[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by MavericK46

...

To cut a long story short, even if you decide to try a different manufacturer, please stick to the same grade - W50; 15W50 or 20W50 will not really make a difference, but W40 over W50 is a significant change.

I second. In our conditions a W50 oil makes more sense and becomes unchallenged when it is mentioned in the 'book'.

If you differentiate oil based on atmospheric temperatures where the engine will work, then it comes to something like below as far as I know :

10w40 - Between <0 degs and 40 degs cel.
10w50 - Between <0 degs and >40 degs cel.
20w50 - Between 0 degs and >40 degs cel.

So, choose as per the book and atmospheric conditions around.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

How are the Metzeler's holding up? I've done 11500 on them so far and they're good for another 4000 km i've been told.

My Metz are in top shape at 5500 kms. There are several contributing factors to this including my limited riding, riding only on good roads and riding pretty sedately.

A few friends of mine have been able to extract between 14000-16000 kms out of the tyre so I do hope you'll be able to use the tyre for some time.

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

Just go for 15W50 300 V. It's in a league of it's own if you ask me.

Even I am leaning towards 300v but its the price which is holding me up.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

300v is not a long interval oil. It was designed for racing and won't last you more than 5000 kms in our conditions, in road use.

Motul 7100 is for road use and have very long drain interval and can do 8K-10k ,on a change, in our conditions.

7100 lasts 8k? That's great news!! I first changed at 1000 kms and then at 4000 kms. Maybe I can hold the oil longer now. But I guess I should also consider the fact that 8k oil change will mean changing after nearly 1 year which won't be ideal thing to do.

Originally Posted by MavericK46

Spot on Sojo..
Also, a drop in grade from XW40 to XW50 isn't something that ought to be done.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

I second. In our conditions a W50 oil makes more sense and becomes unchallenged when it is mentioned in the 'book'.

This was exactly my reply when I found out my friends are using 10W40. My worry about going from W50 to W40 was precisely I wanted to check opinions. I think one may (a feeble one) go with thinner oil in winters but it is a strict no-no during Indian summers is what I understand. Thinner oil will give better mileage and performance in short-term but long-term effects can be devastating.

Also, would recommend 7100 over Shell any day.

I never deliberated about Shell but the difference between mine and friends' bikes is like chalk and cheese. They swear by Shell and it is hard to ignore first hand experience. I understand there may be other contributing factors but Shell's performance is tempting indeed. I think I shouldn't fall for short-term gain traps.

[MavericK46]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

.....
A few friends of mine have been able to extract between 14000-16000 kms out of the tyre so I do hope you'll be able to use the tyre for some time.
..........
Even I am leaning towards 300v but its the price which is holding me up.

7100 lasts 8k?.........
.............I understand there may be other contributing factors but Shell's performance is tempting indeed. I think I shouldn't fall for short-term gain traps.

I managed to squeeze out 15k out of my rear M5 before the first signs of the steel belt started to appear. So expecting them to last 15k is definitely reasonable mate.

And Sojo has a reply from Motul themselves on why 300v is a bad idea for our roadbikes. I'll let him share details on that...

I too change oil at around 5k (which is what is specified in the manual). However, during my last oil-change, The Duchess had done around 6.5k and I could tangibly feel that the engine was a tad more vibey. I'm sure one could eke out more without any engine damage as the viscosity wouldn't have dropped too low. But IMO 5k seems to be the sweet spot.

Lastly, the performance difference you're seeing could be simply due to those other bikes being from the earlier batch of bikes (Mine is a '13 D390). The older bikes felt more peppy and have a snatchy throttle response which make them feel like they're always straining at the leash.
Also, the fact that those bikes have covered >10k kms will mean that the internals would've fully mated as against yours which still has 4.5k kms to get there.

MORAL: Stick to the 7100T and get cracking on covering them kilometres

Cheers !

Sundar

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

7100 lasts 8k? That's great news!! I first changed at 1000 kms and then at 4000 kms. Maybe I can hold the oil longer now. But I guess I should also consider the fact that 8k oil change will mean changing after nearly 1 year which won't be ideal thing to do.

I never deliberated about Shell but the difference between mine and friends' bikes is like chalk and cheese. They swear by Shell and it is hard to ignore first hand experience. I understand there may be other contributing factors but Shell's performance is tempting indeed. I think I shouldn't fall for short-term gain traps.

Yep. 8K and more. Have it straight from Motul. Changing the oil once in a year is not a problem either. They are build to last long, as much as 10-12k as per the manuals of some manufacturers. Plus you only do highway rides and that means, just drain it as per what the manual says (7500 kms I guess ?)



Regarding the cheese, using a less viscous oil than recommended might give the 'feeling' of 'cheese' but it may not turn out to be very good for the engine in the long run. Also, do all the machines you have tried out have similar usage ? Your usage suggests me, you would need much more kms for the engine to feel similar to a lesser clocked one which is also used in the city. Also, the run in on highways is not very ideal thing to do since the changes in engine speeds are few and far between and add to that very hugely spaced hot and cold cycles, unlike riding in a city.

Also, if 300v is something you really want to have a go at and the only thing that is stopping you is the price tag, please try this or you would like to save some coins on the 7100 20w50 then this

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by MavericK46

Lastly, the performance difference you're seeing could be simply due to those other bikes being from the earlier batch of bikes (Mine is a '13 D390). The older bikes felt more peppy and have a snatchy throttle response which make them feel like they're always straining at the leash.

That is precisely what I have experienced. However, the dukes I am referring are '14 D390s but have clocked over 15k kms. What's perplexing is that while Dukes have that neck-snapping acceleration, RC is far more mellow. I have found that there is no power loss anywhere in the rev range so I believe RC is bestowed with this characteristic.

But Dukes manage to plaster an ear-to-ear grin on my face every time I am astride them.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Regarding the cheese, using a less viscous oil than recommended might give the 'feeling' of 'cheese' but it may not turn out to be very good for the engine in the long run.

This is exactly why I don't want to play with engine oil. One won't infuse B+ blood in someone who needs A+!

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Also, do all the machines you have tried out have similar usage ?

They couldn't be more different, actually. One guy does powerwheelie every time he gets moving (we all do ride responsibly in traffic at all times) while the other one is into long distance touring. But both bikes do 10-20 kms daily, 7 days a week.

Also, the run in on highways is not very ideal thing to do since the changes in engine speeds are few and far between and add to that very hugely spaced hot and cold cycles, unlike riding in a city.

I am aware my riding must have had the effect on how the engine has been run-in. However, during initial running, I took breaks every 10-15 kms and tried exploring the rev-range on highways. But I admit nothing beats the rigour of traffic.

Also, the fact that those bikes have covered >10k kms will mean that the internals would've fully mated as against yours which still has 4.5k kms to get there.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Your usage suggests me, you would need much more kms for the engine to feel similar to a lesser clocked one which is also used in the city.

My RC has shown drastic improvement in refinement since the first day so I am hopeful things will improve by the time I hit 10k kms mark. It is almost like the bike is growing up every day!! What beats me is that it takes so long for the engine to shine at its full glory. I am sure many would have sold their KTMs before they hit the 10k mark.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Also, if 300v is something you really want to have a go at and the only thing that is stopping you is the price tag, please try this or you would like to save some coins on the 7100 20w50 then this

I use paytm very frequently but am not very confident on buying something like engine oil. However, couple of hundred bucks are inconsequential considering the grand scheme of things!

[VedderTheFixer]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

300v is not a long interval oil. It was designed for racing and won't last you more than 5000 kms in our conditions, in road use.

Motul 7100 is for road use and have very long drain interval and can do 8K-10k ,on a change, in our conditions.

Also, would recommend 7100 over Shell any day.

Right on, thanks man. I've done a tad over 5000 km on 300V so far and will send the bike for service soon. As for Shell, never really considered it to be honest. One question - do you think Engine Ice coolant is worth it, for a Duke 390? Contemplating on getting some.

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

One question - do you think Engine Ice coolant is worth it, for a Duke 390? Contemplating on getting some.

From what I had found out a few months ago is that the effect is not singular. Someone gets a 3-5 degs lower temperatures while others see no impact at all. You could always try when it is time to replace the coolant. It is not worse than anything else so there is no harm done otherwise.

[VedderTheFixer]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

From what I had found out a few months ago is that the effect is not singular. Someone gets a 3-5 degs lower temperatures while others see no impact at all. You could always try when it is time to replace the coolant. It is not worse than anything else so there is no harm done otherwise.

That's a good point, i got to replace by coolant now its about time. So might as well give it a shot. This friend of mine swore that there was a 7 deg reduction in his Duke 200 so frankly was astounded. Opinions here said otherwise.

One thing i can vouch for is the use of System G on a 390. My bike is freakishly smooth, power delivery is silky and there's no jerking at lower RPMs. So yes, immensely satisfied there

Cheers!

[ksameer1234]

Yesterday got crazier than usual and weekend ride turned into quite a behemoth.

The plan: I thought on Friday evening after the Diwali celebrations subsided to make use of weekend and fulfill long planned trip to Mainpat (kind of picturesque destination 1000 m known for a Buddhist monastery and some other natural attractions). It was finalised on Saturday morning at 5 AM to go ahead. The idea was to ride solo for 400 kms to the destination, stay overnight and return next day. Only preparation made was to check for availability of fuel outlets on route (I believe this is more important than anything else ). And then I set off with a pair of clothes at 7 AM.

The ride: The ride was uneventful for first 230 odd kms and then some very delicious ghats appeared. These were very gradual with nice flowing corners where one could maintain good speeds. The joy was however short-lived as the road for next 20 kms were full of craters which could easily swallow a two-wheeler. The final 20 kms included nearly 10 kms of steep and narrow ghat roads.

The destination: I was kind of underwhelmed when I reached there. There is an old monastery and a new very large one is under construction. Apart from that, there are a few waterfalls but they are good 15-30 kms away. I reached around 2 PM, and spent some time clicking pics and nibbling away at snacks.



The dismay: It was heart-breaking to find out that the entire govt. resort was sold out and to further dampen the spirits, even the other hotel had no availability. This meant I had only two options: either ride to nearest town which was 50 kms away and stay there overnight or...

The surprise decision: Travel back home on Saturday itself. At 4 PM, decision was made to head back home!! It had taken me around 7 hours in morning and I was expecting it will be 8 hours back. Thankfully, the return ride was free from any nasty events but this one ride helped forge a strong bond between rider and the machine.

The star of the show: Whether it is carving the corners or overtaking those extra-long lorries, Blade is an absolute joy. But special mention is due for the headlights which proved to be a delight. In past one year, I had ridden at night only once and decided to bet on the lights to help negotiate roads. Even in low beam, intensity and spread is satisfactory but switch on the high beam and things become exponentially better. The best part was spread which ensured that none of walking crowd or cyclists on side of the road were missed in spotting. The intensity meant that cars and even trucks would take notice.

ABS played its part a couple of times when cattle decided to jump onto road and made sure there was no drama. I think the true confidence to go any fast emanates from the safety net of ABS and wonderful brakes.

To say that seat is hard would be an understatement. It resulted in soreness after every 200 kms with only respite being that getting off the saddle for a few minutes while refueling helped considerably.

Which brings in another pleasant surprise which is the fuel efficiency. Complete trip was on single carriageway with 2-3 ghat sections and patches of terrible roads.I got a wonderful 34-35 kpl for the complete trip!

My major grouse would be the stupid tank capacity. Even though it turned out a blessing in disguise as it ensured I never rode more than 250 kms in a single stretch but in more remote places, the thought of not finding fuel outlet in time can be scary. Other than that, riding position is not suited when roads deteriorate and the discomfort seeps into legs and wrists pretty fast.

The other thing which I observed was that while climbing down the ghats, I was putting a lot of pressure on wrists. This resulted in sore wrists after just 20 odd minutes. Tried gripping the tank but didn't help much as I kept sliding forward.

The aftermath: I finally parked Blade in the garage at midnight. 800+ kms in 17 hours meant palms were so sore that it was a challenge to remove the gloves. Wrists were aching mildly and arms seemed to have gone numb. However, a good night's sleep meant that things are far better. No back pain or sore bum. No wrist pain either but muscles are stiff. It feels like a newbie's first day in gym.

Looking back, the ride was kind of unexpected and I was unsure about night driving but Blade came out with flying colours!! The trip tested me to the hilt and my errors tested the chassis and rims but looking back, this was one of the most memorable ride and will remain so forever!

[PrasannaDhana]

Hey Sameer,

Amazing thread!

I am looking forward to book a new RC390 soon. I owned a first gen Duke 390 and I loved it to bits! That beautiful engine has made me stick to the ktms as the other 300s feel soul-less in comparison. RC390 ergonomics is perfect for me and it felt a lot more comfortable than the duke.(I did a trial with an RC200, having it for two days and rode 300km). I am sold out on the terrific handling!

But how do you get 34 kmpl!!!? I have always got an average of 17-20 kmpl and highest has been 24 kmpl on my Duke 390. I understand you have a controlled right arm. I just cannot leave that amazing 390 engine below 8000 rpm