I'm a big fan of Mobil 1 V-Twin 20w-50 synthetic with a stock filter.
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Preferred Oil & Filter For V Star 650?
I am new to the v star 650 world, and I am going to change the oil on my bike this weekend. It has 17,000 miles on it, so I am a bit nervous about synthetic oil (not sure what it has right now) seeing as how it might clean out any debris and cause leaks. Any truth to that from experience? That being said, what is everyone's preferred oil and filter choice?
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Oil
you will find lots of opinions on this subject. Don't think you will go to far wrong with any of them. I use Yamaha oil and filters. But the important thing is regular oil changes. There is a caution in your owners manual about oil aditives and oils with friction reducers. Here is a link to some reading on the subject.
http://www.sloneservices.com/SilverBack/VStar1100-FAQ-01.htm#Which-Oil
Dave
you will find lots of opinions on this subject. Don't think you will go to far wrong with any of them. I use Yamaha oil and filters. But the important thing is regular oil changes. There is a caution in your owners manual about oil aditives and oils with friction reducers. Here is a link to some reading on the subject.
http://www.sloneservices.com/SilverBack/VStar1100-FAQ-01.htm#Which-Oil
Dave
Before my engine teardown I was running Amsoil 20w-50 (40k miles). Now I have Bardhall 20w_50 Synthetic blend. But I am thinking switching to Mobil 1 20w-50 do to the availability and price. By the way the oil did not have anything to do with having to tear down my engine. That is another story.
All good answers so far. I would like to add just a couple things. When you do choose the brand you will run, stick with it. And make sure it is an oil with the needed "wet clutch" additives your bike needs. And unless you know the history of the 1st 17,000 miles of your bike, don't stop with the oil change! There are other very important things to check, change and adjust! Whatever you do, don't overlook the final drive splines! That could lead to a $700 or more oops!
Sugar Bear don't want to look real dumb here, but what are you sayin about the final drive splines?All good answers so far. I would like to add just a couple things. When you do choose the brand you will run, stick with it. And make sure it is an oil with the needed "wet clutch" additives your bike needs. And unless you know the history of the 1st 17,000 miles of your bike, don't stop with the oil change! There are other very important things to check, change and adjust! Whatever you do, don't overlook the final drive splines! That could lead to a $700 or more oops!
Hey Sugar Bear. The only dumb question is the one not asked!
I learned the final drive spline lesson the hard way! Whenever the rear tire is removed these splines are to lubed with a high quality Moly grease. Yamaha recommends this service to be done when the tire is off for any reason, or every 15,000 miles. At just past 12,000 miles these splines stripped on my bike, with the tire never removed from the bike. These splines are located at the rear of the driveshaft, just inside the housing. There are 4 nuts that have to be removed when taking off the rear tire to access them. It is a simple shaft with a splined coupler. It cannot be greased without taking it apart. It does not get lubed by the fluid in the rear differential.
If you Google Yamaha final drive, you will read story after story of the perils of not performing this simple task. When it fails, the only way Yamaha serives it is to sell you a complete final drive assembly at a cost of about $700. I was able to locate a used one after a couple weeks for $275. I have since seen a couple of them sell on Ebay for about $325.
If you visit www.650ccnd.com they describe how a Virago final drive can be used where the Vstar unit fails. There you will also find very good pictures of what I am trying to describe.
I hope this helps!
I learned the final drive spline lesson the hard way! Whenever the rear tire is removed these splines are to lubed with a high quality Moly grease. Yamaha recommends this service to be done when the tire is off for any reason, or every 15,000 miles. At just past 12,000 miles these splines stripped on my bike, with the tire never removed from the bike. These splines are located at the rear of the driveshaft, just inside the housing. There are 4 nuts that have to be removed when taking off the rear tire to access them. It is a simple shaft with a splined coupler. It cannot be greased without taking it apart. It does not get lubed by the fluid in the rear differential.
If you Google Yamaha final drive, you will read story after story of the perils of not performing this simple task. When it fails, the only way Yamaha serives it is to sell you a complete final drive assembly at a cost of about $700. I was able to locate a used one after a couple weeks for $275. I have since seen a couple of them sell on Ebay for about $325.
If you visit www.650ccnd.com they describe how a Virago final drive can be used where the Vstar unit fails. There you will also find very good pictures of what I am trying to describe.
I hope this helps!
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