an oil related issue from any of them (( '94 Cougar XR7, '02 Windstar, '86 Mustang GT, '98 Contour, '02 Rebel 250, '86 VFR 750 ))

And yes, welcome aboard! Hope you get many enjoyable miles out of her!

Harry

 

I don't mean to highjack this post but was hoping for some help. From recpomendations on VFR world I decided to use Rotella T for my first diy oil change. The only one I found at Walmart and Autozone was T60 5W-40 Blue bottle. Is this ok to use on my 06VFR? It seems great on my first ride, in fact smoother gear shifts are very evident. I just want to treat her right. Thank you for any help and happy riding.

 

If you already haven't done your change. Do follow recomendations and tips on changing the oil from this site. I did and overall except for prev owner put the filter on way too tight went very well. only the left side and black front piece needs to be removed. A ratchet style filter wrench was helpful getting too. Enjoy your new ride! I used Rotella T and Bosch filter.

 

the oil weight greatly depends on your location, environment and riding conditions. I live in the desert where there are literally millions of tons of asphalt laid out in a very tightly fit area. That said, our daytime highs in the summer hit 116 for weeks (not days) at a time, and out winter temps very rarely get below 40.

I personally use Rotella T 15w-40 Synthetic because it keeps its viscosity through all those temps and is designed for high mileage use. You'll have to do some digging to find which grade will suit you best. Any of the Rotella T grades will be ok in a motorcycle as long as it has no 'super additives' or detergents advertised on the label.

I'm thinking 5w-40 will be OK for now, but for safety concerns regarding the gears and the clutch - which rely on the viscosity being dead on - I'd go with a 10w-__ as a minimum. Like I said before, it's all preference and largely dependent on your situation and driving habits/conditions.

 

I thought the clutch used it's on fluid, not the engine oil on the VFR

 

Negative, the VFR - like just about every other bike with a wet clutch system - circulates the oil through the entire motor, from the crankshaft and trans all the way up to the valves and camshaft.

The fluid I believe you are referring to is that which is in the reservoir on the left handle bar. That is DOT4 brake fluid, and goes only as far as the slave cylinder and piston that pushes the clutch pressure plate in and out. It does need to be flushed every year, and is done so by the same means that you would flush and bleed your front or rear brake system. But it does not go inside the clutch, that is a separate system.

 

Cool. I never knew. So I am assuming then there is a synthetic oil made for motorcycles (no friction additives)?

 

Please remind this forgetful 2004 VFR owner of the correct Puralotor PurOne oil filter model for this bike and the Amsoil synthetic oil that most who use this brand like.
I was searching for this info on the forum, as I knwo its posted, but I am in a location today that has %$# Internet-and keeps bumping me before I can complete a search

thanks in advance,

 

I saw an answer to this somewhere, but can't find it now. Is there any good reason not to use the longer oil filters? Thanks to whoever knows!