Commando 961 oil spec

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Hi all,

Firstly, apologies if this subject has been discussed endlessly on here already...!

I'm looking to do an engine & gearbox oil change on my 2014 961 Commando. I have the factory service manual which quotes the required spec as SAE 10W-40 API SG,SH & SJ, JASO MA. However, there is no mention whether this needs to be mineral based, semi-synthetic or fully synthetic. Is any type acceptable providing it is the correct viscosity & API spec? I already have Castrol 10W-40 grade API SJ but it is fully synthetic & would like to know if this is suitable to use or not. Does anybody know if the factory use a synthetic oil or a mineral based one?

Many thanks.
 
It is semi synthetic 10W-40 for both engine and gear box

as per my service invoice:

Carried out Annual service;

- Oil and filter changed with 10w40 MOTUL semisynthetic oil used.


And yes - many threads on this - just do a search on the modern Norton forum for "oil"
 
I’m not aware of any sensible argument no to use a top quality full synthetic in these engines.

Gearbox and primary is a slightly different case, complicated by the rather agricultural nature of the box and the fact the box shares its oil with the primary side, and hence the wet clutch. Bel Ray Sport transmission oil (designed for HD Sportsters) is highly recommended by many on this forum. I have some too, but haven’t put it in yet...
 
Commando 961 oil spec
From the owners book
 
Remember reading a Castrol paper recently that recommended not using fully synthetic oil in an air cooled/bearing engine until it was fully run in - in their tests, this was about 5,000 miles before all the surface pointy bits had been worn down. Fully synthetic oil, I believe, is too good for the likes of our engines and I will always use semi-synthetic as stated by Norton.
 
Thanks all for the replies. I'm decided I'm going to use Castrol Power 1 10W-40. It is a semi-synthetic oil with an API SN JASO MA-2 spec so should be fine. However, I will take the "superior acceleration at the twist of a throttle due to power release technology" claim with a pinch of salt...!! o_O:D
 
I’m not aware of any sensible argument no to use a top quality full synthetic in these engines.

Gearbox and primary is a slightly different case, complicated by the rather agricultural nature of the box and the fact the box shares its oil with the primary side, and hence the wet clutch. Bel Ray Sport transmission oil (designed for HD Sportsters) is highly recommended by many on this forum. I have some too, but haven’t put it in yet...
You feel the gearbox shares its oil with the primary (crankcase) side. Does this mean that if I overfill the gearbox the excess oil will pass into the crankcase with no harm done?
 
You feel the gearbox shares its oil with the primary (crankcase) side. Does this mean that if I overfill the gearbox the excess oil will pass into the crankcase with no harm done?
It’s not a shared system. The transmission is separate from the crank case. The transmission fill plug is on the left of the bike and the level check for the transmission is on the right side.

But the trans uses the same oil as the motor.
 
It’s not a shared system. The transmission is separate from the crank case. The transmission fill plug is on the left of the bike and the level check for the transmission is on the right side.

But the trans uses the same oil as the motor.
Thanks for the info. I understand they are separate systems and I put the same oil in both, however if I overfill the transmission side will any of the excess oil find its way into the crank case or will it just fill up to the fill plug.
Bill
 
It will not transfer. Each is sealed and separate.
Have the bike standing upright on a paddock stand or someone straddling it in the upright position.
Remove the right side oil level plug. If it’s over filled it’ll drain out until it’s at the proper level as long as you hold the bike in the upright position. If no oil comes out, it’s low.
 
I am of the understanding that the gearbox is a shared compartment with the primary and clutch, as it is on a HD Sportster. And this constitutes the ‘transmission’. Therefore, whatever goes in there has to be wet clutch friendly.

The engine oil is an entirely separate system however.
 
There have been postings in the past where people have dabbled with different transmission oils and ended up with problems with the clutch which is a bugger if you get it contaminated so I tend to use the recommended semi synth for transmission and a quality HD Ester based oil for the engine like Bel-Ray.
 
As long as engine oil is marked JASO MA or JASO MA2 it is designed for use in a wet clutch.

Car oils, even good uns, are generally not designed for use in wet clutches, and this catches folk out.

Bel-Ray Sport transmission fluid is a gearbox oil that’s also designed for primary drives and wet clutches. It was designed for HD Sportsters. I started using it after someone on here recommended it. I now use it in most of my bikes !
 
As long as engine oil is marked JASO MA or JASO MA2 it is designed for use in a wet clutch.

Car oils, even good uns, are generally not designed for use in wet clutches, and this catches folk out.

Bel-Ray Sport transmission fluid is a gearbox oil that’s also designed for primary drives and wet clutches. It was designed for HD Sportsters. I started using it after someone on here recommended it. I now use it in most of my bikes !

Do you use the Bel Ray Sport trans fluid in you Commando and T140 ? for gearbox and primary ?
 
Hi all,

Firstly, apologies if this subject has been discussed endlessly on here already...!

I'm looking to do an engine & gearbox oil change on my 2014 961 Commando. I have the factory service manual which quotes the required spec as SAE 10W-40 API SG,SH & SJ, JASO MA. However, there is no mention whether this needs to be mineral based, semi-synthetic or fully synthetic. Is any type acceptable providing it is the correct viscosity & API spec? I already have Castrol 10W-40 grade API SJ but it is fully synthetic & would like to know if this is suitable to use or not. Does anybody know if the factory use a synthetic oil or a mineral based one?

Many thanks.
These are the best lubricants for the Norton 961 from what I have read :

BEL-RAY V Twin 10W50 (Engine)


BEL-RAY SPORT Transmission Fluid (Primary and Trans)

 
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