Gear box oil query

Styles of bike and their uses:

For town riding - light, narrow, easy to fold in mirrors, good suspension, low seat height, torque
For speed - low vibes, good slipstream, high BHP , good brakes
For rough stuff - suitable tyres, lightweight, clearance, good damping, high seat, torque
For twisties - great handling, high seat height, light steering
For distance - low vibes, comfort, reliability, storage

Just a few thoughts. Some bikes are more all rounders. If you love a bike to bits you will forgive its failings. If you want the most useful bike in most situations.......any nominations? The rise in popularity of adventure bikes is interesting. The new feisty nakeds are also ones to watch. At the extremes - cruisers and sportsbikes ( sworn enemies as far as owners go!) are probably the least all rounders although owners of either will probably violently protest that statement bearing testimony to their arrogance ! :smirk:

PS. Forgot to include pose value....how long is a piece of string? :lol:

Wrench ..... as in monkey :thumbup:

Torque

Sorry guys just got a phone call from Sim, I have just took a couple of headache tablets before banging my head on the proverbial wall. Will get it sorted ASAP.

It would be ace to hear how these new type of pads perform, I reckon they will be good cause they are EBC

OldManYam wrote:

Is there still the old 'problem' that a Registration Number that has been previously allocated to a car cannot be used on a bike, whilst a bike one can be transferred to any vehicle .... or did all that nonesence stop when DVLA took on the sale of plates ?

Flippin eck I never new that, seems bloody silly

Accomodating ! ....... I do apes & monkeys Justin !!!!   :lol1: :rolaf: :hyst: :happi:

......... & of course :sshag:  :thumbsup:

Hi all have not had my C800 long, just a query hope someone can help me with it Had its last oil change approx 1,300 miles ago i rung the person who done it and he said he used silkoline semi, have only put 300 miles on the bike since i bought it in  july, have noticed a lot of clatter when changing and sometimes when i am in neutral at the traffic lights and go to put it in first i am having trouble getting it to go in only now and then, would it be better to use a another make of  engine oil  any help thanks....also have noticed its quite black considering its only done 1300 miles, just been doing a review on shell AX7, any idea's

I'd change the oil and filter too, what grade oil did the guy put in? Check the Gear linkage too, the bolt that goes through the heel and toe shifter dries up and causes difficult gear selection sometimes.

I would think the best thing to do is to change the oil filter and change the oil with a good oil, then you will have peace of mind that all is well oil wise.

Hi Chris, semi synth is not necessary in these engines, I use Putoline 10w/40 fully mineral oil and have done for over 20,000 miles with no issues at all.

As Lowey says, change oil & filter, especially if the oil is black after only 1300 miles. Also check the drained oil for any metal filings which will indicate any unusual wear on engine parts.

The engines are a little clattery as standard which you'll notice more at tickover if you have a screen fitted ( standard exhausts exacerbate this too as they're quiet enough to let engine noise above them ). You may need to check valve clearances ( depending on mileage ) too.

Dave your comment about putting Diesel in Your wifes car and running the engine was something my Dad always did. He told me the Diesel had enough oil in it for that short time and it would keep the engine clean.
 hope I'm not off topic.

Proudtexson wrote:

Dave your comment about putting Diesel in Your wifes car and running the engine was something my Dad always did. He told me the Diesel had enough oil in it for that short time and it would keep the engine clean.
 hope I'm not off topic.

I know this is a practice done by many, and I'm sure it's fine. There are many flushing products on the market.

Twojobmick wrote:

Hi Chris, semi synth is not necessary in these engines, I use Putoline 10w/40 fully mineral oil and have done for over 20,000 miles with no issues at all.

 When you say that semi synth it is not necessary, does that mean its ok to use but has no real benefit

In answer to your question Crash: Yes it is OK to use mineral or synthetic or part mixes.
I always use Silkolene fully synthetic ester based oils on all my bikes but that is what I choose for many reasons that I can't be bothered to go into. In short these synthetic oils flow more freely at extremely low temperatures and don't break down at very high temperatures.
Joe Bloggs who just plods about will do absolutely fine with a cheap mineral oil as long as it is not abused and is changed at the correct intervals.

Hi, Chris, Have you changed the oil in your bike yet? If so has it made any difference to the noise and the difficulty in engaging gears you were having?

NO not yet picking up the oil today had to wait a few days for the oil filter to arrive, will let you no how i get on when i do the change at the weekend...

I hope it does the trick for you.

I have my fingers seriously crossed for you Chris, reckon it will do the trick.

Well here we go i took the bike out to warm up the oil and it was ok on the gears when its cold STRANGE i only did a few miles and dropped the oil NOW comes the good part the chain strap i normally use on oil filters would not undo it it just wants to crush the can and it, does not have a nut on top that would have been helpfull am waiting for a tool that fits on the 68 mm and 14 flats and i was not going to drive a screwdriver through it ,   has been done up very tight The oil i have to go in is Shell ax 10w40 and a nice chrome filter...

Oh bugger that's a pain.

Yes Chris,
If you follow the recommendations (Based on actual turns after initial rubber gasket contact) of the Suzuki workshop manual the filter will be tightened to a level higher than you might expect from 'feel'

The filter tool is a worthy investment - I bought one for the 'VX' soon after acquiring the bike - they are not expensive & make the task of removal & tightening much easier.
You can of course by filters with a nut welded on (Such as K&N oil filters) .... this is an old 'argument/point to make .... but they are a little dearer & you throw away the 'nut' every time you change the filter, then pay for a 'new' one on the next filter. After a few oil changes you will have paid for the 68mm pressed metal filter socket with the 'savings' of not paying for the nut on your filter. Clearly everyone has there own preference on this, & it has all been discussed before ..... so I will not dwell on, or repeat, my preferences.

Hope your oil change sorts out your gears. Have you checked the clutch adjustment at the transmission cased end ... you need to take off the cover where the clutch cable goes into the engine to check this .... inside there is a single adjuster that looks like a tappet adjuster ... worth checking whilst you are waiting for the oil to drain !

Cheers  Yam

Well i have got my oil change done at long last not straight forward, the 68mm adapter came but would not fit the old filter got another chain type, no luck with that had to drive a screwdriver through it, at least i got it off, now the new oil is in the clutch sounds quieter, that wont be coming out for a while what a stress full day....

I'm pleased you have got it sorted.

Glad you sorted the it Chris   Always a nervy moment banging a screwdriver through the filter 

Glad it's sorted out at last Chris, you can't beat the tried & tested methods when the . 

simbo wrote:

Glad you sorted the it Chris   Always a nervy moment banging a screwdriver through the filter 

you are not kidding, i thought oh s**t i dont like doing this, all because the last motorbike shop put the wrong filter on unless someone can clarify, i put a vernier on it and it is 65mm and the chrome one i bought that was listed for my bike is 68mm strange....

Hi Chris - 68mm is the standard one for Suzuki ..... but what someone may have done is look at an alternative that has the same thread ..... but the casing is different - hence the 65mm across flats on the old filter ... all depends on how good a motor factors parts referencing is ...... & makes our life hard work when 'alternative' parts are used. ....... But at least you've got the job sorted & have all you need to make it an easy task next time

  Yam