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chas
17-01-2004, 04:35 PM
Hi All

Quick question, what should the oil consumption be for a monster 900ie yr 2001 with 2800 miles on the clock?

Thanks

Chas

gary tompkins
17-01-2004, 05:22 PM
Mine uses bugger all between changes. I think the most I've ever had to top up by was about a 1/4 of a litre at most.

It's now got just under 12K on the clock

Desmodue
17-01-2004, 08:51 PM
I buy 4L to do an oil change

Use 3.5L

keep the other 0.5L for topping-up, but never need to

The 0.5L keeps for the next oil change

spacemonkey
17-01-2004, 09:48 PM
Mine used to go 800 miles per litre!!! Then I rebuilt the top end and put semi synth in and it now doesn't use a drop...

Mr Cake
17-01-2004, 10:38 PM
And what oil do you all recommend? Do you stick to the "Use Shell Advance Ultra 4" sticker?

Dave

Pedro
18-01-2004, 12:20 AM
I use Semi Synthetic in mine after speaking to Dr Desmo (Steve Hilary) at Moto Rapido. He uses Rock Oil in all his bikes, including his race bikes.

My 18k mile m900 uses about half a litre in 1000 miles

Ped

Mr Cake
18-01-2004, 12:26 AM
So I can just throw semi-synth straight in with a new filter? What weight, ect is Rock Oil stuff?

Cheers!

Dave

Pedro
18-01-2004, 12:49 AM
Originally posted by Cat & Fiddler
So I can just throw semi-synth straight in with a new filter? What weight, ect is Rock Oil stuff?

Cheers!

Dave

Hey Dave

I tried using fully syth but the oil light came on at very low tickover (750rpm) so spoke to Steve - he basicaly said that Semi Syth is fine for Dukes (hence the use in his race bike - 1056cc 916 I think). He uses it on all his service jobs unless asked other wise. Oil pressure fine now with Rock Oil semi-synth

Can remember the grade at the mo ad it chuffing cold outside so I'll have a look in the morning.

Ped

gary tompkins
18-01-2004, 11:57 AM
Still sticking with Shell advance in the monster at the moment, but I can vouch for Rock Oil. I used 20/50 semi synth Rock oil exclusively in my 350 Morini sport, which despite over 60000 miles of being thrashed without mercy (they love it) never needed any major engine rebuild.

Pretty amazing when you consider the only filter was a wire gauze strainer, and the lubing for the rocker gear is just splash feed via the pushrod tubes.

God I miss that bike :(

spacemonkey
18-01-2004, 03:07 PM
I used Castrol GPS semi synth bike oil (10/40 I think) because it ws good value and because I can get it in Halfords, which means being able to get it anywhere in the country 7 days a week unlike the Motul I used to have before. Silkolene isn't rated highly so avoid that one.

Didge
19-01-2004, 12:18 AM
Originally posted by Pedro
Hey Dave

I tried using fully syth but the oil light came on at very low tickover (750rpm) so spoke to Steve - he basicaly said that Semi Syth is fine for Dukes (hence the use in his race bike - 1056cc 916 I think). He uses it on all his service jobs unless asked other wise. Oil pressure fine now with Rock Oil semi-synth
Ped

Ped, All Ducati's are made to use FULLY SYNTH. oils. If your oil light comes on when using this, then there must be more of a reason than the oil. And why does your bike idle at 750 rpm, that's too low is it not, and long term will not do the crank a lot of good.
The fact is, fully synth oils are FAR superior than other oils, (Too much to say why on here), and ALL modern engines will benifit by the stuff. That's why it's more expensive. I use it in my CG125, (tho' recommended is mineral oil), because it does a far better job at protecting the engine at all temps, and long term it's cheaper because of longer engine life.

spacemonkey
19-01-2004, 07:41 PM
True about being 'designed' to run on fully synth, but when the engine was designed by Moses (he never rode it-we all know he rode a Triumph into wherever he went) Fully Synth wasn't on the agenda for mere mortals. A lot of peeps have mentioned fully synth not being too good on some engines. Tony of 2 4 Italia, Ringwood, says that he has had to replace many starter motor 'clutches' (?) on Ducatis which was due to the fully synth not providing enough protection at start up. And if you've ever seen 5/40 fully synth it is like water... Don't forget that once your engine has had fully synth in it can't go back to fully mineral due to something to do with the oil impregnating the oil seals and they don't like it when the mineral goes in. Or something like that...
I agree about that tickover though. Raise it!!

Pedro
19-01-2004, 10:25 PM
All good points chaps!!

Tickover has now been sorted and it runs ok.

The issue was that the Fully Synth was like water as it got warm. Speaking to Steve he'd experienced this on almost new engines and recommended the Semi Synth (he learnt he trade at Ferraci in the US so knows his stuff).

With the Rock Oil, all's well!!

Ped - thanking you for your concern for my Monny!!!!

Duncan
19-01-2004, 10:34 PM
Done 38000 on mine on fully synth. Never needed topping up between services. Buy whatever ones on offer but try and go for the heavier viscosites as the lighter grades are no good for summer temperatures in a Duc. Even though the W in a 5w40 stands for winter, thats the cold viscosity and any bike with a motor designed 25 years ago wont like the real thin stuff even in summer. Your owners manual has a good chart of viscosity vs engine temperature so go by that.....

spacemonkey
19-01-2004, 10:42 PM
When I buy my olive farm I'll have to experiment with olive oil....

Desmodue
19-01-2004, 10:43 PM
Duncan is right

5W40 10W40 is TOO THIN

Go for 15W50 / 20W50 Fully Synthetic

Shell, Motul, Mobil, Agip, and many others

Didge
20-01-2004, 12:45 AM
One of the reasons fully synth is better than other oils, is the fact that it is thinner (for any given grade) when cold. It thus gives vastly better protection on cold starts and does NOT thin out anywhere like a mineral oil when it's hot. At a molecular level, it does not start to break down for a long time. Mineral oils start to degrade as soon as they are used. Mineral oils (which are oils drilled from oil wells),all use the same base oil and then have additives added (blending) by the oil company.
Fully synthetics are exactly that. FULLY synthetic. They do not use the stuff out of the ground. They are entirely man made from scratch. I really cannot be arsed to print it all out on here, but I've gone into this subject quite deeply and have reams of articles about it. Basically, if you ride/drive a modern vehicle (1980's onwards), you should use fully synthetic.
If anyone's interested, I will bore you to death on this subject over a few pints on the Monster weekend.

PS:- if your engine is 100% ok, you should not need to top up between oil changes.

Zimbo
25-01-2004, 12:00 AM
But surely the fact that synthetic oil is thinner at a given temp results in reduced oil pressure?
My view is that race bikes and track bikes need the extra protection fully synthetic oil gives, but that road bikes don't need it and are perfectly happy on semi synthetic oil, however I do change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles. Fully synthetic oil is more resistant to the polymer strands breaking down under the high shear forces imposed on them by gearbox lubrication particularly, so if changing the oil only once every 6,000 miles there may be a case for using fully synth over semi. I'm another fan of Rock Oil Guardian semi synthetic oil, i consider it good value at half the price of fully synthetic. Oil does degenerate in use, and fully synthetic oil degenerates more slowly than semi synth oil, but my view is that semi synth changed twice as often is better than fully synth changed every 6,000 miles.

johnypebs
25-01-2004, 11:54 AM
There's a link on the US monsterlist to an impartial study done by a professor at California state university, done in 1994 but is still valid. The conclusions will surprise some of you.

http://www.xs11.com/stories/mcnoil94.htm

Didge
25-01-2004, 02:00 PM
Thanks for that Johny. It says virtually the same as in a book I have, 'THE MOTOR OIL BIBLE'.
The only thing missing from the report that you gave the link to, is a refference to 'FRICTION MODIFIERS', which are found in most car oils. These MAY (note 'MAY') cause slight clutch slippage in a motorcycle with a wet clutch, (us M900 owners are ok then), but the author of my book, has found no real proof of this.
The apparent conclusion then is, it's ok to use a good quality branded motor oil in ones motorcycle. I won't argue with that.
But I do say, stick with a fully synthetic, as all independant reports I've seen, seem to substantiate this.

spacemonkey
25-01-2004, 09:41 PM
Very good, but I see a couple of flaws in the experiment. Surely it would have been best to compare a fully synth, semi synth and mineral of one brand in both car and bike oils, and then the same for other brands? Thus testing the effectiveness of the same brands' claims for bike oils? But I agree the results make sense. After all, doesn't the old BL Mini use normal oils, and doesn't that go through it's gearbox...
My mate (for I have one..) has a Honda ****ehawk and it's his first big bike and first 4 stroke bike. He did an oil change 'cos the previous owner had somehow managed to empty an entire tank of petrol through the carbs and into the sump. Being a cheapskate and knowing nothing of bike oil mythology, he chucked basic mineral car oil in it... I told hime to get it out and use bike oil, but.... and it runs fine! When I took it for a blast down the lanes it positively flew in a 4cylinder twin cam torqueless way. It was only when I got back he remembered that he hadn't refilled the brake fluid resevoir since he'd emptied it....

M900Dom
01-02-2004, 11:49 AM
for me.....
Replying to an oil thread :D

The trick is not so much what you use as how often you change it...
I change mine every 2500-3000 miles along with the filter and Spark plugs. (Putoline syntec4 but only cos I get a deal on it)

There is a guy on the Ducati list with over 60,000 miles on a 900ss which has only ever seen Castrol GTX every 3K miles :eek:

Use a reasonable quality oil.....
BUT CHANGE IT OFTEN ;)
HTH
Dom