We may be on to a thread that will end all oil threads. Arky, you bring up a good point and having worked customer service, and field is irrelavent, I have found the customer will say anything to keep themselves covered. So, to follow through on in whether full synthetic is viable for a motorcycle wet clutch I would have to do my own personal independant test.

I can see this scenario playing out. Motorcycle buddy tells other motorcycle buddy that all he uses is Xbrand full synthetic oil. Other buddy thinks, well since my friend uses I'll use it. So he goes to his Xbrand oil jobber and says "give me 5 quarts of your 10-40 oil." Now, he doesn't specify, nor does he check to see that it is motorcycle oil and he carts it home, changes his oil and then blewy, his clutch is shot. Now he is perplexed and checks and finds out that he should have asked for M/C rated oil but doesn't want to be the laughing stock of his biker buddies. He makes a big tadooo over how Xbrand ruined his motorcycle and had to pay out of his own pocket to get it fixed. Then he swares that he'll never use that junk again.

We all safely assume that we are all intelligent and well versed in motorcycle stuff that we fail to convey, "make sure it is made for a motorcycle." Another case and point is that I bought some high speed antifreeze for my other bike (sorry, that just doesn't sound right when talking of motorcycles, but they are among us) and was told this is the best stuff on the market for ANYTHING. Well, that antifreeze is still sitting on the self as I went home and did extensive research and found that unless the antifreeze is made specifically for Honda and states so, do not use it. The reason? Silica. Most of your automotive antifreeze contains this, more than other, but in a honda, you cannot have it, else it will eat the waterpump bearing in no time. So, with that experience I can see where you can buy Xbrand, unaware of how specific you must be, and have a failure and thus, a myth is born.

So now I can make use of my 5 quarts of full synthetic oil with a clear conscience and thus another oil thread fades off into the archives of the forum world.

sheeesh arky, now why did you go and do that? I'm going send away for my sample kit today and get mine tested.

My dad use to get his oil tested all the time as a trucker and for him it paid dividends, I think this will do the same for my bike and understanding the optimal oci.

Money for the most part is not a factor, wait, I'm not indepenantly wealthy or anything, but money is required for upkeep. So far the Vision has not outpriced me yet. I'm almost ready for new set of tires in about 3 months which is chunk of change as well. Everything seems to work out fine though. I'm looking for the right fit as I don't want to be changing my oil every month as that is the case if I stick to the 2,500 mile rule and the 50/50 blend. I've not tried it since I've got all the miles on it, but in the early days when I was using the 50/50 it would start clacking at or around the 2,500 mile mark. I went to AMSOIL and it seemed it could go 3k to 4k before I heard the clacking in the upper side. Right now I think I've got about 3k on the AMSOIL and all seems to be very well, so it might be a wear-in matter with 39k on the clock.

Around 30k when I had the 50/50 I actually thought it was smoking. I had just got back off my trip from Texas running 3,600 on that trip between oil changes. It was also ticking making me think I did something to it. I put back in the AMSOIL and all seems to be running well and I've not seen anything that I thought was oil smoke coming out of the exhaust. I think my last change was around 35K and I think I'm due again, I got to get out my book and check. The engine is still running quiet and all seems to be well. That is why I want to get it tested just to see what is going on. It actually feels like the bike is running stronger with the more miles on it then when it was young, but maybe that is because I'm an old geezer at 50 now also.

I've yet to change my belt so I guess I'm just a deesasster waiting to happen, but I think I'll do that when I pull the rear tire to get it changed. I find the Vision a very easy bike to maintain. One more highjack, I still need to change the fork oil being that it has 25K on it. 15K is the right interval, as I'm getting that slight dive that I despise.

Arkainzeye - 2009-04-20 11:33 AM VARYDER, not to change the subject. but how many miles do you get on a set of tires. i only have 6400 miles on my scooter and im just wondering what i should expect.

E3 have been good to me and I've been bad to them. I stretched 16k on my very first one, 14k on my second, and I've to about 9k on this one and it is looking good. It may be argued that I probably should have changed my first one 14k as well as that is when I noticed it need to be changed having been at the majority of the wear bars. By the time I ordered the tire and then have it changed another month rolled by and I average about 2,500 a month. I pushed the first front to about 23,000 and it was ready to change around 21,000, which to me was a little disappointing. This front is has about 16k on it and my wife told me it is ready to change. She doesn't realized that motorcycle tires doesn't have the teeth a car tire has so it looks slick to her. But I looked at it close and I would say I've got a good 5k left on it. So It looks like it'll be two tires at one time the next go round. I keep about 41psi in both front and rear. I will note also, I took the interstate all the way to texas and back and the tire run "flat" on me, that is the tread wore in the middle since I wasn't doing the twisties as much. I think that helped the need to change at 14k.

In summary:

• 15k rear
• 20k front
• 40psi f/r

VisionTex - 2009-04-20 9:41 PM Isn't it amazing how slick oil really is!!!! It just slid right out of this thread.....yea!!

Yeah, but, what kind of transmission fluid should I use? I heard thin weight is the best. It  makes no differential to me.

wonder how many are lurking trying to decide exactly what to do next? Should it be 50/50, full synthectic, which brand, is it made for a motorcycle, will I blow my clutch, suck a valve, throw a rod. You know, that stuff happens everyday, so beware of what you do and what you use.

For the most part, riders that I know really pay attention to everything, to a fault. Those that don't often suffer failure one way or another. I know we all live and learn, but riding a motorcycle requires you to pay attention to everything. Our lives literally depend on the machine we ride and when we ALLOW failure because we do not pay attention to the least little detail, then it can cost us, not only in money but in life.

So to the ones who are trying to figure all this stuff out, please stick to the Victory 50/50, let your dealer do the service, on time, everytime, and do your checks before and after you ride. The season is starting up now and the bikes are out like mayflies, I'm just wondering if all of us will make it through the season to look back with great and fond memories.

great post ^^^^^^^^

ditto

DOUBLE POST. Well, let's make use of it:

Did you hear about the biker who....?

Never mind.......

Take a safety course too, at least every two years or more. Some I see out there I recommend every six months....