Transmission oil, What is everyone using?

[Masterphil]

I understand what you're saying.

I have run many different oils in my KTM, and what feels best (for ME) is ATF. I change it often enough that it, too, looks just the same as it did when I put it in. Before I suggest a particular gearbox fluid to anyone, I tell them to buy many different types and weights of ATF, Syn motor oil, gear oil, petro-base oil, and even some DB specific oil. THEN, find the one that makes the bike shift the way you want it, and makes the clutch behave the way you want it. If Silk' works better for you, great.

Different brands of bike like different oils. KTM's seem to really like ATF in the tranny, KDX's may not. Since the original poster is a KTM'er, I reccomended that he at least try ATF to see how he likes it.

 

[BIKEMAN111]

tranny oils

all I`ve ever used in my past has been a good 10w30 motor oil,used it in 4 different dr`s,cr/yz,rm,shadow,any many atv`s never saw any need for anything else,convince me otherwise. :whoa:

 

[Masterphil]

...never saw any need for anything else,convince me otherwise.

Did you even read this thread? :whoa:

 

[Jaybird]

I have found that when a bike is in new condition, it will tolerarate and respond similarly with many different oils.
Most times when a rider see a big difference in clutch action, there is probably a root cause other than oil choice. And yes, I think that some oils may exagerate pre-existing conditions.

And some oils may have a slightly different feel at the shifter. Mercon/Dexron ATF, for example, will feel a bit different from TypeF ATF as they are designed to provide slip at different rates.
And as I have explained before, I use ATF with confidence. It for sure is NOT the best fluid out there. Not in terms of oil integrity, film strength, etc..anyway. But it is the best for me when I see it providing great longevity of my bike parts, and is very cheap and does not hamper my want or ability to change it out very often.
Sure, there are plenty of oils that are better. And I will not use ATF in a 4T engine because it simply does not have the extreme pressure additives that are required for solid lifter cams.

Using a full synthetic base oil is fine to do. It will create no problems at all, but I am not convinced using them is the best for our application. Full synthetic motor oils are expensive and tend to deter folks from changing out as often as they should be. And I don't mean changing only when the oil is worn down, but before it starts to gain significant amounts of wear metals.
Synthetic oils can last far longer than conventional oils. But they will be overloaded with wear metals before the fluid actually wears out.

If you want to use a 10w30, 15w40, PAO/Ester base synthetic, or ATF, you will be far better off changing the fluid out as often as you can.

And if you find considerable difference in clutch actions, and shifting, you may find that chasing oils around is not what you should be doing anyway. If you look, you will find the real reason your bike acts funny (can't find neutral, shifts notchy, etc).

 

[Cr 1_2_5]

i have had good luck with the honda hp 80w trans oil in my yz 125.

 

[COMBEN]

:) peasants...this only what the stable boy tells me, I'll just get the butler to 'top off' the fuel tank, start her up help me a with a hand up on to the gasser, from wence one will rip :)

must dash and beware of wizard prangs!

The Right Honorable Lord Comben DFC+Bar, PhD, HC 'n NOx