Just got this baby paid off and would like it to last a long time [Dolph] Looking for ways to prolong my enjoyment and put off another investment. Has anyone ever put Slick 50 in your Monster's engine? If so, what iteration (750, 900, 1000DS, etc.) and what have been the results? I recall several years ago when this stuff was developed it was touted as a miracle product. Then, if I remember correctly, I heard some things about it gumming up some of the fine parts. Anyone know of any credible info on the subject? I would prefer personal experience if you would please ;D
If you use a good oil, and you change it at proper intervals, you should not be needing any additive.
Also, is your Monster dry or wet clutch?
I'd definitely stay away from oil additives, if the latter, as one of the main concerns in using car oils in motorcycles is the presence of friction additives.
HotIce is correct about additives.
In addition:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/07/slick.shtm (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/07/slick.shtm)
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/legal/s50fcn.html (http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/legal/s50fcn.html)
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1997/07/slick.shtm (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1997/07/slick.shtm)
http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr03/bluecor.pdf (http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr03/bluecor.pdf)
Snake Oil
Regarding oil, if you want to use the best, go with a fully synthetic motorcycle-specific oil that's ester-based, i.e. Redline, Klotz, Yamalube. These are expensive products but the best you can get.
Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle oil for wet-clutch bikes, and Mobil 1 synthetic car oil for dry clutch bikes will be more than adequate, and you can find the stuff anywhere at a reasonable price. Changing the oil hot & often is more important than what goes in the crankcase, all things considered.
As stated before, don't use the car oil if you have a wet clutch bike. It may have friction modifiers in it that will cause the clutch to slip. Mobil 1 energy-conserving car oil is one example that comes to mind. Since dry-clutch bikes do not share the engine oil with the clutch, you may use the car oil in your bike without issue, but stay away from the energy conserving type.
And do not ever fall for the oil additive marketing ploys. Lucas oil stabilizer, Slick50, etc. They won't do anything for you, and may in fact harm your bike. Studies have shown Lucas causes oil frothing. Trust that all synthetic motor oils are engineered to be their best without additional additives, and the same can be said about fuel additives as well. Gas and oil have additives in them already, so you don't need to add any more. I seem to remember the Slick 50 oil additive has Teflon PTFE in it which doesn't stand up to the heat of combustion.
However if you can find a bottle of the Slick 50 1 Lube, that stuff is awesome for throttle cables, bicycles, and general-purpose lubrication around the house.
Just keep all the fluids changed and keep the bike clean/garaged/dry and everything adjusted.
Agreed about the oil additives. Not required if you buy full synthetic motorcycle-specific 15W50 or 10W50. These fuel additives work, particularly CF5, used by the OEMS, but you'll need to buy it from a dealer or repair shop which carries BG. Not a retail product line. http://www.bgprod.com/products/fuelair.html (http://www.bgprod.com/products/fuelair.html) DO NOT use 44K though in a newer vehicle. It's for 50,000+ mile neglected machinery. Change oil after one tank if you do!
Thanks so much for all of the great info everyone [thumbsup] It is very much appreciated :)
BTW, I use Mobil 1 Racing 4T and change every 3k miles. Also, she sleeps in the garage and gets regular checkup's and adjustments. Good to know I need to do nothing further than what I'm already doing.
And just to answer some questions:
HotIce, I have a dry clutch ;)
Howie, all I can say is "wow". Glad you chimed in :o
Booger, what is it that makes the ester-based products better? Do you think it's better than what I'm using now? And why do you change the oil hot?
Ester-based oils are Group V, Polyalphaolefin (PAO) based oils are Group IV
Ester-based oils are considered superior because they offer increased stability at high temperatures and superior film strength at lower viscosities. This makes them theoretically more suited to high-performance applications (i.e. racing). They cost more to produce as well.
If you're not racing and abusing your engine a Group V ester oil isn't absolutely necessary. It's just a hairbreadth better than a PAO oil such as Mobil 1 or Amsoil.
I used full synthetic Yamalube in my Duc which is ester-based, as well as Klotz a time or two. I only used the Yamalube because a good friend(Honda dealer who bought out a Yama dealer) gave me a palletload of it for free (anybody want some), and the Klotz because I like the way it smells(like cherry cough syrup). DucPond, the dealer in VA widely considered the best in the Mid-Atlantic region, fills customer bikes with Redline. All the ester-based oil is around $14-$15 a quart which is really too expensive in my view.
I've also used Shell Rotella synthetic in my bike as well, which is not a true synthetic oil but merely a hydrocracked petroleum base Group III. Pretty inexpensive and available at Wal Mart. It's good too! Has lots of ZDDP for metal-to-metal wear reduction.
It's not really the basestock that matters either, it's the additive package/TBN (total base number) and how long this number remains undepleted in the basestock.
I could go on and on but I won't because it's borin'. But you asked so I thought I would tell you. Bottom line is this, keep on keepin' on. Pretty much anything out there will do OK(synthetic that is), just change that oil hot & often. Changing it hot ensures that you get all of it out of the nooks & crannies in a timely manner vs changing it cold. I suppose you could change it cold, but it takes far longer for all the oil to drain out, You want as much old oil gone as possible to avoid contaminating the brand new oil. OK I quit
I might cook with snake oil, but I'm not putting it in my bike.
Thanks for the lesson booger [thumbsup]