Oh no I asked the dreaded question! Coke vs Pepsi! Chevy vs Ford! Dogs and cats living together! I changed my oil at 300 miles and used 20w-50 Amsoil. I have another bike, Husky SMR510, that the previous used the same Amsoil in. He put 7800 flawless miles on that bike before I got it. So I figured Amsoil was decent stuff (never really liked the hype tho). I now have just under 900 miles on the Strada and I've noticed the trans has become very notchy with LOUD clacking during shifts. I'm not worried about which oil lasts longer. I change it often enough, and I trade bikes enough that it will never matter for me. I'm asking because I had a 2007 Yamaha FZ6 with a terribly notchy trans. The local Yamaha dealer sold me some Spectro Golden and that was the magic bullet for that bike....super slick shifting after that.
Beside the fact that the TR650 has a noisy gearbox, probably the nosiest I've ever experienced, I have to point out that 20w-50 is out of specs according to the service manual, as you need to put a 10w-50 oil, preferably Castrol. The cold viscosity (the first number) is particularly important for motorcycles, especially the ones with a single heating source like the tr650.
I've read that quite a few members are running 10w-40. I do have 3 jugs of Motul 7100 10W-40 on the shelf. I could try it....Seems crazy to me going thinner tho
I've got Castrol Power 1 Racing 4T in ours (Husky TR and BMW X-Country) and they are both very good on shifting when hot or cold.
Thanks for the suggestions. That's why I asked...my Honda NC700X loved Motul 7100. My Aprilia RXV had separate engine oil and trans oil. I used Maxima MTL-R fluid in the gearbox. That stuff is GREAT. Too bad it's not motor oil...
The dealer where I get my Terra serviced uses Motul 7100, so that is what I use when I do oil changes at home. Can't say I've got any complaints about the gearbox or the way it shifts. Having said that, this particular 650cc engine has had clunky gearboxes in all of it's different guises, with BMW or Aprilia badges.
You see, my Aprilia used to routinely spew oil into the airbox. I do miss that delightful soapy smell of Motul 7100... haha
