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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Came time to change oil recently. Since I moved close to a Vic dealer thought it would be easier to buy Vic oil.
First time in quite a few years that I have used it. I HAVE been using Mobil 1 20/50 for the last few years.
Since changing to Vic oil I have noticed a MAJOR improvement in the transmission. It shifts smoothly with very little klunking. The klunk that does occur is not as bad as it used to be. Not the Vic oil I remember. Could Victory have reformulated their oil? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 181
Henlow, Bedfordshire, England | I know they are changing or have changed manufacturer because my local dealer in the Uk bought up the countries supply which was being sold off by Polaris ready for their new supply to arrive, this was about 6 months ago. |
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Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | I don't know if they reformulated anything, but the prices sue has gone up.
Last time I bought the "Oil Changing Kit", it was $62.00, now it is $83.00!
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Cruiser
Posts: 79
Louisville, KY | 60.99 here in kentucky for the new oil change kit. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Probably be the same exact oil they'll sell at the Indian dealers for $10.00 more.......... |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | There are 2 oil change kits now.
The 6 quart version and the 4.5 quart version. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | this is one of the most Common things i have read about on the Oil forums.. you cant compare a FRESH oil change to the feeling of oil that is thousands of miles old.. You have to give that oil equal time... THEN compare.. the additive package of the new oil is robust, almost with everything this oil is made from... Like comparing a new car to a used car.. Not saying you still wont feel a improvement.. BUt on the oil forums when someone say this.. its taken with a grain of salt, for all the reasons i just mentioned.. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Arkainzeye - 2013-08-05 1:52 PM
this is one of the most Common things i have read about on the Oil forums.. you cant compare a FRESH oil change to the feeling of oil that is thousands of miles old.. You have to give that oil equal time... THEN compare.. the additive package of the new oil is robust, almost with everything this oil is made from... Like comparing a new car to a used car.. Not saying you still wont feel a improvement.. BUt on the oil forums when someone say this.. its taken with a grain of salt, for all the reasons i just mentioned..
Same thing with comparing tires. An old tire does not ride as well as a new one. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | Everyone is making valid points, BUT when I decided to use a leftover Victory oil change kit I still had on hand when I didn't have enough of the oil I've been using since I quit using Victory oil 11 years ago--Lo and Behold--the old problems of clunky shifting and trouble finding neutral came right back as soon as I put that Victory oil in the bike. It was still in sealed containers from circa 2001. The bike came with Victory oil in it and did not exhibit those traits. As soon as I changed the vintage Victory oil out and back to my regular choice, all was well again.
This makes me suspect that Victory has indeed improved the oil since the V92C days. I've been convinced for 11 years that the original Victory oil was mostly responsible for the early transmission troubles anyway, and this experience strengthens my conviction. I think the current stuff in the bottles is a lot better than what Victory was selling in 1999-2000. I'm still not going back to it though--way too expensive and way too short of a service life.
Ronnie |
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Tourer
Posts: 411
Dallas, Texas | This leads me to an interesting observation. Vic oil is NOT the end all of oils, for our Victorys. Teams of engineers did not sit in hours of meetings, scouring over oil formulas, determine what oil was best and who made the best oil for our bikes. Just a basic ..'this weight range', who was best cost vs effectiveness, and went with probably the lowest bid. Not saying the oil is bad, or anything like that. Just saying that when the techs at the Dealer tell me to use Vic oil exclusively, regardless of cost, because "that's what the engineers designed for it", is pretty much baloney. If what they had was so specifically engineered for the 106, then why would they be changing to another supplier or reformulate. Just sayin'... |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | I have been changing my own oil on the vision since day 1 because the dealers were too far away. I stared with vic oil which I hated. went to castrol 20/40 wich worked great. found mobil1 closer to home started using that. This last vic oil change was the first time I have seen a Major improvement
ever of all the oils. Although my gear indicator is screwing up again, so they havent changed it enough. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | cjnoho - 2013-08-07 7:21 PM
I have been changing my own oil on the vision since day 1 because the dealers were too far away. I stared with vic oil which I hated. went to castrol 20/40 wich worked great. found mobil1 closer to home started using that. This last vic oil change was the first time I have seen a Major improvement
ever of all the oils. Although my gear indicator is screwing up again, so they havent changed it enough.
Similar for me. My dealer did the first oil change on my new Vision, because that's their policy. The first oil change is part of the deal on a new bike--any new bike. Of course, they used Victory oil. It was fine, but only good for 2500 miles like always. After that , I changed it myself with a synthetic I like and that I run 5000 miles per change. All was well until the day I needed to change oil and didn't have enough of the synthetic, so I decided to use the vintage Victory oil just because I had it. Within a few miles, neutral became elusive, the tranny got clunky, and the oil was obviously worn out by 2000 miles--just like in the good old days when Victorys were having transmission troubles. As soon as I changed back to the synthetic, everything went back to normal and remained so for another 5000 miles and the next oil change, and the next, and so on.
I do not know whether Victory has specified a different formulation oil for current bikes, but I do know that the vintage (circa 2001) oil exhibited the same poor performance in my 2008 Vision that it did in my 2000 Sport Cruiser. That original Victory oil was crap. It's probably also the reason that Victory specified a very short 2500 mile service interval. They knew the oil was no good for more miles than that. That "cost effective" choice resulted in a reputation for bad transmissions that could have easily been avoided. My 2000 Sport Cruiser was starting to exhibit the symptoms of a "bad tranny" until I switched to a synthetic. It has been fine, and still is fine--going 5000 miles per change, for the past 11 years that I've been running the synthetic. In fact, it shifts as good as my 2008 Vision.
The bean counters who specified the original Victory oil did Victory no favors in the long run. Has it changed? I don't know. I'm not likely to find out. The current Victory oil is still only rated for 2500 miles in my bikes.......
Now, Victory has put a neutral finder in the new bikes, to compensate for the well known problems of finding neutral after 2500 miles on Victory oil, so you can run a 2500 mile rated oil 5000 miles.........
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2013-08-07 8:17 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | That reminds me, time to pick up some Lucas 10w40 tomorrow so I can change mile oil... |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | usually a company #1 priority is Cost/profit... Thats why i dont have alot of faith in OEM fluids.. Thats doesnt mean they are bad.... not at all.. just they arent the very best you can purchase.. They arent in the market to be the very best, thats not their goal.. Victory oil did the same thing for me. Good for up to about 2000 miles, then all the sudden notchy transmission . And i wanted to like their oil ! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | After the 1st oil change at 1000 miles, the Vision 2013 oil change intervals are now every 5000 miles per the User Manual and Vic mechanic. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | varyder - 2013-08-07 9:17 PM
That reminds me, time to pick up some Lucas 10w40 tomorrow so I can change mile oil...
Which Lucas oil? They have more than one 10W40, but seemingly only one for motorcycles. Coul you please be specific in the name of the oil? |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | Street Eagle - 2013-08-08 7:43 AM
After the 1st oil change at 1000 miles, the Vision 2013 oil change intervals are now every 5000 miles per the User Manual and Vic mechanic.
Yessir, you are correct. That is exactly my point. The oil was only rated for 2500 mile service, because people's transmissions would get funky and neutral would become hard to find after the oil got that many miles on it. To address that well known problem, Victory added a neutral finder to the transmission and then upped the service interval to 5000 miles--using the oil that is only good for 2500 miles in non-neutral finder equipped bikes. The oil is only rated for 2500 miles in bikes that do not have the neutral finder, but now folks are being told to run it 5000 miles...................
If the Victory oil has not been improved too, then I see trouble ahead. I lived through this poor oil fiasco once before with my 2000 SC, and remember it well. I was around when all the problems with the early bike's transmissions was a huge topic. I also know what the solution for MY 2000 SC's funky transmission behavior was. The trouble was caused by the factory oil breaking down after 2000 miles. The solution was better oil that has proven to last 5000 miles and more in the same bike, same transmission, doubling the factory service interval, and still going strong on the original transmission all these years later.
My 2000 SC has a 5000 mile change interval too, and has had for over 11 years. So does my 2008 Vision. Both bikes are still shifting good at that interval and neutral is never a problem to find. However, they both only go 2500 miles on the VICTORY oil before trouble starts to manifest itself as funky behavior.......
That's been my experience.
Has the oil been improved too in the past couple of years? I do not know. I'm not going to find out, because the Victory branded oil is still only rated for 2500 miles in MY bikes.
If it is now 5000 mile oil, then why is it only recommended to go 2500 miles in non-neutral finder equipped bikes?
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2013-08-08 10:58 AM
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Vic oil reformulated?
