Rear End / Final Drive Oil

[squarebore]

Never tried the Yamaha stuff. Just use 100% Syn 75-90W. Change it every time I change the engine oil. $14. a litre/quart gives me 5 oil changes.

I use a different brand but same philosophy. Yamaha fluid got dumped at 1000km and was filthy and full of metal (this is normal I'm told).

 

[Ramseybella]

The Yam lube cost me $36.00 at the dealer for a quart!!
It looked thin to me.
I want with the lesser price synthetic and never looked back.

 

[markjenn]

I think Yamaha now has three different shaft drive oils available, from a std. GL-4/GL-5, a synthetic (which they specifically don't recommend for the S10 and late-model FJRs), and a "Exclusive" oil (that they specifically recommend for the S10 and late-mode FJRs). If you feel like you want to play it ultra-safe and use exactly what Yamaha recommends, I'd go with the Exclusive for $22/qt.

https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/shaft-drive-oil-exclusive?b=Search&d=31|31

But literally hundreds of us have had no issues using the Mobil 1, Pennzoil, etc. synthetic oils with meet the required GL-4/GL-5 spec.

I would match viscosity more/less. IOW, don't go with the ultra-wide range oils like the 75W-140 viscosity with the faulty "wider is better" rationale. Stick to the 75W-90 which is essentially the same at Yamaha's recommended viscosity.

- Mark

 

[WJBertrand]

The Super - T has a true hypoid final drive so as long as we use GL-5 rated lube we should be good.


-Jeff

 

[Juan]

Yamaha doesn't produce oil (just like any other vehicle manufacturer that has its own brand of oil). They get a reasonably good oil and brand it as their own. This is adequate stuff, but you are charged a premium for the brand name. You can get better oil for the same price.

 

[Dogdaze]

Yamaha doesn't produce oil (just like any other vehicle manufacturer that has its own brand of oil). They get a reasonably good oil and brand it as their own. This is adequate stuff, but you are charged a premium for the brand name. You can get better oil for the same price.

::026:: We have to remember this little fact, only oil companies make oil ( you know what I mean) everyone else just brands it.

 

[Kurgan]

Thanks all, for the replies. I've always used Valvoline or Mobil full synthetic fluids in my cars and trucks and Mobil typically in the bikes. Learning others are doing the same, I will continue as I have and as stated, since it's so inexpensive, I can and will change out the Final Drive fluid more frequently.

 

[markjenn]

::026:: We have to remember this little fact, only oil companies make oil ( you know what I mean) everyone else just brands it.

While true, this doesn't mean that Yamaha might not have a lubricant manufactured that meets their own custom spec. Or that you can always determine an equivalent non-Yamaha lubricant that exactly matches the Yamaha one. In the case of shaft drive oils though, the spec is a pretty generic one (GL4/GL5) so any lubricant that meets this spec should be "adequate". But if you want the absolute highest assurance you're getting EXACTLY what Yamaha specs, then using Yamaha's is the safest bet.

A good example of where I generally use the OEM lubricant is ATF and VTM4 fluid in my Honda SUV. I simply don't trust that there is a good equivalent in the general market; there are too many lubricants being sold as "universal".

- Mark

 

[Checkswrecks]

I haven't used the Yamalube in the rear either till the new bike, and never had a problem in the 2012. I also know that our dealer doesn't use Yamalube.

Now with the 2014, I'm using Yamalube only because I have an extended warranty, per change it's relatively cheap, and we've had a number of people who have had seals leak back there.

As Mark wrote, Yamaha buys in enough bulk that they very well may call for additives which affect the seals and it only takes them a quick simple lab test to know what lube has been used. On a related note, for a car or bike with a variable speed transmission, using the specified lubricant can be critical.

 

[racer1735]

I will echo what has already been mentioned....stick with the correct viscosity range and you can't go wrong with Mobil 1 or Valvoline synthetic. This holds true not only for the final drive, but for your engine oil as well (but make sure the engine oil is JASO MA rated)

 

[klunsford]

I use the full synthetic Amzoil gear fluid. works very well in all of my bikes

 

[ord13]

I haven't used the Yamalube in the rear either till the new bike, and never had a problem in the 2012. I also know that our dealer doesn't use Yamalube.

I don't know either any Yamaha dealer in my region (Marseilles, France) who uses Yamaha lubes.
It's a matter of costs even for them, and many synthesis lubes are affordable and efficient without necessarily spending in brand products (except when specific oil is needed for specific models, or required by guarantee).

All bikes I've owned have always drive with 100 % synthetic fluids (forks, engines, brakes, final drives...), and so far, no major problems directly related to the use of these products (except an eBay-bought Nissin brake reservoir hose which didn't appreciate synthesis DOT 5.1, and leaked until change for DOT 4).

 

[tgessner]

The Super - T has a true hypoid final drive so as long as we use GL-5 rated lube we should be good.

Echo that. A hypoid drive requires shaft oil that is slightly on the acid side. This is apparently needed to maintain a certain "roughness" between the gears. You can actually smell it - the right oil has a sour stink to it

Thomas

 

[BarkSlayer]

I switched my S-10 to full synthetic Amsoil 10W-40 in the engine and Amsoil Severe Gear 75wt hypoid in the final drive at 1200 miles. Couldn't be happier.

 

[r1d1]

Does anyone know why the manual calls for "Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil SAE 80 API GL-5 or SAE 80 API GL-4 Hypoid gear oil.", when Yamalube is not available in the straight SAE 80 flavour, as has been previously posted on the forum? ::010::

Every version of the owner's manual I've seen (US, UK, German, Swedish) calls for this straight SAE 80 - no other Yam shaftie does.

My bike has been previously dealer serviced, but the dealership has now closed. After searching the web, this is what's going in mine at the next service http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/produktdb.nsf/id/en_1025.html?OpenDocument&land=GB&Click=

 

[kurt1305]

I already own a quart of Mobil 1 75W-90, so I'm going with that. The Liqui-Moly stuff is supposed to be very good as well. In the end, they both meet the spec.

 

[EricV]

Does anyone know why the manual calls for "Yamaha genuine shaft drive gear oil SAE 80 API GL-5 or SAE 80 API GL-4 Hypoid gear oil.", when Yamalube is not available in the straight SAE 80 flavour, as has been previously posted on the forum? ::010::

Every version of the owner's manual I've seen (US, UK, German, Swedish) calls for this straight SAE 80 - no other Yam shaftie does.

My bike has been previously dealer serviced, but the dealership has now closed. After searching the web, this is what's going in mine at the next service http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/produktdb.nsf/id/en_1025.html?OpenDocument&land=GB&Click=

Don't lose any sleep over it. Clean and slippery, meets the spec and it will be fine. Last time I checked, 80 fell in between 75 and 90. It may simply be a hold over from some other generation of engineers that liked strait 80 wt. Worked then, so no reason to change it when creating new manuals.

 

[markjenn]

For awhile, Yamaha was recommending 20W-40 engine oil when even they had discontinued it.

As said any 75-90 multi or single grade GL4/GL5 is fine. If you want to follow Yamaha's recommendations to the letter, this is the stuff you want:

https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/shaft-drive-oil-exclusive?b=Search&d=31|31&dealernumber=

- Mark

 

[Xt1200zsupertenere]

 

[Checkswrecks]

Merged the new thread with a few of the earlier identical ones.