Flat Weight Oil

[Anonymous]

X-GS X, seems that your original question has been lost in the discussion, but here are some things to think about.

If you leave the bike on the sidestand, oil will pool in the exhaust cam valley above cylinder #1. When you start the motor a little will be sucked down through the valve stem seal, which is probably only sealing 99.9% and not 100%. This means some smoke at startup. If you leave the bike on the centrestand this oil will flow to the sump.

The choke can also make the bike smoke at startup. Try easing it out as soon as you can to maintain warmup revs as low as possible.

The electical system on many bikes, especially the old Suzies, has some idiosyncrasies. One of these is that if there is not sufficient battery charge to keep the electronic ignition absolutely happy it will just turn off one cylinder and that plug can sometimes oil up. And even though each coil is operating two plugs, only one is effected. This does not happen to everyone, just to selected citizens of the "old bike universe". The selection process is not clear.

When you start, make sure that the headlights are off, the electric handwarmers are off, the CD player is off, check that everything that might be an electrical drain on the system is off. (Keep the starter motor connected :-) )

Check that your battery is OK, especially that each cell is filled.

Kim

[Giblet]

Re: Mobile 1 15W50

"same slipping with the clutch" verifies the clutch is the problem, not the oil.

Earl

Tried that last summer because of the heat here in NE Texas 8) . Same slipping with the clutch. Maybe they'll make a Mobile 1 for bikes some day.

Sometimes I'm just not very clear. What I meant to convey was that the "slipping", as in starting off in 2nd gear was the same with both weights of Mobile 1 (10W40 & 15W50). With Mobile 1 there was enough mush in the clutch (hey! that rhymes) to allow the bike to move without killing the motor. Now, with motorcycle specific oil, that scenario will almost kill the motor. It also feels more positive under acceleration. I like Mobile 1 and run it in my '00 Sierra and '97 Stratus.

[jimcor]

Re: Mobile 1 15W50

Maybe they'll make a Mobile 1 for bikes some day.

They do. In two 4 cycle grades and a two stroke.

BTW... The 4 cycle oil is 8 bucks a quart! 8O 8O

[earlfor]

Re: Mobile 1 15W50

I have to ask. Why do you start off in 2nd gear? :-)
You are seeing the difference between Mobil1 and motorcycle specific oil because the motorcycle oil does not have the lubricating capability of the Mobil1. Using a less "slippery" oil and increasing friction, masks a faulty clutch problem. Commonly, if gas to any degree has found its way into the crankcase oil, a loss in clutch friction is cumulative. Gas saturation of clutch disks is not completely removable, with oil changes. I have ruined clutch disks in the time it has taken to get a faulty petcock or faulty float bowl valves repaired to stop fuel leaks.

I have yet to work on a GS and find that Mobil 1 was the cause of clutch slippage. (I work on GS's as a small side business, so I work on more of them than the average rider)

Earl

Sometimes I'm just not very clear. What I meant to convey was that the "slipping", as in starting off in 2nd gear was the same with both weights of Mobile 1 (10W40 & 15W50). With Mobile 1 there was enough mush in the clutch (hey! that rhymes) to allow the bike to move without killing the motor. Now, with motorcycle specific oil, that scenario will almost kill the motor. It also feels more positive under acceleration. I like Mobile 1 and run it in my '00 Sierra and '97 Stratus.