Oil change

[Bubba717]

I need to do an oil change on an 02 voyager that I’ve had for alittle while now, just wanted to see what oil is best to run in it?

[Nails]

You'll quickly find the very best oil for your XII by searching this site for "favorite oil". There are a dozen or so.

[cushman eagle]

Hello, Bubba717,I have been running Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in my '99 for the past 14 years and 90,000 miles except for about a year it was not available
I started running that in my GS1100GK,because of oil beakdown due to heat,and never went away from it.

[Conrad]

Hello, Bubba717,I have been running Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in my '99 for the past 14 years and 90,000 miles except for about a year it was not available
I started running that in my GS1100GK,because of oil beakdown due to heat,and never went away from it.

Did you mean 15w40? Big difference there...

[VoyKimmer]

I use shell rotella T4 15w 40. Been using it for 20 plus years on my voyagers.

[SgtSlag]

If you want the best... Royal Purple, full synthetic (more expensive).

Otherwise, Shell Rotella T6 Synthetic, 15W-40. I ran 5W-40 in my Voyager, but it started having false-neutral shifts in multiple gears. When I went back to 15W-40, my transmission settled down. I assume it was the thinner viscosity which caused the transmission issues. Don't know, but they did go away, so I will hang my hat on that, for my personal motorcycle. Cheers!

[cushman eagle]

Hello, Bubba717,I have been running Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in my '99 for the past 14 years and 90,000 miles except for about a year it was not available
I started running that in my GS1100GK,because of oil beakdown due to heat,and never went away from it.

Did you mean 15w40? Big difference there...

No,I just went out to my garage and double checked, the bottle says T6 5W 40 and I have seen no negative issues with it
I am not saying you should run it,I have been happy with it ,but there are certainly other oils that are perfectly suitable for those bikes.
The VXII does not put the heat stress in the oil my GS1100GK did,as my heat gun often showed the head at 345Fand pan at 240+ on the GS

[SgtSlag]

Most full synthetic oils have a much higher thermal breakdown temperature than conventional oils. That is one of the advantages of using full synthetic oils. It does vary, quite a lot, from brand to brand, however.

Back in the 1970's, to the 1980's, conventional motor oils broke down into carbon sludge as air-cooled motorcycle engines tended to run at the oil's thermal limit! My 1979 Honda constantly ran at 250 F, in the oil pan, as measured by a gauge I installed, which was the thermal limit of the conventional oils at that time (I installed an Oil Cooler radiator, and it dropped to 210 F). I added SeaFoam, to the engine oil, ran it, idling five minutes, to allow the oil to reach 180 F. That is the temperature detergent oil begins to suspend crud within it. This allowed the filter to catch much of the loosened sludge. The oil changed from caramel color, to coal black. I changed the oil and filter, immediately. I repeated the process, 6,000 miles later: the oil never darkened, at all. This was in 2011, I think.

Modern conventional detergent oils are superb at cleaning engines, keeping them clean, and their thermal breakdown temperatures are higher! Modern engine oils, all brands and types, are a marvel of modern engineering.

I treat every engine with SeaFoam in the crankcase, once only. After that, I let the oil do its job. Most of the modern engines (1996+) I've treated, never darkened their oil... Lawnmowers, and other small engines using non-detergent oils, are another matter, though. Cheers!

[ted1r]

Hi guys I put Motul 3000 in my 1200 ,top oil in my opinion

Ted

[cushman eagle]

Hi guys I put Motul 3000 in my 1200 ,top oil in my opinion

Ted

Nothing wrong with that oil either