I've got good and smooth idle now!

[Janusz]

Everybody would agree, I guess, that the idle, especially when new, is crap. Most of the bikes would stall when stopped and the idle is too low even when adjusted with proper software to factory specs.

 

Well, I"ve had my share of this experience and yes, with mileage accumulating and engine breaking in there was a definite improvement but still not Jap perfect. There was nothing more to be done so I resigned myself to mediocre as good enough.

 

Today was the day when I decided to finally switch to a synthetic oil. Since the engine lubrication is separate from clutch and tranny there is no motorcycle oil dillema for me - its old good Mobil 1 15/50 synthetic.

 

After all was done I started the engine and was really stunned; instead of several seconds the engine started almost immediately idling definitely higher then before and oh so smoooth! An improvement so big in comparison to yesterday that a placebo effect is totally out of the question.

 

I am a happy man now . Gotta go for a ride.

[Guest hyper]

Hello my friend, back in the early 80's I had a high 8 second Suzuki drag bike. It used to take out wrist pins at an alarming rate. I was sponsered for my oil products but I had to tell my sponser that I couldn,t keep doing this. So I tried Mobil One and not only did the wrist pin problem go away but I also picked up a slightly better et and mph( Sorry I can,t remember the exact amount).

While we,re on the subject of synthetics, I changed my diff oil to a synthetic and shortly thereafter it developed an oil leak out of the seal. I rechecked the level and took out approx. a teaspoon and it still leaked. A short while later it fixed itself. So I don,t know if it is extremly sensitive to level or if it was the oil. Would love to here about members experences. Thanks, Hyper

[Frank]

Janusz

 

Although I bought a V11 LeMans this past Fall, the owner's manual that came with the bike was for the '01 V11 Sport model. The recommended oil for this bike is :

 

Agip 4T Super Racing 20W/50

 

and I assume that is the oil the manufacturer put in the bike when assembled. The reason I'm telling you this is that this oil is a full synthetic. I've found a webpage in English that talks about Agip products.

 

Here is the description of Agip 4T Super Racing oil:

 

"A high performance, fully synthetic lubricant for all types of four-stroke engines of any make or model. Thanks to its special additive package, Agip 4T Super Racing has excellent detergent-dispersant, anti-oxidant anti-corrosion, anti-wear, anti-rust and anti-foam pro- perties which guarantee exceptional performance in the severest and most varied operating conditions"

 

 

The webpage I found is:

 

http://www.agip.co.za/prod.htm

 

The other lubricants used are:

 

gear box: Agip Rotra SAE W/90 I can't find a specific W/90 oil on the above webpage but what ever is used should be an EP oil since the every reference I saw on this webpage states that a gear oil with the name Rotra is an EP oil.

 

 

bevel box: Agip Rotra MP SAE 80W/90 plus Rocol ASO/R (I think the ASO/R is correct but I can't find it on the webpage listed above. Its the moly product that MG recommends being added to the bevel box). Description from the webpage :

 

"AGIP ROTRA MP

SAE GRADE 80W-90, 85W-140 Extreme pressure oil for gears operating under very heavy loads, including intermittent ones, high slip be- tween teeth and high temperatures. Recommended for use in gear- and steering boxes, hypoid and bevel axles, final drive units and power take-offs "

 

So it seems that the V11 models, at least starting in '01 (and probably since inception, use synthetic motor oils.

 

Frank

[Guest hyper]

Hello Frank , Do you or anyone else in the USA OR CANADA use these oils or moly additives. If so where can they be found, if not what do you all use? Especially interested in the moly additive as I wrecked my bevel drive on my lemans race bike. Thanks, Hyper

[Janusz]

I am not surprised at all, Frank, not a bit. I will let the cat out of the bag and say that:

 

I've always liked all Redline oils so got on the phone and ask what do they recommend for our Guzzi trannys and rear end. Long story short I ended up with theirs high tech new product which is called Heavy Shockproof Gear Oil; amazing stuff indeed which defies any classification. The internal fluid friction is on SAE 75W90 level but at high temperatures should be rated 75W250 since it provides three times the viscosity in the thin layers between the gear teeth. It also has 3% of friction modfier added so you should use it in your rear end straight (no matter how silly it sounds).

 

Also, there was a slight leak (one drop but no dropping, if you know what I mean) at the bottom of my gearbox which I suspect was caused by a slight overfilling at the first, 1000km, change.

 

This tranny is absolutely transformed (puns galore)! Smooth but positive.

 

Our bikes need good synthetic stuff, brothers, they really do. I am also glad that you confirm that with your battlefield experience, Hyper.

[Janusz]

Hyper, you can by Redline only in one store in Vancouver I know of. The name is Mopac, they are on Kingsway, phone 4354233. Redline direct # 707 - 7456100.

[dlaing]

My dealer has been putting in Maxima Maxum4 Blend. I have it changed every two to three thousand miles. I'll bet Maxima, Red Line, Amsoil, or Agip's full synthetics will last longer, so I will ask the dealer to switch, now that the bike is broken in. (almost 15,000 miles) My 2000 V11S has always idled smoothly and consistently. Is it the oil, I don't know. I do know that if you set your valves too tight, you may get idle problems.

My dealer has been putting synthetic in the gearbox, and the shifting has been fantastic.

When the bike was new, I would find a false neutral maybe every one or two hundred shifts. Now, I find a false neutral every several thousand shifts! Is the bike broken in or am I shifting better? I don't know, probably both, but I am a lot happier now with the shifting, than after the first 5000 miles.

[Frank]

Hyper,

 

You can get the moly additive here at the manufacturer's web site or order through Harpers Moto Guzzi.

 

http://www.tsmoly.com/ts91.htm

 

 

http://www.harpermotoguzzi.com/

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Frank

[dlaing]

ps. Agip appears to be overpriced, but if you want to, try it, many Ducati dealers will carry it. Everyone has an opinion about oil and I think most automotive synthetics are fine for our bikes if changed frequently. (3000 miles) With the Amsoil and Red Line and a few others, your oil should outlast your oil filter, ie. 6000miles. I think motorcycle specific synthetics are often overpriced and are designed to prevent a wet clutch from slipping. Guzzi probably recommends motorcycle oils because our engine revs higher and does not have catalytic convertors, which could be fouled by too much zinc in the oil.

Obvious comments: Draining oil and refilling with fresh is GOOD for your bike! The cleaner the oil, the better! Synthetics last longer! Four oil changes per year, times ten years, at $40/ oil change equals $1600.00!!!! So don't go spending too much on oil changes. (but don't be a cheapskate either)

[Janusz]

The Redline technician rep Dave told me that the above mentioned gear oil does not deteriorate with use ever. In other words you do not have to change it at all really. When pressed he came up with a 3/4 year inyerval more for the curiosity sake or maybe getting rid of any unlike shavings etc.

 

I believe that since modern synthetic fluids are really amazing. My automatic tranny in VW is practically sealed for life with no recommended fluid change at all.

 

Even in air cooled engine like MG a good FULLY synthetic oil (not Castrol etc) replaced every 3,000 miles is a waste IMO. If you accept 3000 mi change of mineral oil you can easily double it with fully synthetic and still recycle better oil then even 1000 mi mineral.

[Guest v11eric]

The intervals for oil chance are recently dubbled, when the v11 came. For a oil chance at 10000km or 6000ml as recomended, I willnot save on oil. I supose that our aircooled highperfomance engines need the best oil there is. The Agip 4T superracing is in Europe rather expencive aswell, but it is the right oil for our bikes. The engine basicly is a car engine, with motorbike power and high rev's. The motorcycleoil's with dope's for clutches, and gearboxe's are nogood for our bike's.

 

oilbaron

 

Eric

01 V11 Lemans

[Guest hyper]

Frank, Thanks for the info. Hyper

[jtucker]

I use Agip 4T synthetic in both my bikes.

 

One thing I wanted to mention: I was told by my dealer *not* to put moly in the rear drive on the V11S. When I asked abou this, they said that at the US dealer meeting, they were told by the factory folks to ignore the manual and just use oil w/out moly. They said they thought it was odd, but every time they asked about it, they were simply told not to use it at all in these bikes. So they don't.

 

Therefore, my rear drive has never had moly. Currently have 90wt Agip in it.

 

__Jason

00 M900Dark

00 V11 Sport