Synthetic in wet clutches

[Clevy]

In my 3 shared sump bikes I use conventional rotella 15w-40. I also use it in my Harley's primary.
Rotella t-6 shears out of grade faster than the conventional,and if running shorter intervals(3000 or less) I've found it not to be a huge deal however any longer than that and I've found shifting to be notchy and difficult. So if running intervals longer than 3000 miles the conventional rotella is better because it retains shift quality for longer.
I don't bother with syn in my shared sump bikes anymore. Rotella conventional is cheap,easy to find and works great. And I don't have to be on the dot as far as mileages go for oil changes. I change the oil when shift quality decreases. Simple.
My Harley will also be getting rotella this year. It's highly modified and I want to prove that those bike oils do nothing more than separate a consumer from his money and don't protect any better that rotella does at 3000-5000 mile intervals.

 

[BillyTheKid]

I never once had a clutch slip on even non JASO rated synthetics and making big horsepower on the bike.

 

[beanoil]

45 years on bikes, many different oils from the go to oil from way back, Castrol 20w50, to today, a very slippery semi-syn 10-40 German oil from Lubro-Moly in my 2013 Can-Am Spyder with many cases of M1 15w50 in Suzuki's in between. I've never had a clutch slip unless the springs were sacked out or the plates were shot. There are a bunch of oils with moly in them, and a whole host of semi-syn and full syns that perform just fine in shared sump bikes. This myth keeps resurfacing, and like the whack-a-mole game, it keeps getting knocked back down as hogwash.

 

[Robenstein]

The Jaso MB rated oils are tested and caused slipping of atleast a limited degree if I am not mistaken. Are not Redline oil bottles tagged with this rating?

 

[salesrep]

Originally Posted By: beanoil
45 years on bikes, many different oils from the go to oil from way back, Castrol 20w50, to today, a very slippery semi-syn 10-40 German oil from Lubro-Moly in my 2013 Can-Am Spyder with many cases of M1 15w50 in Suzuki's in between. I've never had a clutch slip unless the springs were sacked out or the plates were shot. There are a bunch of oils with moly in them, and a whole host of semi-syn and full syns that perform just fine in shared sump bikes. This myth keeps resurfacing, and like the whack-a-mole game, it keeps getting knocked back down as hogwash.

+1

 

[OtisBlkR1]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: dslofti
I keep getting told that synthetic will slip in a wet clutch system bike.

You have a real knack for rehashing old wives tales. Whoever it is that keeps telling you these urban legends, you should probably consider staying away from them.

Weren't you sent on a vacation from BITOG recently for starting a similar discussion?

 

[greaso]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I have used probably every oil made synthetic and dino with and without Moly And have yet to have a clutch slip


Me too. I usually use car oil, but always synthetic after break in. NEVER had a clutch issue. I have road raced street bikes, now ride only dirt. Tons of miles a year. I'm sure that there are a FEW people out there that have had an issue, but I have never experienced it or have headr of it. My current oil of the past few years is Redline. I'll pick up the motorcycle version if I see it, only because it has more moly(or some EP) in it.

 

[Ken2]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
The Jaso MB rated oils are tested and caused slipping of atleast a limited degree if I am not mistaken. Are not Redline oil bottles tagged with this rating?
Here is the spec, look at page 14
http://www.jalos.or.jp/onfile/pdf/4T_EV0604.pdf

The MB spec has a lower friction index than MA. MA is split...MA2 has higher friction and MA1 less friction. If MB is not spec'ed for the clutch material in question, yes, it might allow for some slippage.