I run my Air cooled bonnie on the recommended Castrol 1 power race 10w40 fully synth. I change oil and filter every 3000 miles, I’m old school and although I know i can in theory leave it until 6k, I never do, having owned plenty of classics that require 1k oil changes, my opinion is the most important part of routine maintenance is regular oil changes using good quality oil of the correct jas.
For the first time this weekend and despite my oil having less than 3k miles on it, i felt my oil was failing and not coping with the heat. Once the bike got properly hot after about 20-30 miles and I hit a village or stuck behind a caravan or line of cars, the bike started to occasionally pre-select gears. I had a couple of stops and after the bike cooled (relatively speaking) the gears snicked smoothly as usual. Also the top end developed a definite “tinkle” whilst hot. I’ve been out this evening for a 30-40 mile hedge hop and the bikes run fine, I have no doubt the excess temperature is the cause. In America and warmer climes where winter/summer oil grade changes are the norm due to wide temperature swings. I wonder if this could become a thing for the UK too?
Was having this convo with my son, while he was driving around Europe, including the Dolomites and the Pyrenees. Oil temp got as high as 135 degrees, and he was getting concerned. Google tells me that a fully synthetic oil can withstand up to 400 degrees before oxidising. It does nevertheless start to make a 10W-40 oil a bit attractive as a safeguard though (our Passats run 5W-30). Or for bikes, are we going to go back to 20/50?
I’m going to France and Spain in September and have been considering an oil change before I go. Bike has only done a couple of thousand miles since it’s 12000 service, but I think I will refresh the oil before I go.
Edit: Just realised I was linking to the semi-synthetic oil, which looks and is called the same except for ‘Racing’ in the name. So I removed what I said.
I checked halfords, it’s not the power 1 race, though they do stock race @ £34, interestingly, their website claims it’s “not suitable for my bike” ??? Weird considering Triumph spec that particular type and it’s all I’ve ever used? I’ll order it from sportsbike shop, I’ve had quite a bit of stuff from them
Sportsbikeshop do brake pads too, so I use their price match guarantee to get best prices for them. And I get chain lube from there too. (Used to get cleaning products too until I realised that washing-up liquid and paraffin were a damn sight cheaper and just as good as bike wash or chain cleaner).
Don’t leave it until the last moment to do the oil change…
I did once, 2 days before departure and when I took the sump plug out ( my first oil change on that bike…!) the tread was stripped…… bugger feck bugger. Stripped the bike down the next evening and managed to get it helicoiled the next day but it was very stressful…!
I’ve used my Tiger, with whatever the std Triumph oil is, in high temps up to 40c without a problem.
Air cooled bikes do tend to have more problems with higher temps, remember two strokes that would start pinking if the engine got too hot?
good spot Brown mouse