Ok decided to do my 2 year service myself. For two reasons 1: they can't fit me in for a month 2: dealer service is £181.50 (I can do it for £35) Owners manual recommends 10W/40 or 10W/50 semi or fully synthetic. The dealer last used Castrol power 1 (semi synthetic) shall I just stick with that, or go to power 1 racing (fully synthetic) Any recommendations on oil filters, it's a Castrol filter on it now, but can find where to get them.
As above, Castrol power 1 full synthetic and genuine filter. I got my oil from Halfords using my trade card, gets about £10 off.
Halfords 5w40 fully synthetic, currently £36 for 5 litres (semi synth is £30), is my oil of choice for my Trident 900 and was also for my Daytona 955i when I had it - unless I can find summat else cheaper of the same quality (currently using Shell and can find no discernable difference). I was told by Halfords' staff when, I first bought some, that it was in fact made by Motul. This may or may not (still) be true. They stock Champion filters which again are no problem.
maybe use genuine filter but oil is entirely up to you,ive used silkolene 10/40 semi synth for decades no complaints,no bad reviews on web for silkolene semi synth 10\40.
When it comes to ‘peace of mind’ we are not very rational creatures. The main difference between them is not their lubricant properties but heat resistance and longevity. The molecules break down less reasily in a fully synthetic oil. High mileages in New Mexico might warrant fully synthetic but it is not really necessary in South Wales. Being a tightwad I use fully synthetic and change oil every other year making sure the last autumn run is long enough to steam off all possible condensation. You choose.
I should add.....as we tend to forget....that your oil is your primary coolant as it gets to all the hottest parts of the engine like the underside of the pistons as well as the bores and valve gear. Water cooled bikes suffer less from temperature spikes than air cooled hence finer tolerances as well as mechanically quieter. The air cooled Bonnies have the oil cooled immediately it exits the head at its hottest which influences my choice of fully synthetic for hot days in urban traffic......but it is more in my mind than in the motor.
As long as you change oil every 5k+/- you’ll be fine. Modern bikes and for that matter car motor build tolerances are much more exact than years past. That’s why manufactures say one can go 10k or more on oil / filter change. Btw, even full synt oil is not really full synthetic. Look it up.
T552, the dealer was only going to do the A service (minor) which doesn't involve suspension, as its low mileage. I'll probably do it anyway. I'm going to need to reset service indicator, I think I need a thing called tuneECU? I'm guessing that's a computer program. Anyone done this?
Some things are time not milage related. Linkages are 12k or 2 years whichever comes 1st. Knowing there is little lube I there I may suggest having that done also as preventative maintainance and save replacement in the future.
+1 for doing the linkage, it only takes about half an hour. There wasn’t any evidence of corrosion or wear in mine but there wasn’t any grease either after two and a half years and 8000 miles.
I don’t know but if I was having the linkage done at the dealer I’d ask for the swing arm pivot to be done as well, and maybe even the hub bearings but I bet they’d say it isn’t necessary even though several people who have done their own hubs etc report sod all grease in there.
Am I safe to assume that, because the trident 900 and Thunderbird share the same engine, the correct oil will be the same too?
