[Cisco]

Bike: 2000 Shadow Ace 750 14k Coming up on my first oil change since I bought it and like to get some input from you experienced guys about using Rotella T6 5-40 FULL Syn. Also can you recomend a decent oil filter. Thanks Ahead of time.

 

[Bakinit]

I always used conventional oil but recently switched to mobile1 10w-40 full synthetic and it has made a Hugh difference. The shifting in so much smoother and the bike seems to just run better. As for the oil filter I put a K&N on for two reason 1 they are good quality and you can trust the name and 2 they have a bolt fitted on the end for easy install and removal, at least the one for the 1100 does. As far as the shell Rotella T6 a lot of the guys on the forum highly recommend it. I think the Rotella is less expensive. Hope this helps.

 

[jkustomz28]

i use castrol full sun. 10w50 and a oem honda filter. for me i like that setup better than mobil one 10w40 with mobil one filter or OEM filter and better that T6 with OEM filter

 

[Cisco]

Ok I thought Mobil 1 and Castrol was made with the added molybendums watever that gives them a gas conserving rating wich inturn cause trany slipage. Or am I way off and they make a motorcycle freindly version of oil I just did not know about. If so where can I get some.

 

[h13man]

T6 with Bosch filter. No need to run any heavier than a 40w unless you ride in AZ summers then a heavier oil might be better. Think of your oil as your bikes blood.

Read: http://www.hondashadow.net/forum/72-technical-discussion/70331-oilology.html

 

[vito]

I love the T6 in my Vstar. Notorious for rattling and various noises at idle. It quieted everything down so much that I would have noticed if someone else had changed the oil and didn't tell me. Two seasons, 8k+ on the same oil and it is still quiet.

Filters; you have choices. I was using Supertech ST7317 from WalMart for $2+ but they have been discontinued or are just hard to find.
I switched to FRAM 7317. XG, XT, or whatever is on the shelf. These filters are about an inch longer than the other 'regular' filters.

You can use this cross ref. Looks like the Shadows from 98-2005 use the filters under -> [5]. There are notes about thread sizes / gasket diameters, plenty to help you make a choice:

Motorcycle Oil Filter Cross Reference

Don't forget a crush washer on the oil plug bolt.

 

[jkustomz28]

Ok I thought Mobil 1 and Castrol was made with the added molybendums watever that gives them a gas conserving rating wich inturn cause trany slipage. Or am I way off and they make a motorcycle freindly version of oil I just did not know about. If so where can I get some.

They make a motorcycle oil a couple different ones. I choose the 10w50 full syn. Covers just about every riding temp ill ride in according to MOM. i order mine on amazon only place ive been able to find it at a decent price. Runs me around $45 a case if i catch it on sale. If not its pretty pricey

 

[steelpix]

It was pretty easy to change my oil the first time. The biggest challenge is laying on the garage floor and trying to see the oil drain plug and and filter. I put a 2x4 under the side stand which helped.

I also found that loosening the oil filter and drain plug just a VERY little bit, made it easier to remove them once the motor is warmed up. This has to do with expansion of metal during cold/hot. This might just be my own choice though and others would disagree with me.

 

["Captain D"]

Personal preferences

Bike: 2000 Shadow Ace 750 14k Coming up on my first oil change since I bought it and like to get some input from you experienced guys about using Rotella T6 5-40 FULL Syn. Also can you recomend a decent oil filter. Thanks Ahead of time.

I use NAPA Select filter for mine...
There is an oiloligy thread with many suggestions also...

Welcome,
Dennis

 

["Captain D"]

T4

Ok I thought Mobil 1 and Castrol was made with the added molybendums watever that gives them a gas conserving rating wich inturn cause trany slipage. Or am I way off and they make a motorcycle freindly version of oil I just did not know about. If so where can I get some.

Castrol is used in motorcycles, they RACE!!!

Pull up the site to verify your choices...

 

[Bakinit]

Mobile1

Ok I thought Mobil 1 and Castrol was made with the added molybendums watever that gives them a gas conserving rating wich inturn cause trany slipage. Or am I way off and they make a motorcycle freindly version of oil I just did not know about. If so where can I get some.

Walmart has mobile1 10w-40 or 20w-50 for motorcycles they also carry Castro and a few other brands. They are not with the automotive oils but in a separate area designated for motorcycle products.

 

[KCochran]

 

[2500hdon37s]

I always used conventional oil but recently switched to mobile1 10w-40 full synthetic and it has made a Hugh difference. The shifting in so much smoother and the bike seems to just run better. As for the oil filter I put a K&N on for two reason 1 they are good quality and you can trust the name and 2 they have a bolt fitted on the end for easy install and removal, at least the one for the 1100 does. As far as the shell Rotella T6 a lot of the guys on the forum highly recommend it. I think the Rotella is less expensive. Hope this helps.

K&N has a good reputation because their filter have good flow and that makes for more power and their products do have a nice finish. But they only flow good because they do a pretty poor job of actually filtering. And yes I do have and run a K&N on both my truck and bike with prefilters over them.

 

[Dingo.]

Walmart has mobile1 10w-40 or 20w-50 for motorcycles they also carry Castro and a few other brands. They are not with the automotive oils but in a separate area designated for motorcycle products.

Do not use the 20w50 in your scoot, that's meant for air cooled oil leakers, er I mean Harleys. 5 or 10 w 40 for your Honda, dino or synthetic and a good name brand filter. I am using syntec and a mobil 1 long filter in mine, used the long filter and dino last year but decided to go synthetic this time.

Dingo.

 

[2500hdon37s]

Do not use the 20w50 in your scoot, that's meant for air cooled oil leakers, er I mean Harleys. 5 or 10 w 40 for your Honda, dino or synthetic and a good name brand filter. I am using syntec and a mobil 1 long filter in mine, used the long filter and dino last year but decided to go synthetic this time.

Dingo.

Funny how the oil leaking stigma from the old Harleys that had cast and non machined mating surfaces on the cases has stuck throughout the years. the Evo and twin cam Harleys from the past 30+ years havent had that problem. The leaking oil plague stems from a time when AMF owned Harley.

 

[gdb069]

I switched to T6 a few years back and found it improved shifting a bit. I like the 5W viscosity for starting. Its a bit expensive but I stock up when on sale and change once a year so the overall cost is not burdensome. For oil filter I use Fram and have had no issues. My 78 GW has more than 300,000 miles and my VT1100C2 has about 40,000 miles.

G.

 

[swifty2014]

I worked on Japanese cars for 40 years but never paid much attention to discussions on oils and types. Too many opinions.
I had a few Honda bikes back in the 1960's . Simple 30 weight oil.
Now I acquired a 1983 Honda 750 Shadow from a friend so I am back in the game.
He said he used synthetic oil so that is what I wanted to stay with.
I noticed a very small seep on the left rear rubber cam plug when I got it. No big deal. Not worth pulling the engine to take things apart to replace all 4 plugs. So I bought Rotella T6 5-40 and proudly started it up and ran it around a little bit.
Then I saw the left rear plug leaking at a faster rate and the other 3 starting to seep now. This was upsetting. So i Change it to Rotella T5 15-40 and it has actually slowed down the seeps and leak. I would not have thought this would happen but had read that synthetic can bring out weak spots of seals and gaskets that were dry with old sludge behind them from dino oil, as it is a good cleaner. Probably best not to use full synthetic on old engines. Maybe the difference between 5 weight and 15 weight cold I don't know. Just an observation.

 

[SpoonMan]

Been using rotella t6 5w40 with pl14610 purolator pure one filter for the last 3 oil changes.

 

[johncook530]

to add an additional question to his, if i am unsure if my bike (87 honda shadow vt700) has been running conventional or synthetic, am I safer running conventional?

I pm'd back and forth with another member, and they provided me with the below. Would everyone agree? If not, why not? Just trying to get as many opinions as possible to keep my bike damage free.

"A caveat about synthetics and old bikes. If your bike has never had synthetic, you may want to avoid it. Conventional oil builds a waxy film on the inside of an engine that's harmless, but is the nature of conventional oil. Over time, which our bikes have had plenty of, this film prevents oil from actually touching the metal surfaces inside the engine cases, which prevents the gaskets from being wetted by the oil. The gaskets dry out, which is also harmless since the film inside the engine is a good sealant. However, the powerful detergeants in synthetic oil strip this film away, and if the gaskets are dry, you develop leaks. I've switched a good number of '80s bikes over to synthetic and developed leaks in about 1/3 of them, casuing me to have to tear down and replace gaskets. For air-cooled bikes, it's worth it to me. For a liquid cooled engine, the benefits of synthetic oil are reduced, so if you want to save yourself trouble on a bike that's never had synthetic oil in it, you may want to hold off on switching. I use Rotella-T conventional 15W-40 ($16/galloon at Walmart) and it's great."

 

[gdb069]

to add an additional question to his, if i am unsure if my bike (87 honda shadow vt700) has been running conventional or synthetic, am I safer running conventional?...

I switched all my bikes to synth and no problems. There was some concern in the 70s about seal leaks with synth. I consider the advantages of synth significant and decided that since the synth does not cause the leak (poor seals will more likely leak with synth) I would just switch back if a leak occurred. This has not happened.

G.