Clutch 1st gear engagement?

[OldCrow]

After rebuilding the Master and Slave and getting a good bleed my '87 Aspencade it still "thumps" into first. It's done this since I bought it a few weeks ago. Still glad I did the rebuild as both looked like the flush I did last week was probably the first since the early 1990s. The clutch is disengaging with the lever in, on the center stand, in gear the rear wheel does not move.

I test drove a few GL1200 and seem to remember they also "thumped". Not a gear grind. Is this just how these beasts go? When I'm riding things seem pretty normal, but between my hearing and ear plugs to save what is left, it's generally a quite ride

 

[dan filipi]

Normal for these beasts.

 

[AApple]

I found on the 1100 that engine oil makes a difference in gear engagement. On the 1500, it makes no difference at all...it always has a "thunk" when I put it in 1st. :headscratch:

 

[OldCrow]

:thanks:
I put in Rotella T4 15W40 Conventional Oil with a WIX filter, no idea what was in it when I got the bike. Don't recall if it was more or less "thunk"
Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

 

[Rednaxs60]

My 1200 does the same, but only first time in the morning.

 

[saganaga]

Shouldn't 15W40 be a little "heavier" when cold than 10W40? Not sure if that would make a difference though...

 

[OldCrow]

saganaga » 28 minutes ago[/url]"7f525eg]
Shouldn't 15W40 be a little "heavier" when cold than 10W40? Not sure if that would make a difference though...

You are correct 15 would be thicker, less flow, at lower temperatures. The '87 Aspencade Owner's Manual allows for the use of SE or SF compliant 20W40 down to 32degF or a 10W40 can be used down to about 10degF. So I'd surmise 15W40 would be fine down to the 20degF. And while I live near the Great White North I'm not there and it's about 65degF in my garage

Since finding an SE or SF is pretty much impossible, the main reason I selected the Rotella T4 15W40 is it is Japanese Automotive Standards Organization(JASO) MA and MA2 compliant. MA and MA2 includes tests for wet clutch, flat tappets, and integrated transmissions. Many other popular oils e.g. Rotella T5 in 10W30&10W40 don't, same with Mobil 1 standard& racing all weights.

From a Motorcycle Consumer News article by Kevin O'Shaughnessy in June 2019, only Rotella T4 in 15W40, Mobil 1 4T(motorcycles) all, and Rotella T6 in 5W40 meet those JASO standards.

Also Valvoline 20W50 Racing has a not for street use oil that has a high level of ZDDP, which is really needed for flat tappets but bad for catalytic converters. I use this in my old BMW for Iron Butt "Racing Competition" :smilie_happy: Also my BMW has a dry clutch and separate transmission using gear oil(75W90) so MA and MA2 compliant oil isn't a big deal for the BMW.

 

[Rednaxs60]

The JASO standard(s) came out in 1999. The oil needed for our older GWs is a high quality detergent oil with no friction modifiers. The MA standard was first and is as you mention. The MA2 standard is to accommodate the installation of catalytic converters on motorcycles.

As long as the API donut has the lower half blank, good to go for our older bikes.

Rotella has two variants of the T6 synthetic, one non-energy conserving, and one with friction modifiers. Have to read the labels to make sure you get the right one. The Rotella T5 that I have found is MA compliant.

A lot of European formulations do not have friction modifiers and are good for our application.

 

[D-50Dave]

I have found that ignorance works best for me. I go to my local store and grab whatever. "Cheap enough is good enough."

 

[mcgovern61]

1st on my 1100 always thunks!

 

[DaveKamp]

Hmmm... and all this time... I thought it was my knee... :yahoo:

 

[OldCrow]

D-50Dave » Yesterday- 4:58[/url]":1ygq0jm2]
I have found that ignorance works best for me. I go to my local store and grab whatever. "Cheap enough is good enough."

I've heard it said "ignorance is bliss". I suppose there is a certain logic to that.

 

[OldCrow]

DaveKamp » Yesterday- 18:17[/url]":25x6bucz]
Hmmm... and all this time... I thought it was my knee... :yahoo:

:smilie_happy: Oh wait.....I better check, my knees do make some loud clicks

 

[DaveKamp]

>>I've heard it said "ignorance is bliss". I suppose there is a certain logic to that.


I'm EXTREMELY blissful... :Egyptian:

 

[OldCrow]

DaveKamp » Today- 10:49[/url]":zm3j515v]
>>I've heard it said "ignorance is bliss". I suppose there is a certain logic to that.


I'm EXTREMELY blissful... :Egyptian:

:good:

 

[saganaga]

Haven't ever noticed any difference in oil on motorcyclists, but I've never used non-JASO MA/MA2 oils.

However, I'm a big believer in full synthetic oils for automobiles in winter. They really do work better in sub-freezing temperatures. So if you drive your motorcyclist in 0F, go full synthetic.

 

[DaveKamp]

saganaga » 33 minutes ago[/url]":29hhytqr]
... I'm a big believer in full synthetic oils for automobiles in winter. They really do work better in sub-freezing temperatures. So if you drive your motorcyclist in 0F, go full synthetic.

I'll second that. I bought my '79 CX500D with 8500 miles on the odometer in 1989, and it's well over 280,000miles, and never been opened up other than popping the valve covers for an occasional adjustment, and I've ridden it in snow and 20F, all the way to 103F, using Spectro Golden, which IIRC was the 'first' synthetic motorcycle oil that I could get in my area. I've put 61 oil filters in that bike... that was a whole lotta oil, too... and strangely enough... the original clutch... :headscratch:

 

[Ansimp]

DaveKamp » Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:17 pm[/url]":h2r09jhi]

saganaga » 33 minutes ago[/url]":h2r09jhi]
... I'm a big believer in full synthetic oils for automobiles in winter. They really do work better in sub-freezing temperatures. So if you drive your motorcyclist in 0F, go full synthetic.

I'll second that. I bought my '79 CX500D with 8500 miles on the odometer in 1989, and it's well over 280,000miles, and never been opened up other than popping the valve covers for an occasional adjustment, and I've ridden it in snow and 20F, all the way to 103F, using Spectro Golden, which IIRC was the 'first' synthetic motorcycle oil that I could get in my area. I've put 61 oil filters in that bike... that was a whole lotta oil, too... and strangely enough... the original clutch... :headscratch:

:good: :salute: