Am I missing something obvious?

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, they are all miscible. Where you live though, I'd definitely use a motorcycle 15W50 or 20W50 at the change.

Whatever you do, don't overfill it !!! Level is measured with the oil hot, give it 5 minutes to settle and have someone hold the bike vertical on its wheels while you check the sight glass. Rear stand is a no-no. Not even close...

[wrl]

Where you live though, I'd definitely use a motorcycle 15W50 or 20W50 at the change.

Due to humidity?

[Curmudgeon]

Due to humidity?

No. Summer heat and traffic. 15W50 or 20W50 has a higher film strength with your high ambient temps. Humidity won't help your fuel mixture much though.

Good luck down there in Flatlandia!

[wrl]

Update!

I tackled the 300 mile ride to Melillimoto in Ocala, FL and the odometer hit ~7540 just as I rolled onto the lot Thursday afternoon. Andrew was kind enough to address all of my inane questions and concerns as he dropped me off at a hotel up the street. After he picked me up and took me back to hang out at the dealership the next morning, I had the opportunity to ogle all the goodies in the storefront--848s, 1198s, Diavels, MTSs, HMTs, and even an S4Rs (already sold) among the newer Monsters. In addition to the owner and the factory rep who was there, a couple of guys who rode in on an S2R 1000 and a Sports Classic 1000 made for great bike talk. One of them, although a lurker, recommended I read every one of Duck-Stew's posts and memorize them.

Andrew and Adam performed the 7,500 mile service including belts, changed the tires (Pilot Road 3s), installed the Termi kit, changed front/rear sprockets and chain (15t, 48t, DID X-ring), and a laundry list of other small things. What can I say? The bike feels better now and I have more confidence in it, thanks to the guys at Melillimoto. Obligatory photo update:



A big thanks goes out to Candice at Ca-Cycleworks for not only going out of her way to ensure my sprockets/chain were going to go out on time, but then upgrading me to Next Day shipping when she realized the rear sprocket wasn't in stock and that she'd have to get it overnighted to her.

Ugh, now I'm thinking about clipons, levers, and mirrors...

[Curmudgeon]

Ugh, now I'm thinking about clipons, levers, and mirrors...

Sure looks a bit cleaner and happier now. Did you get those oxidized bolts replaced too?

My philosophy, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Mods are fine if they address a deficiency or "modify" something which really bugs you. To change stuff for the sake of change often doesn't have a happy result. Your bike of course..., and an expression of your personality...

Wear ear plugs! Any more power there? Or don't you know, since you did a 14T the better way. Keep that DID cleaned and lubed though. Should go 20K+ if you do.

Have Fun!

[wrl]

More power? Perhaps, or maybe I just like the sound of the exhaust as the RPMs go up!

Be it the gearing or perceived power increase, she's a bit quicker on her feet than before. They replaced some missing bolts and some that were chewed up by rust. The rear brake return spring is covered in rust, but he didn't have one in stock, so that's still there. Nonetheless, they tightened up the feel of the rear brake and got rid of its squealing. The exhaust is a hair farty at times during deceleration, but I'm beginning to prefer its general sound over the dB-killer's more stock sound.

Now, a couple of curious things. The ECU used to report "M696 ABS USA" and now it starts up with "M 696 ABS DP USA", but I've read that it should include "Racing" somewhere in there. I'm not too concerned as the indications are that the rev limiter has increased and she's feeling 'gutsier' in general. Also, two of the four bolts under the seat that hold the tail assembly to the subframe are stripped rather badly. I don't want to screw up the threads with tap & die and I'm not sure if I can successfully drill them out; I'm thinking of just riding to a machine shop and seeing what they can do. Finally, the right-side arm of the front fender is cracked (completely broken away) at the bolt.  But now that I've already ridden away, I wonder how much fun that phone call is going to be! I'll probably work on these issues while I mull over handlebars vs clipons, grips, levers, headlights, and seats...