Oil Choice
Moderators: Aladinsaneuk, MartDude, D-Rider, Moderators
I did an oil change last month. Went to an Aprilia dealer and they gave me fully synth 15w50 silkolene saying that's what they use on their Aprilia's. I did question the clutch slip thing and he said they never had a prob with silkolene but advised against using mobile1 as that had caused problems in the past. So guess it's more down to what manufacturer and what additives they use in their oil?
- Aladinsaneuk
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sounds like horse shit to me
I tried putoline full synth in my falco and clutch slipped like a slippy thing in a slippy place.... and call me a bluff old traditionalist, but if one oil, manufactured to a set standard slips then I reckon other oils, made to the same standard, will also slip....
I tried putoline full synth in my falco and clutch slipped like a slippy thing in a slippy place.... and call me a bluff old traditionalist, but if one oil, manufactured to a set standard slips then I reckon other oils, made to the same standard, will also slip....
Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...
- Falcopops
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I think there is a difference between older and newer bikes, dunno what years. The newer ones seem to be OK with fully synthetic oil, mine certainly is. Older ones (on anecdotal evidence) don't like it and will slip.
Pretty much everyone that has had a slip issue with full synth has had the problem go away by changing back to semi-synth.
Just my 2p worth
Pretty much everyone that has had a slip issue with full synth has had the problem go away by changing back to semi-synth.
Just my 2p worth
- Aladinsaneuk
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tbh kwack i cannot remember now
I know I had a litre left,over from my old ducati, and ordered in via a local shop some matchingstuff
(I was green in those days and did not think to read the manual, talk to people here... just assumed that if my ducati wanted fully synth then so must my aprilia.....)
was damned expensive though!
I know I had a litre left,over from my old ducati, and ordered in via a local shop some matchingstuff
(I was green in those days and did not think to read the manual, talk to people here... just assumed that if my ducati wanted fully synth then so must my aprilia.....)
was damned expensive though!
Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...
Yeah - I think that the ones with the uprated clutch were less prone.Falcopops wrote:I think there is a difference between older and newer bikes, dunno what years. The newer ones seem to be OK with fully synthetic oil, mine certainly is. Older ones (on anecdotal evidence) don't like it and will slip.
Pretty much everyone that has had a slip issue with full synth has had the problem go away by changing back to semi-synth.
Just my 2p worth
Another thing seems to be a problem is changing to fully synth from semi synth ... it has been reported but whether it's an old wives tale I don't know.
Mine's been fine on fully synth.
- mangocrazy
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I'm a big fan of Motul 300V for much the same reason. It does feel very slippery as well (he said, in a very non-technical way and fully expecting some questionable responses...)HowardQ wrote:Anyway all this technical stuff is getting boring, so on a more serious note, I like the Castrol semi synthetic stuff cos I like the red colour!
I notice that Motul 7100 is specifically formulated for bikes - anyone have any experience of it in a Falco?
You should try upgrading to the better Bronze shade that a lot of oil comes in ..... and as it slowly turns Black it is still in keeping with the other colour on the best of the Falcos.HowardQ wrote:Anyway all this technical stuff is getting boring, so on a more serious note, I like the Castrol semi synthetic stuff cos I like the red colour!![]()
It looks even nicer in the viewing tube.
I'm just glad they don't do yellow oil!
- HowardQ
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Now we've got a much more interesting thread going, this is a lot more fun than the other technical stuff, so having described my fettish for red oil, I now feel the need to admit to another similar "little problem" I had very many years ago.
Sadly I had a bit of a "thing" about the smell of Castrol "R40", the original Veggie stuff. I just couldn't get enough of it. I used to go to as many bike races as I could afford, when I couldn't get there I had to get my fix by occassionally going to watch speedway instead, just for the smell of it.
But unfortunately it just got worse.
I changed the oil on my old Matchless 650 G12CSR and ran on R40, but the engine was in really good nick and hardly burnt any, so hardly any Casrol R smell, not even from a cold start. I was devastated, what a bloody let down after what it cost me to fill it with the stuff. Anyway this got to me even more, so I used to slip a bit in the fuel tank after each fill, not enough to foul the plugs or anything, but just to get if wiff of the Castrol "R" smell. Also initially did the same with the Paul Dunstall 650 SS Norton I had next, but hey I was young, it did look like a racer and we all go through funny stages in our lives. Finally grew out of it before I sold the SS. Been "clean" for years now, but still have to be very carefull whenever I go to a classic bike race or similar.

Still, I feel much better having got that lot off my chest.
Sadly I had a bit of a "thing" about the smell of Castrol "R40", the original Veggie stuff. I just couldn't get enough of it. I used to go to as many bike races as I could afford, when I couldn't get there I had to get my fix by occassionally going to watch speedway instead, just for the smell of it.
But unfortunately it just got worse.

I changed the oil on my old Matchless 650 G12CSR and ran on R40, but the engine was in really good nick and hardly burnt any, so hardly any Casrol R smell, not even from a cold start. I was devastated, what a bloody let down after what it cost me to fill it with the stuff. Anyway this got to me even more, so I used to slip a bit in the fuel tank after each fill, not enough to foul the plugs or anything, but just to get if wiff of the Castrol "R" smell. Also initially did the same with the Paul Dunstall 650 SS Norton I had next, but hey I was young, it did look like a racer and we all go through funny stages in our lives. Finally grew out of it before I sold the SS. Been "clean" for years now, but still have to be very carefull whenever I go to a classic bike race or similar.




Still, I feel much better having got that lot off my chest.