Triumphrat

luckyduck · 11-09-2012, 07:39 PM

Did my first oil change on my Bonnie today. Mine is an '01 I bought recently so it's had a few oil changes already. My oil filter and drain plug were almost too loose. I did mine in the gravel lot behind my building using only my sidestand and it was still very easy.

Some tips:

1. It helps to have a paddock type rear swingarm lift. That way you don't have to do what I did and sit on the bike holding it upright to get all the old oil out. My hydraulic lift was ZERO help for the oil change. It gets in the way of both the filter and the plug.

2. Buy shop towels. The tough blue paper towel things as you will go through alot of them.

3. Wear nitrile/latex gloves. Oil isn't really bad for your skin but it ain't good. I've rear medical papers on it causing rheumatoid arthritis in the long run through repeated exposure.

plasma · 11-10-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAAS

(Somebody shoot me now, but I'll bite anyway as it's at least a week since this topic was last flogged to death.)

Well that will be FULLY (OR SEMI) synthetic then, as per the Triumph owner's manual if you care to read it. The recommended oil specs are clearly stated there. Just choose an oil from a reputable brand that meets those specs, particularly JASO MA, which covers use with wet clutches in motorcycle engines. A lot of people swear by a particular brand and type of oil, but unless they've run a load of identical motors on a bench for 100,000 miles or more using different brands of oil and measured any wear, it's all hearsay. The clutch slippage issue is caused by people using oil containing friction modifiers intended for use in vehicles with dry clutches (i.e. cars, etc...). It's nothing to do with the oil being fully synthetic. The OEM filters are not that expensive and are made by a reputable Japanese company in a USA factory, so I don't see much point in trying to save a few cents by using a filter that some say is great, but others say is rubbish.

+3 ,good post, I think the same.

Plasma.