2020 T120 Shifting Loud After Oil Change.

[Corsu-nomad]

Hello everyone.

My Bike is a Bonneville T120 Ace. From purchase it had Motul semi Synthetic 5100 15w50 4T. Did the first service at 800km at the dealership and they used again the same oil. I have reached 6500km since and went to buy 4l liters of oil and a new filter. They gave my full Synthetic Liquid Molly SAE 15w50 4T. I planned to change oil and filter half way to each services. So I did the oil change as per the book. Yesterday I went for a ride and to my surprise, the shifting from neutral to first gear was really loud. the same from first the second and a little less from 2nd to third. Up shift and down shift the same. It wasn't doing that of the previous oil, it was smooth! even with the oil at 6500km. My question is; is it that my bike doesn't like liquid molly? is it because it is full synthetic? I am planning to drain the bike and put back the Motul 5100 semi synthetic or the 7100 full Synthetic. Anyone have experienced this kind of problem? I don't ride the bike hard and push it in High RPM am always between 2400 and 5500 rpm. Any comments, suggestions would be appreciated. I am located in British Columbia, Canada, hence why the dealership recommended 15w50 instead of the 10w40. the book says semi or full synthetic. the dealership said semi for the 1st 800k and full synthetic thereafter. I am looking forward to read your take on this. Thank you. Corsu.

 

[JerryP]

Great question. Of course the break-in oil is semi-synthetic so as to have carbon seat the rings. I am wondering if the cold weather in your location, is making the first start up shifts clunky. Seems the ECU on the Euro 5 bikes likes to keep the idle almost 1500-1600 RPM until fully warmed up whence it drops back to 1000 and the shift from N to 1 becomes less clunky. My '22 (Florida) Street Scrambler is clunky unless I fully warm it up before engaging 1st gear and here it's already warm (70-88F). Using Castrol 10W/40 fully synthetic at 1500 miles. Would be interested in your experience if you try the thicker oil. My last Triumph a '13 865 air cooled, had zero clunky engagement on synthetic.

 

[Vector]

I also find that a warm bike does not clunk, hope that is all it was.

 

[Corsu-nomad]

Great question. Of course the break-in oil is semi-synthetic so as to have carbon seat the rings. I am wondering if the cold weather in your location, is making the first start up shifts clunky. Seems the ECU on the Euro 5 bikes likes to keep the idle almost 1500-1600 RPM until fully warmed up whence it drops back to 1000 and the shift from N to 1 becomes less clunky. My '22 (Florida) Street Scrambler is clunky unless I fully warm it up before engaging 1st gear and here it's already warm (70-88F). Using Castrol 10W/40 fully synthetic at 1500 miles. Would be interested in your experience if you try the thicker oil. My last Triumph a '13 865 air cooled, had zero clunky engagement on synthetic.

Great question. Of course the break-in oil is semi-synthetic so as to have carbon seat the rings. I am wondering if the cold weather in your location, is making the first start up shifts clunky. Seems the ECU on the Euro 5 bikes likes to keep the idle almost 1500-1600 RPM until fully warmed up whence it drops back to 1000 and the shift from N to 1 becomes less clunky. My '22 (Florida) Street Scrambler is clunky unless I fully warm it up before engaging 1st gear and here it's already warm (70-88F). Using Castrol 10W/40 fully synthetic at 1500 miles. Would be interested in your experience if you try the thicker oil. My last Triumph a '13 865 air cooled, had zero clunky engagement on synthetic.

Thank you for your input. Well, I don’t think it is due to cold weather. Yesterday the temp was around 12celcius. I have been riding in temps below 5 celcius and nothing like that ever happened. I always warm up the bike and never really rev hard or push hard till it’s really warm. Yesterday I did a 45’ ride and still did it when I got home. Like I said it started just after I changed to full synthetic and the liquid Molly. Not smooth and loud shifting. I’ll go back to the semi synthetic 5100 or 7100 full synthetic. Thank you for your help.

 

[Corsu-nomad]

I also find that a warm bike does not clunk, hope that is all it was.

Thank you, as I replied to jerry it’s not due to the temperature. On the coldest when I start it in the garage to roll out outside to warm it up, shifting into 1 is like butter. No sound. I think it is the full synthetic liquid Molly oil. I’ll talk to the guys at the dealership and go back on the previous oil. Either way I am doing change every 65k. Thank you for your input.

 

[triumph900]

I would be surprised that changing the oil would cause "loud shift". I've certainly never experienced or heard of that. I am surprised the dealer suggested 15w50. My 2018 manual states 10w40 or 10w50 semi or full synthetic. Being in Canada I'd probably lean towards 10w40. 15w40 was that older Triumphs called for. They switched to 10w40/50 a while back.

 

[Vector]

Thank you, as I replied to jerry it’s not due to the temperature. On the coldest when I start it in the garage to roll out outside to warm it up, shifting into 1 is like butter. No sound. I think it is the full synthetic liquid Molly oil. I’ll talk to the guys at the dealership and go back on the previous oil. Either way I am doing change every 65k. Thank you for your input.

Did you adjust the clutch?

 

[Corsu-nomad]

Did you adjust the clutch?

No I haven’t touched anything since I have the bike. The mileage is 7130 km now. I checked the oil level again and am at the top line. My chain needs an adjust as it is a bit loose, around 35mm. Calls for 20-30 mm

 

[Corsu-nomad]

I would be surprised that changing the oil would cause "loud shift". I've certainly never experienced or heard of that. I am surprised the dealer suggested 15w50. My 2018 manual states 10w40 or 10w50 semi or full synthetic. Being in Canada I'd probably lean towards 10w40. 15w40 was that older Triumphs called for. They switched to 10w40/50 a while back.

Yes me too! The 2020 T120 manual says 10w40 or 10w50! They gave me 15w50.. just realized that re reading the manual. I’ll go to the dealership and ask why they put 15w50 Motul 5100 . Thank you I’ll definitely double check on this and post their reply.

 

[aj7840]

15w50 is not a problem, the 15w is the cold viscosity of the oil i.e. = 15 weight, as the oil warms it goes to 50 weight. There is a lot of science involved, but the main thing is the low loads on the engine until it warms up. The fluid dynamics courses from College are distant memories. The main thing I learned was the higher viscosities keep the metal parts apart at higher loads.

 

[JACoH]

Of course, it is not the oil, unless they didn't put it in. When I had an Indian, all the locals used 20w-50 when it called for 10w-60; I have used 15w-50 in my last 5 bikes that all called for 10w-40. No problems.

 

[Iflybikes]

Of course, it is not the oil, unless they didn't put it in. When I had an Indian, all the locals used 20w-50 when it called for 10w-60; I have used 15w-50 in my last 5 bikes that all called for 10w-40. No problems.

I have the same exact issue. I live in Tucson AZ, and the temps are always hot and where other parts of the country have to quit when the weather gets cold we have to stop riding when the temps get above a hundred by 10;30-11:00 and go up to 110-15 as the day progresses. It's like riding in a blast furnace. I have a new 2022 Bonneville t120 that only has 2500 miles and it does the same thing, a huge CLUNK into 1st gear that no amount of attempted finesse can prevent. The closest I can come is to make that neutral to 1st as quick as possible. You can feel it clunk through the whole frame of the bike. Quite pronounced. Dealer serviced with 10W-50.

 

[Vector]

My 2022 Street Twin has not hard shifting or clunk and I can easily find neutral.

 

[Iflybikes]

My 2022 Street Twin has not hard shifting or clunk and I can easily find neutral.

Everything is good except neutral to 1st until the bike gets really hot. Temps above 95 after a prolonged ride start to get finicky and I have to be careful up and downshifting. Otherwise very smooth as long as I shift from 2nd to 1st coming to a stop. But go into neutral at a stop and the CLUNK is there waiting for me. Clutch is adjusted to spec but I'm thinking I should recheck it with advice and counsel from my local shop.

 

[aj7840]

Everything is good except neutral to 1st until the bike gets really hot. Temps above 95 after a prolonged ride start to get finicky and I have to be careful up and downshifting. Otherwise very smooth as long as I shift from 2nd to 1st coming to a stop. But go into neutral at a stop and the CLUNK is there waiting for me. Clutch is adjusted to spec but I'm thinking I should recheck it with advice and counsel from my local shop.

That clunk is to remind you not to set in neutral at a stop.