Engine Oil for 1979 Mirage 1200

harpmeister said:
I think what Reggie means is that there is a search function on the forum, do not use the one on the top right of the page but instead the one just under where you log in.

As far as oil goes I use Morris 20-50 V Twin and I think I am right in saying that it was made for air cooled motorcycles with roller bearings.

You will get many different suggestions on what to use, think you have opened a can of worms.
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+1 for Morris 20-50 V Twin. 25 litre barrel off ebay (UK).
 
Macca said:
Sorry folks - as I said I am completely new to this and didn't even know how to use the forum search facility. "Worthless wit" and "oil threads shit" sounds like poetry but guess I will keep my head down now. Thanks to those who offered guidance.
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Welcome Macca, you have been indoctrinated into the Forum! Don't worry though, you will soon find with a little thick skin that you have found the greatest place on earth to find just about anything you wanted to know about your machine, technical or not. On the technical side you really hit the jackpot because there are ton of people on here that are the guru's and can give advice and help on just about anything you can get yourself into. BTW, beer, boobs, and smack happen here all the time. It is a fun show!  (beer) (drink) (cheers) (banghead)

Clay
 
Macca said:
Late thanks to all for advice on this and in my first post.

Johnson's Baby Oil it is then..............................
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I've got Race Castor in mine ........... the fumes leave a taste at the back of your throat that stays there for hours.
Apart from that, seems to be slippery oily stuff.

Nice looking bike you've got there Macca!
 
Thanks Chrisk - Handling now sorted. Its like its on rails. Carbs are getting better but major overhaul seems likely and if no luck it's Mikuni time. Tacho is really strange - redline at 6500 arrives really quickly and I have done some calculations (I am on standard final drive) and reckon it must be running about 29% fast. Also, 6500 marked red line seems really low. I think it should be running at 17.96 MPH per 1000 RPM which means it would have to singing at 7400 RPM to get it to top speeds reported in the past of about 130 MPH. That is way in to the red area. Doesn't make sense so electronic Koso tacho has just arrived so I can calibrate but still need to understand safe RPM limits on these beauties. This is my first Laverda and its great fun. All the bits are big and chunky. Like giant Lego again.
 
The red segment is just an indicator for where the fun is.  :D 

The 6500 red line is a left over from the 750s, they must have bought the tachs by container loads.  If it bugs you, search for an instrument from a 500, redlined at 7500/8000 I think.

Torque gets serious at 4500-5000 and  the engine usually really takes off at 6500, max power comes in around 7500-7750, but rarely necessary to go that far on public roads, unless you've got someone breathing down your neck. :D  Got one foot in jail by then...

piet
 
from Greg Benders site.

"I've never been one to concern myself with one particular brand vs. another. To the contrary, I've purchased and used Walmart's inexpensive Super-Tech brand oil for years. However, recent federal regulations have dramatically decreased the ZDDP content in most oil. ZDDP content of at least 1200 PPM is necessary for our flat tappets and camshafts to last. Therefore, I've now become quite picky as to which oil I purchase. Here are several that still have sufficient ZDDP levels (for now, anyway):

    Mobil 1 15W-50
    Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15W-50
    Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50
    Shell Rotella T 15W-40
    Valvoline Racing VR-1 20W-50

Due to cost and availability concerns, I am currently using Shell Rotella T 15W-40.

Some of these oils are highly detergent. When switching oils, it is best to perform a couple of very quick oil changes to remove all of the deposits the detergents removed."
 
Yes Diesel DINO HDEO 15w40 - What ever Brand, Ac Delco, Shell, or Mobil Devac ...etc - Whatever you can get. Duron is available in Canada which I prefer as it has a little more ZDDP and we don't have Catalytics on our old rides.

Just clean or change the filter with that yearly oil change.

I'm not a fan of Castrol as it turns to Pony Piss. Havoline is good stuff but rather expensive.
 
if you change your oil brand and type

do a very short mileage and then change it again, so 100/150 miles, but in one quick and hotish ride,

when you do your oil change at that very low mileage, clean out the sump strainer,(no matter how inaccessible it is!)  this affects 120's the most, 180's as well and twins  the least. If you find any "fluffy" stuff on the strainer do the same again after the same minimal mileage, and again if you still see it etc etc. The cause is unknown but seems only to happen when you change brands, there is no list of what original and changed brand you have that can cause  this strange reaction.

I am no longer brand fussy, because I have never seen a failure purely due to brand type, many have their favourite and there is nothing wrong with that, but I see no reason for it, I mean, all oil is made by the petrochem companies such as Shell, Texaco, Amoco, Kuwait (Q8?) etc and then sold on to get fancy additives (maybe) and horny sounding names such as silkysmooth, valvelaster or backlasharestor etc. I have been using Unipart 20/50 for classic /knackered cars, its the same stuff as the higher priced Unipart 20/50 motorcycle specific, but they have gone bust now so I buy (from the same factor) Silkolene classic lubricants, Silkolube 20W-50 (no typo's)  which is sold/made/mixed (who knows) by Fuchs Lubricants (UK) PLC. Cheap as chips for 4x5 litres in a box (note 5 litres not 4.5 or even 4!) and even cheaper for three boxes, would be very cheap for ten boxes (look into this type of deal please ILOC)
see photos.
CLEM
 

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