Goodness me. Clutch Slip!

[Killerkins]

Having done a few hundred miles on the old GS550 I thought it might be time to change the oil. Previous chap mentioned he used fully synth, bit overkill for a 33 year old bike I thought. After scanning the Haynes manual and guides online there seems to be a confusion over 20w50 and 10w40. So, thinking "hey its an old bike, probably chock full of gunk and crap anyway", I change the oil with Tescos finest car mineral 10w40 for pittance. Lo and behold a few miles the clutch is slipping all over the shop! All gears and getting worse.

Coincidence might say that the clutch has had it and needs replacing (it's history is unknown). But you just know it's that oil don't you. BUGGER! From what I gathered online its normally the fully synth, ultra thin, full of additives oil that causes this?

Plan of action is to shoot to Halfords today, get some Castol semi synth MOTORBIKE oil and bung it in as well as changing the filter. If I have no luck with that then change the clutch friction plates.

Anyone experienced this before?

[megawatt]

No, as you say , it's the wrong way around. Before you change the oil , it might be worth degreasing the clutch plates to get rid of the old oil?

[Stu]

If the clutch was slipping before the oil change I very much doubt its the oil

you can use car oils in bikes MOTORBIKE oil is a marketing hype and a way to bump up prices

I use castrol semi synthetic in my bike I usually get it when its on offer in Asda and pay 10 - 12 quid for it and having used it for the last 4 years with no trouble I can thoroughly recommend it

I would go with the friction plates and clutch springs myself

[Killerkins]

That's the thing. The clutch slip only started as soon as I changed the oil.

I'm glad you said that about the motorbike (snake) oil, does seem to be a bit of a con but one I was starting to buy into after getting this slip.

I've got half a bottle of Halfords car semi synth lying around will try that today. Failing any improvement I suppose it's time to replace the plates and bung in some Castrol with it. The Haynes manual makes it look too easy, which makes me nervous

Cheers chaps

[Killerkins]

Hang on. I oiled my clutch control cable yesterday too whilst I had the oil out....

Could that have changed setting with all the pulling and tugging? If it's incorrectly set that would cause clutch slip at high revs wouldn't it?!

[Stu]

if its incorrectly set then yes that will cause clutch slip

I would set it as per manual if no joy drop the oil strip and degrease the clutch add some new oil decent ish stuff no tesco own I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for it doesnt have to be bike oil as I say if no different it could just be a coincidence that has started to slip at the same time as a oil change

[Killerkins]

Cheers.

Got a checklist of things to do! Will get her running lovely again

[Tango]

If the clutch was slipping before the oil change I very much doubt its the oil

you can use car oils in bikes MOTORBIKE oil is a marketing hype and a way to bump up prices

I use castrol semi synthetic in my bike I usually get it when its on offer in Asda and pay 10 - 12 quid for it and having used it for the last 4 years with no trouble I can thoroughly recommend it

I would go with the friction plates and clutch springs myself

 

Erm....haven't you just had to change the clutch plates on your bike again Stu?.....

Most cars have a single plate dry clutch....whereas most bikes have wet multiplate clutches.......I believe that there are additives in some car oils that will cause a bike clutch to slip. For the sake of a few extra quid once a year I think I'll stick with Bike specific oil.....

OP....I'm sure semi-synthetic would be more than OK in that bike......

[Stu]

I would go with the friction plates and clutch springs myself

 

Erm....haven't you just had to change the clutch plates on your bike again Stu?.....

Most cars have a single plate dry clutch....whereas most bikes have wet multiplate clutches.......I believe that there are additives in some car oils that will cause a bike clutch to slip. For the sake of a few extra quid once a year I think I'll stick with Bike specific oil.....

OP....I'm sure semi-synthetic would be more than OK in that bike......

yeah due to warpage not slippage it was solid as a rock I just could not stop sometimes!

there is a big thread on here somewhere Bob that is packed with all the info you need

the oils you have to watch is the high end market ones where you wouldn't buy them to put in the bike as they are too expensive

[Stu]

been looking for this website for bloody ages!!

http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm

have a read its pretty interesting

[Tango]

Cheers Stu....although that article is a few years old now.....

I've read on the Triumph forum that a lot of guys go for Motul 5100.....which isn't really that expensive....£25-£35 for 5 litres....especially when I had to buy some oil to top the car up a week or 2 ago and it was £16 for 1 litre in the Shell filling station...

[Stu]

yeah it is a few years old but the laws are still the same they are only allowed a certain amount of additives to the oils

yeah motul is pretty cheap I used to use it its good oil too

yeah some car oils aren't cheap its £45 for 5 litres for my car

[Killerkins]

Interesting read!

Well this is embarrassing. Adjusted the clutch cable at the gearbox end and replaced the oil with the leftover halfords stuff. No noticeable change (well apart from a much smoother feeling cold running and easier gear change).

Went on ebay, 30 quid on new clutch plates and off to Halfords for the 32 quid Castrol stuff. Sat in car park had a quick fiddle with the clutch cable at handlebar end....

...needless to say I had a very red face the drive home. That will teach me to jump the gun and not adjust the most obvious thing first, runs fine now!!! DOH!

[Stu]

we live and learn

at least you have some spares now