Oil change sticker shock...

Old Scratch

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Another Rotella user here and have used a lot of Mobile 1 even if it doesn't have the right JASO MA/MA2.

Two things to watch for on filters:
#1. MAKE SURE to look at the bottom of the filter before installation. Some have a convex bottom which will prevent the filter from seating.


#2. If you have a skid plate like most of us, longer filters may be too long and the plate will be pressed against the filter end.

More info is in this thread:

And of course:

View attachment 66264
Lol. What oil you run.......They probably use Super Tech.
 
B

ballisticexchris

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I just can't bring myself to use Rotella. I have a pretty extensive off road background. And I'm not all that good of a rider. So my bikes tend to get really hot (well past 300 deg). for long periods of time. I want an oil that will hold up. Motul 300V and 8002t only for every off road bike. Shell Rotella will cook and lose protection at those temperatures.

I used Motul 3000 mineral at the 62 mile oil change, Yamalube All Purpose mineral oil at the 600 mile dealer service, Maxima Premium mineral oil 1163 miles, and back to Motul 3000 at 3249 miles. During the break in period I just used whatever JASCO mineral oil that was cheap. At 5286 miles I swapped to Motul 5100 semi synthetic. Next oil change I'll mix what I have left with Motul 7100 oil.

For the Super Tenere almost any oil off the shelf will work for everyday riding. However, consider if you are in the backcountry and blow a hole in your cases, and lose almost all your oil. Or puncture the radiator and lose all your water. Then only a good Ester Synthetic is going hold up.

I'm really a fan of Motul products. The price is very reasonable for what you get and Motul brand is found at almost any motorcycle shop in the world.
 

gv550

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Note the OP is buying this in Canada, not fair to compare this with USA options because oil can't be shipped across the border. Even if it could be imported, the shipping cost, duty, broker fee and taxes would eliminate any savings. The prices paid are close to Yamaha Canada msrp, and in Ontario there would be an additional charge for environmental fee. Not fair to blame the dealer. The oil change kit is less money but that would mean the dealer has to stock a different kit for each bike, easier to just buy a case of oil and the individual filters. And most dealers stock alternate oils to provide less costly options.
Rotella has a "C" rating (diesel engine), and Yamaha specifically and in bold lettering excludes it from approval for use in their motorcycles.
 

Scubatech

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Severance, Colorado
Seems most dealers believe they can mark up parts well over list price, and maintenance items such as oil ect are even worse on the mark up. The dealer I bought the Goldwing from was 300% list price on things such as oil, antifreeze ect. Needless to say, that didn't pan out well over the long term as no return customers and word spreads quickly. Now as with everything here in Colorado, that dealer is closed and another 300 unit apartment complex is there instead. Can never have too many apartments.
Ron,

What dealer was this. I'm in NOCO and lived in Littleton for 48 years. The growth & traffic along with real estate prices are nuts!!!
 
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ballisticexchris

Guest
Rotella has a "C" rating (diesel engine), and Yamaha specifically and in bold lettering excludes it from approval for use in their motorcycles.
Since being on this forum I have learned that a lot of the members do not pay attention at all to the service requirements. Part of Japanese motorcycle ownership is the ability to abuse these bikes beyond common sense and reason. You are not going to get away with that on a European or race machine.

I have a race prep mentality. I over service and go beyond what the service manual recommends. I have already got a small taste of being almost 100 miles from the nearest pavement on my Super Tenere. I do not feel comfortable on a bike that is not maintained properly, regardless of brand.
 

jeckyll

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If you look in the manual, there is a wide range of acceptable oil weights and it even tells you what temps they are OK to use for.

Like any oil thread: The only way to know _for sure_ if your are changing oil or using the right oil is to have done used oil analysis. If that shows something is wrong with what is called out as acceptable oil in the manual, change it. Otherwise, run what's spec'd and approved for motorcycles, and ride more and worry less :)
 

WJBertrand

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o_O So. . . . M108. . . . or M108a? There has to be a difference. . . . the M108 is $3 more, although it looks the same.
I think Mobil has replaced the M-108 with the M-108A. I didn't have any choice as all that was stocked at Wally World was the "A" version. Looks like Mobil changed all their filters adding the A. I also use them for my cars. Not sure what the difference is, but as Tobasco noted, there's no difference you can see between them visually. The "A" version labeling says it's good for 20,000 miles whereas the non A version label says 15,000 miles. Price stayed the same at Wally's. I've not bothered to saw one of each open to compare (assuming you can still find the non "A" version).
 
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Sierra1

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I'm sure, like everything else, that the quality has been reduced. Our W-M shows to have both in stock, but the 108a is $3 cheaper.
 

Cycledude

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Motorcycle parts prices have always been kind of crazy, heck you can buy a nice new recliner for the house cheaper than a motorcycle seat .
Been using Castrol full synthetic 10-40 in Tenere along with either a Honda or Fram filter, next oil change I might try one of those expensive Yamaha filters just to see if it has any effect on the squeak that often seems to come from the engine at idle.
 

jeckyll

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Motorcycle parts prices have always been kind of crazy, heck you can buy a nice new recliner for the house cheaper than a motorcycle seat .
Been using Castrol full synthetic 10-40 in Tenere along with either a Honda or Fram filter, next oil change I might try one of those expensive Yamaha filters just to see if it has any effect on the squeak that often seems to come from the engine at idle.
You think the a squeak you hear is caused by the oil filter fitment, or the more expensive oil filter will remove more of the 'stuff' that's causing a squeak elsewhere? (I'm just curious :) )
 

Cycledude

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You think the a squeak you hear is caused by the oil filter fitment, or the more expensive oil filter will remove more of the 'stuff' that's causing a squeak elsewhere? (I'm just curious :) )
Have a friend that traded his Goldwing for some model of touring Yamaha and he told me he had a squeal-squeak similar to mine when he used a non Yamaha filter so I’m just curious if maybe that might make the noise mine sometimes makes at idle disappear. I believe the squeak comes from somewhere inside the engine and it only does it at idle . It’s done it since brandnew and now has 14,600 miles on, I don’t really think a different filter is going to make the squeak disappear but the only way I will know for sure is by actually trying a Yamaha filter.
 

Checkswrecks

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Note the OP is buying this in Canada, not fair to compare this with USA options because oil can't be shipped across the border. Even if it could be imported, the shipping cost, duty, broker fee and taxes would eliminate any savings. The prices paid are close to Yamaha Canada msrp, and in Ontario there would be an additional charge for environmental fee. Not fair to blame the dealer. The oil change kit is less money but that would mean the dealer has to stock a different kit for each bike, easier to just buy a case of oil and the individual filters. And most dealers stock alternate oils to provide less costly options.
Rotella has a "C" rating (diesel engine), and Yamaha specifically and in bold lettering excludes it from approval for use in their motorcycles.
I know for a fact there are plenty of Walmarts in the Toronto area.
 

RCinNC

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Rotella oil is sold at Canadian Tire, and you can get Mobil 1 filters at Walmarts in Canada. They might not be as much of a bargain there as here, but you can still get 'em.
 

s.ga.rider

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South Georgia
I get m1 4t at walmart here for $10 per qt and the last filter I bought from the dealer was a honda filter and it was $10.
 

jeckyll

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I buy Rotella T4 at Walmart (15-40), it's typically cheaper than Canadian Tire (I buy it in the 9 liter jug I think).

Also, prices between the US and Canada can be quite different, even if it's the same item carried in the same chain. So a bargain at Walmart in the US is not necessarily a bargain in a Canadian Walmart, nor do they necessarily carry the identical lines of products :)
 

Kruzzin5

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Newmarket, Ontario
Picked up the items required to do the first service on my Super Tenere and was shocked at the prices the dealer charged for the supplies. The Yamaha semi-synthetic 10W50 oil was $84CAD for four liters ($21CAD ea) and the oil filter was $21.97CAD. That's $14.79USD and $15.47USD respectively for a total of $105.97CAD/$74.63USD. Does this seem out of line? The one oil I expected to be expensive was for the hypoid gearbox and it was only $14.08CAD. On my Vstrom the Suzuki filters were $12CAD and 5 liters of Rotella T6 is $40CAD.

Out of curiosity I cut apart the filter to see how well a $22 filter was made. It was a little disappointing. The filter doesn't even have end caps, just what appears to be hot-glue. Even FRAM filters have cardboard circles. The Baldwin filters I use on Kubota and JD equipment have metal media caps - maybe I'll switch to those.

View attachment 66246
As some have suggested, I use Rotella as well. In December,, I bought 5L of Rotella synthetic 5w40 at Walmart for $29.99 Canadian. I got ripped on the oil filter from the Yamaha dealer in Newmarket. I had just bought the bike and wanted to get the oil change done ASAP. Next time it will be a different filter.
 

WJBertrand

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Motorcycle parts prices have always been kind of crazy, heck you can buy a nice new recliner for the house cheaper than a motorcycle seat .
Part of that I'm sure has to do mostly with the economies of scale. In this example, they probably sell thousands more recliners than they do motorcycle seats, especially considering every motorcycle seat design is different across different models.
 
R

RonH

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Great presentation lol... :)
Ron,

What dealer was this. I'm in NOCO and lived in Littleton for 48 years. The growth & traffic along with real estate prices are nuts!!!
RPM Motorsports in Lakewood. I guess I am a little premature saying a 300 unit apartment complex is there, as it's not built yet, but 7 story piece of crap will soon be there according to the city.
As to oil, I never could make myself use 5w40 Rotella, just that 5w turns me off. 15W40 is ok but too thick for cold weather. They made a 10w40 T5 semi-synthetic that works good, but doesn't have the MA rating. As far as I know all the Rotella line no longer carries any gas rating such as SJ, SM ect. I wouldn't use it in a motorcycle. Might as well just pony up the extra money for motorcycle oil. At least in the USA, you can get Valvoline standard oil for $4.50 a quart, or Castrol Semi synthetic for $7.00, or Valvoline full synthetic for $8.00 or so at most Walmarts.
 

Sierra1

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. . . . as to oil, I never could make myself use 5w40 Rotella, just that 5w turns me off. 15W40 is ok but too thick for cold weather. . . .
Kinda the same, but different. . . . my kids's 2.4L Dodge Dart takes 0w-20. . . . my Jeep takes 5w-20. I've always felt that's too thin for our heat. But, both vehicles run fine, so what do I know?
 
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