Specificity is a good thing. Thank you @Bikesofbrads for your clarification.
Oil choices vs. 20W-40 Spectro Golden (feel free to chime in Slick)
Heading on trip this Spring (with 2 HD Glides and my XCT) from Norfolk Va. to Seattle Wa.; will change oil (even though will only have 1000 miles since last change) before leaving. Plan to change oil in Wa. State before beginning return loop; what oil should I use if I cannot find Spectro Golden (always used since Slicks advice).
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This sounds like the most effective small batch mixing system available. At a price point that can’t be beat.3 bottles of T4 1.5 bottles of T6
i’ve been a long time Victory oil fan. But now, at $84 a kit they can keep them. IMHO, they have priced themselves out of contention.
Of course Polaris private labeled oil under their Victory name to make money. Good on them. Again, they were just following every other manufacturer so no extra credit points for creativity on their part.Got to pondering 🤔 & remembered that every modern street bike on earth ( 1st & 2nd world countries) has pretty strict emissions and all have been using catalytic converters along with wet clutch designs for years and with little to zero worldwide clutch slippage issues being debated on motorcycle forums and then I woke up. After I stopped screaming oil slick oil slick I started to wonder if polanus just recommended semi syn to help pad their pockets ( was long planing to to buy Indian ) by getting into bed with an oil manufacturer helps both companies since polanus builds many machines requiring oil……win win.
Do fiction modifiers reduce or increase friction? Jaso ma may be the most important element and not weather is full or semi blended, IDK 🤷♂️ One things for damn sure and I have to agree with ole Slick that who doesn’t love a good oil thread 🧵
IMHO, considering the time frame, semi synthetic was (and still is) simply the better option for them. And for most of us as owners. Since the beginning of full synthetic motor oil, people have said your wet clutch will slip. Most of those people were right too. Because in the early days of full synthetic oil like Mobile 1 etc., wet clutches on motorcycles slipped when using it.
Oil additives and modifiers etc. have certainly changed a lot over the years as well. As have clutch friction materials. By far the safer bet, for Polaris, and most owners today is to run a semi synthetic motor oil of the proper Wright and rating in their Victory wet sump motorcycle. Semi synthetic simply allows for things like a clutch adjustment that isn’t ‘just right’. A non perfectly adjusted clutch likely won’t slip with semi synthetic but most likely will slip with full synthetic.
I tried a case of Spectro Golden wiz bang oil made just for Victory etc. and simply wasn’t impressed. Going forward, it’s semi synthetic for me regardless of what Internet forum members say.
It seems like I’ve been reading oil threads since the day after Al Gore invented the internet.
@Bikesofbrads, this 100%. I change the oil and filter every 2500 and won’t adjust that interval. Regardless of what the latest and greatest small batch hocus pocus wiz bang oil designed for Victory blah blah blah is out or comes out. Victory oil has been fine and has taken the CCT to 96K 100% trouble free miles. I only wish it weren’t $84 a kit now because that does have me considering other top tier semi synthetic options.
Hocus pocus and wiz bang have most certainly gone way up in price.
😜
😜
You win @slickvic, I ordered 6 quarts today. When my last two Vic oil change kits are gone I’ll give the Actevo a try.This is the bargain today. View attachment 639682
I ordered the 10W-40 going into Spring. In the heat of the Summer, perhaps I’ll try the 50.
In my case, as much as I like Vic oil, I still change it every 2500 miles so paying $84 for the kit just seems foolish.
I remember buying 6 or 8 kits at a time from Champion Powersports in Athens, AL. They always sold them at cost so they were like $40. That deal went away along with the Victory brand.
There’s an old dealer north of Knoxville called Tommy’s Powersports. Their Vic oil kits easily had 10 years, yes, 10 years of dust on them when I stopped in a month ago. Yet they still want $84 a kit for them. No thank you, no thank you very much. At this point I wouldn’t give them $40 a kit just out of general principle.
In my case, as much as I like Vic oil, I still change it every 2500 miles so paying $84 for the kit just seems foolish.
I remember buying 6 or 8 kits at a time from Champion Powersports in Athens, AL. They always sold them at cost so they were like $40. That deal went away along with the Victory brand.
There’s an old dealer north of Knoxville called Tommy’s Powersports. Their Vic oil kits easily had 10 years, yes, 10 years of dust on them when I stopped in a month ago. Yet they still want $84 a kit for them. No thank you, no thank you very much. At this point I wouldn’t give them $40 a kit just out of general principle.
Hey, you posted the picture and like an oil lemming, I placed the order.
On the Walmart website they show an Ultra 1Plus 15W-50 full synthetic JASO MA2 oil at $91 for a 12 bottle case. Very promising.
The fill sequence is A, B, D then C.
Doh!
I didn’t notice that A and D were blocked off. B is the Winner.
I didn’t notice that A and D were blocked off. B is the Winner.
I got the 20w50 semi syn. Changed last weekend but after the ride…so the official test will be this weekend. Initial startup after the change didn’t reveal much. The bike didn’t do/sound all that different. Once it gets properly warmed up, I will know more though.
Great information!
I was looking to see if Ultra 1Plus had a Semi Synthetic but I didn’t see it. I’ll keep looking as I much prefer a semi synthetic over a full synthetic.
I need to use the laptop on some of these images because the phone resolution isn’t what I need at times.No sir !! B is also blocked off. Look again !
My order for 6 quarts of 10W-40 Actevo hasn’t shipped yet so I canceled the order. Amazon has a 12 liter case of Ultra 1Plus 10W-40 Synthetic Blend for $83.77. That seems like an excellent deal on this motorcycle specific wet clutch JASO MA2 oil.
The case I ordered is due to arrive next week.
I prefer liters over quarts so a 12 bottle case is 3 oil changes.
The case I ordered is due to arrive next week.
I prefer liters over quarts so a 12 bottle case is 3 oil changes.
At this point I think my oil plan will be to use my two remaining Vic oil change kits with my CCT. The CCT has run 95% Vic oil since day one and it’s been excellent with that oil. That will take the CCT to 100K miles. I have two single quarts of Vic Oil so I’ll pick up 3 more to use them up to take the CCT to 102.500 miles.
I’m planning to use the Ultra 1Plus 10W-40 Synthetic Blend on the Hard-Ball. The H-B will need an oil change in another 600 miles. $7 a liter means only $28 in oil plus a filter for the Hard-Ball going forward. Once my Vic oil is all gone, the CCT will be switched to the Ultra 1Plus as well. Unless something bad happens with the Ultra 1Plus in the Hard-Ball. At that point, a different oil would need to be used going forward.
I’m planning to use the Ultra 1Plus 10W-40 Synthetic Blend on the Hard-Ball. The H-B will need an oil change in another 600 miles. $7 a liter means only $28 in oil plus a filter for the Hard-Ball going forward. Once my Vic oil is all gone, the CCT will be switched to the Ultra 1Plus as well. Unless something bad happens with the Ultra 1Plus in the Hard-Ball. At that point, a different oil would need to be used going forward.
My 12 liter case of 10W-40 Synthetic Blend motorcycle specific JASO MA2 Ultra 1Plus came in today. About four days earlier than expected. Even the bottles look nice. Sweet.
Specificity can be a good thing.
The oil that came in my new to me Hard-Ball has been dumped. A new K&N 198 oil filter was filled once using a separate bottle of the 10W-40 and then 4 full liters went in the crankcase. I'll be looking forward to another ride later this week.
The previous owner wasn't sure what oil was used on his recent oil change when I bought the Hard-Ball. He thought 'maybe Rotella T4 or T5?'. So at the 37,200 mark it starts with Ultra 1Plus and I'll follow my normal 2500 mile change interval. This particular change coming a few hundred miles early because I just got back from a nice ride to Nashville and the opportunity presented itself. I mean, I had a whole new case of oil that was delivered this afternoon by the good folks at FedEx. I couldn't let the early shipment go to waste. Besides, that oil was staring at me on the shelf in the garage when I pulled in. I think I heard it calling to me.
The previous owner wasn't sure what oil was used on his recent oil change when I bought the Hard-Ball. He thought 'maybe Rotella T4 or T5?'. So at the 37,200 mark it starts with Ultra 1Plus and I'll follow my normal 2500 mile change interval. This particular change coming a few hundred miles early because I just got back from a nice ride to Nashville and the opportunity presented itself. I mean, I had a whole new case of oil that was delivered this afternoon by the good folks at FedEx. I couldn't let the early shipment go to waste. Besides, that oil was staring at me on the shelf in the garage when I pulled in. I think I heard it calling to me.
The engine oiling system was designed with 15W-40 in mind so a 10W-40 or a 20W-40 is such a little difference as to likely not make a difference. Except for initial start-up on very cold days. I've used Vic Oil 95%+ in my CCT. Riding conditions between 17F to 116F. The oem Vic oil of 15W-40 was never an issue, never.
I'm unclear why some feel switching from the 15W-40 oem recommendation to a 20W-50 is needed. I'm fine with my potential switch to the 10W-40 Semi Synthetic Ultra 1Plus. IMHO, having the JASO MA2 motorcycle wet clutch rating is certainly needed.
I'm unclear why some feel switching from the 15W-40 oem recommendation to a 20W-50 is needed. I'm fine with my potential switch to the 10W-40 Semi Synthetic Ultra 1Plus. IMHO, having the JASO MA2 motorcycle wet clutch rating is certainly needed.
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