Hello I have a 1981 XS650 using dino 20W50 motorcycle oil and I was thinking on upgrading to synthetic motorcycle oil, I was wondering if anyone had issues with the clutch after switching to synthetic oil or any other issues with seals or ? Thank you for your time and response Ron
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Synthetic oil and clutch
- Thread starter imcgyver
- Start date
Depends on the synthetic; lots of guys use Mobil 1 without an issue. Golden Spectro semi-synthetic works fine; it's a motorcycle oil made for use in wet clutches. But you won't get the advantage of longer intervals between oil changes in the XS650, as these motors are hard on oil and run dirty enough to require frequent changes no matter what oil you use. IMO you're just wasting money if you run synthetic oil in a motor that requires an oil change every 1500 miles.
Yup - I agree with Grizld1. The XS650 has a pretty primitive oil filtration system (really, its more of a strainer to keep out the nuts and bolts and pieces of ham sandwiches from floating around) - and so frequent changes are the order of the day and fancy oil is just a waste of money. Pay no attention to the "Increases Power" claims etc. - its all late night TV baloney for engines like ours.
The other thing is that wet clutches do not work well with many synthetics - you must look for and avoid an API label on the bottle which has the words "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" - do NOT use an oil with that label in any motorcycle with a wet clutch or the clutch may start to slip (likely with a girl on the back, in the middle of nowhere....in the rain....at night). It won't hurt your engine - but you won't be going anywhere....
The other thing is that wet clutches do not work well with many synthetics - you must look for and avoid an API label on the bottle which has the words "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" - do NOT use an oil with that label in any motorcycle with a wet clutch or the clutch may start to slip (likely with a girl on the back, in the middle of nowhere....in the rain....at night). It won't hurt your engine - but you won't be going anywhere....
Hi Pete,
sure you will; you'll get the girl home eventually but she'll be cold, soaking wet and in no mood for dalliance. Just stay in 2nd gear at just above idle.
BTW will a drain & refill with good oil fix the slippage or will it be a tear-down & wash the plates job?
Re. clutch plates, Fred, that depends. If they've been exposed long enough to oil containing molybdenum, the friction plates will need to be replaced. If you get on top of the job at the first sign of slipping, a quick flush and change with the right oil is sometimes all that's needed.
+1 Thats the problem - it's not the steel parts, it's the fibre-coated clutch plates. Having said that, a chap on the Honda ST1300 Owners site changed his oil last fall to a synthetic and the found the clutch slipping now - and he swapped oil the other day and the clutch has come back he reports.
Anyhow - just watch what you put in there. Good old 20W50 non-synthetic motor oil is what you need.
Anyhow - just watch what you put in there. Good old 20W50 non-synthetic motor oil is what you need.
dps650rider
XS650 Addict
I have been using 20w-50 Valvoline synthetic motorcycle oil for years with no issues but it is designed for wet clutch use. Really like how it doesn't thin out with use like conventional oil. BTW, I have a Mike's filter and K&N filters so see no issue with 2000 mile oil changes.
At about $3 more per quart and 1 or 2 oil changes a season it only costs about me around $10 more per season than conventional oil, I consider that a no brainer considering the benefits. When you compare that to the cost of feeding it tires it is next to nothing.
At about $3 more per quart and 1 or 2 oil changes a season it only costs about me around $10 more per season than conventional oil, I consider that a no brainer considering the benefits. When you compare that to the cost of feeding it tires it is next to nothing.
Right - that's good dps50rider.
Just to be clear - the problem is not that synthetic oil is synthetic. The problem is that it often has additives called "friction modifiers" that great reduce friction (a good thing!) to the point where a wet clutch, which depends on at least some friction to do its thing - simply slips (a bad thing!)
As long as you avoid any oil (conventional or synthetic) that has that API "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" mark on it (see the photo I posted above) - you should be good.
Sorry - I don't understand - and may have misinterpreted your question - but here goes....
Your clutch actually runs IN the engine oil - that is why its called a "wet" clutch. In fact, before you install a new clutch pack - it is good practice to soak the discs in oil at least for several hours to ensure that the fibrous material that is bonded to them is well saturated. I think this help with clutch smoothness and release issues.
Your clutch actually runs IN the engine oil - that is why its called a "wet" clutch. In fact, before you install a new clutch pack - it is good practice to soak the discs in oil at least for several hours to ensure that the fibrous material that is bonded to them is well saturated. I think this help with clutch smoothness and release issues.
