synthetic and worse whine!

[Shipper]

Just had my oil changed and went with synthetic (Mobile1 20-40). After 200 miles the whine is noticeably worse. I thought that the syn might actually help quiet the clutch basket (I assume that's where the whine originates?), but it seems the opposite has happened. Has this happened to anyone else? My new slip-ons don't begin to compensate for the increase in whine. Any ideas? Is my only choice to go back to Dino? Thanks!

[SilvrT]

Just had my oil changed and went with synthetic (Mobile1 20-40). After 200 miles the whine is noticeably worse. I thought that the syn might actually help quiet the clutch basket (I assume that's where the whine originates?), but it seems the opposite has happened. Has this happened to anyone else? My new slip-ons don't begin to compensate for the increase in whine. Any ideas? Is my only choice to go back to Dino? Thanks!

 

I tried that too and got pretty much the same result. I've since changed the basket to the I basket and am using Rotella T 15w40 non-synthetic and it's fairly quiet in comparison to when I had the G basket; however, there is still a "whine" ... just not enuf to bother me anymore.

[earwig]

I bought a set of high quality earphones for my ipod, let her whine! I know that some feel its not safe to ride with earphones, but I feel I can still hear well enough and it eliminates the annoying whine!

[pegscraper]

Yup. Mine never whined at all until I tried synthetic oil because everyone said it was better. Went back to regular oil and it finally went mostly away, but not completely.

[Freebird]

Mine shifts better and runs quieter with Mobil 1 Racing 4T. I've heard reports on both sides. I guess it varies between bikes. It may also have something to do with the weight of the oil. The Racing 4T is 10w 40. Works very well for me.

[RedRaptor22]

I just got my 99 running and have'nt noticed any sort of whine, I'm pretty sure it's all stock with the 40k original miles, I used rotella T in it, after ending up with a destroyed clutch do to synthetic I'll never run it in a bike again.

[hig4s]

I just got my 99 running and have'nt noticed any sort of whine, I'm pretty sure it's all stock with the 40k original miles, I used rotella T in it, after ending up with a destroyed clutch do to synthetic I'll never run it in a bike again.

 

The clutch went bad after 40k miles, on a bike with a know weak factory clutch and you think it was the synthetic oil? I've used synthetic on every bike I've had since the mid 80s. Including an 82 Yamaha 750 I use to drag race, an an 88 Kawasaki 750 Ninja, and five dirt bikes. One of them was a Husqvarna 125 MX bike that I use to have to slip the clutch unmercifully to have any acceleration coming out of the corners because the poor bike was hauling my 200+lb butt. The only clutch I have ever destroyed was on the 82 Yamaha 750 using Pennzoil auto motive oil, before I switched to synthetic.

 

As far as the weight of the oil, I have heard a couple of people mention that heavier oils make the whine worse.. Never experienced it because I never used heavier oils. Mobil 1 20-50 is designed for air cooled twins, with sloppier engine tolerances than our bikes. I use the 4t racing same as Freebird. Basically the same oil I used most of the time in my Ninja and dirtbikes.

[TEW47]

I had used Mobile 4t and went back to the Rotella and I have noticed a big difference, the whine is alot louder and does not shift as good as with the Mobile 4t. So next oil change I will go back to Moible 4t.

 

tew47

[TonyLudwick]

I use Valvoline 20W50 Motorcycle Oil in my 2005 RSTD and that seems to work well for me. I have had an I-Type clutch basket installed free of charge under warranty also. The wine is still there, but it is not as loud. It is more of a jet engine type sound instead of a chirp like it used to be.

 

Regards,

Tony

[davecb]

Try using Yamaha semi-synthetic oil. This was told to me by the Yamaha Master GURU....

[hig4s]

Try using Yamaha semi-synthetic oil. This was told to me by the Yamaha Master GURU....

 

From what I've read most Yamaha oil is made by Valvoline, and most Honda oil is made by Exxon,, I don't think either of them are near as good as Amsoil, Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec or Shell Rotella.

 

Oh, and almost all semi-synthetic oils are only 10 to 15% synthetic. You would get the same protection and it would be cheaper just to use regular oil with half a quart of synthetic in each oil change.

[Shipper]

I incorrectly posted that my oil change was Mobile 1 20w-40 (no such animal). It was 20w-50. I just talked to a Mobile tech and he said I should have used 4T 20w-40. The 20w-50 (called V-Twin) is usually used on HD's or similar. Guess I'll go argue with the service mgr about changing the oil-Yamaha doesn't even specify a 50w oil.

Have no idea if that contributed to the whine, but can't hurt to try.