[GT5_33]

Has anyone used any of the Red Line products such as Shock Proof Redline gear fluids? We have used these in go karting shifter karts which use moto engines. Have had very good luck using in transmissions. Thanks

 

[ssls6]

I use Redline shock proof heavy in all my BMW trannies/final drives. It can be found right now in my R1150GS Adv, R1200RS, and R100GSPD. Redline uses an ester based synthetic (POE) basestock, moly, and lots of calcium. It clings really well and shift performance is awesome.

RLK

 

[chrispat]

It's on my list for the next tranny/drive change. I've come full circle and couldn't find anything better.

 

[GT5_33]

Thanks for your responses. One other thing has anyone used the Redline motor oils in the engines? I was thinking about 10W40 in my K12GT. Any thoughts?

 

[ssls6]

It's a great oil but I would not run it for 6k miles. I love their gear lubes but their engine oils tend to break down early. I say this because I do engine oil analysis and have a background in tribology (friction, wear). The POE redline uses is a very aggressive cleaner and will clean your engine spotless in a few thousand miles.

From the data I've seen, Mobil 1 motorcycle oils are the most robust.

 

[HankB]

Well, it's great to have someone with some knowledge posting information about engine oil. My apologies for hijacking the thread

My K12RS uses a bit of oil at 33K miles. I've had it since 20K miles and the PO had put dino oil in it. I've been using Mobil 1 gold cap. With either, I'd estimate oil usage at about a quart in 2500 miles. The only symptom is sometimes a puff of smoke behind me when I pull away from a long light, particularly if it is a somewhat agressive launch. I've heard that some times these bikes have difficulty with stuck rings and read a procedure for soaking in something very high detergent like ATF IIRC to free them. Do you think it would be worth trying a change with Redline to do the same?

If I did, could I supplement with Mobil 1 or should I stick with Redline for makeup?

What do you think about TBN (Total Base Number) for testing oil? I ran a TBN on my K75RT after 10K miles on Mobil 1 red cap and got 6. (I've never had to top up the oil in the K75RT so it was all original oil.)

I figured I could go with 10K change intervals on the big K, but since I would add 4 quarts over that period, somewhere around half the oil would be new at 10K anyway. Unless the oil usage drops, I think I only need to change oil to replace the oil filter.

thanks,
hank

 

[ssls6]

Oil is like religion where most arguments are based on faith not fact. I'll answer only what I know and promise not to preach.

1 qt per 2500 miles is not excessive but some bikes don't burn any. Your driving style, engine wear, and oil weight all contribute to consumption. It is true that adding 1 qt of redline 20w-50 to your favorite oil will dissolve carbon deposits inside your engine but that may or may not help with your consumption. There are other ester based cleaners on the market that you can also use but I generally don't like adding things to oil.

The best advice I can give you on your consumption is to switch from Mobil Gold Cap 15w-50 to a motorcycle specific 20w-50. The Mobil 15w-50 is on the light end of a 50 weight (by a lot). If you like Mobil (I do) then try their Vtwin 20w-50. I bet your consumption drops by 1/2. Castrol 20w-50 or Golden Spectro 20w-50 are likely to do the same thing.

If you really are worried about having stuck rings, try a gas treatment and not an oil treatment. Yamaha ring free or Chevron Techron work well on conbustion chamber deposits.

 

[HankB]

Thanks for your recommendations. I agree that a quart in 2500 miles is not excessive and I'm not overly worried about it. It just means if I get far enough away from home, I need to bring extra oil for me and baggage space is at a premium!

If there is an easy way to correct it, I'll do so. I can't recall if I ran any Techron through it before the last oil change, but I'll do so before the next. I'll also look into the Yamaha ring free. A stuck ring may not be the problem, but for a few $$ it seems worth a try.

thanks,
hank

 

[motorradnik]

Has anyone used any of the Red Line products such as Shock Proof Redline gear fluids?

My experience w/ RedLine Heavy Gear Oil in my R1150GS' final drive and tranny was nothing but good (seemed to shift smoother and no rear drive leaks) However, that being said, there is some hint of controversy out there regarding Red Line and the rubber seals used by BMW in the final drive and transmission cases.... the Marietta, Ga dealer I purchased my GS from, sold Red Line Gear Oil in his corporate BMW shop but never really went so far to openly sing its praises... the service manager at the Norcross, Ga dealer who took my GS in on trade suggested that using anything other than BMW-spec'd lube in the transmission and final drive might be increasing one's chances of finding transmission and final drive leaks due to seals swelling and deteriorating... though mine never did so in the two years I had used those products... I plan to stick to regualr dino lubes in my K and will most likely change out the final drive more often than is indicated in the service manual.