oil filter..??

Bluestrom13 said:

OEM Filter (from Hitchcocks) £13.50 Exc. VAT. £16 if you're in UK.
Pattern or aftermarket are going to cost 50% or more of that, so saving of £6-£8.
Over 6000 miles.
Come on, Buy 4 OEM, save postage, and they'll last till you sell the bike.

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Hitchcock's is quite a ways from Cedar City, Utah!
I bought a couple of the Mahles, used the OEM on the first oil change.
No RE dealers within 400 miles of me and OEM filters are stupid expensive and.....are they even that good?
Mobil 1 as well as Wix make excellent filters and are available locally.
Now, what motor oil is a good choice?
Been using Castrol synthetic, but my clutch seems a little grabby when warm, would like to try Silkolene, but very pricey with shipping and all.
Hans

I am using Amsoil Metric synthetic 15w-50 in my 650 and 350 RE's.

IMHO, Hitchcock's ranks right up there with Amazon for speed, efficiency, and secure packaging...I'm amazed that Joanna can turn around an order from the colonies so quickly! YMMV

nmroadrunner said:

IMHO, Hitchcock's ranks right up there with Amazon for speed, efficiency, and secure packaging...I'm amazed that Joanna can turn around an order from the colonies so quickly! YMMV

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Agreed, I've ordered several items from them and they arrive faster than stuff I've ordered here in the US!
How is that possible?
I ordered my YSS fork kit from a Thai company.....it's been close to 3mos!
Hans

Oatmeal said:

I have heard that the Mobil 1 M1-104A is a suitable replacement.
Hans

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I found this site
MOBIL M1-104 - cross reference oil filters | oilfilter-crossreference.com
Its a close match but the diameter is 1/8 of an inch larger. The thread M20 and pitch 1.5 are good and looking at the cross references the Mahle doesn't show up. Yes it well work but it is NOT a lower cost filter, WIX filters that cross are also the same price. Again just a bit larger at 3 1/8th inches. The important measurement would be the inside measurement from gasket edge to gasket. The Mahle is a 4.55 mm width for the gasket and the outer diameter is 70mm or 2.75 (3/4) inches the inner diameter is 60mm or 2.38 (2/5). I don't have a M!-104 in front of me to measure the inner and outer diameters, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that the seal would make. As it is, its a $18 question I may try to answer when I go by the auto parts store. Bottom line you wont save any money buying one, but you do have an alternative in a pinch.

Oatmeal said:

Agreed, I've ordered several items from them and they arrive faster than stuff I've ordered here in the US!
How is that possible?
I ordered my YSS fork kit from a Thai company.....it's been close to 3mos!
Hans

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I have been looking at putting a Race Tech kit in, its a stateside company. Is there a fork thread?

I ordered the cheapest lot of 5 Mahle oil filters from ebay, the one with the 6-week delivery date. It arrived in 9 days.

DaveinHutto said:

I have been looking at putting a Race Tech kit in, its a stateside company. Is there a fork thread?

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Don't think there is a fork thread.
Racetech 's set ups are usually at the firm end of the range, compared to Ohlins.
Adjustable fork caps well worth the cost but Racetech dont have them.
Ohlins have a pricy fork kit and all the details are on their site, you can assemble the kit considerably cheaper with Ebay/Ali 41mm adjustable top caps , springs from Racetech and home made spacers, if you are looking for a softer set up.
The YSS kit comes with fork springs most find are too firm even at minimum preload - they probably followed Racetech's recommendations!
Read somewhere Hictchcocks supply the YSS shock with a better initial set up than stock, you could ask if they do the same for the fork.
But your weight and the amount of gear you intend carrying in the rear rack and panniers is a major factor in set up as most suggestions are for a 80 kg rider, bike unladen.
With 20 to 40 kg hanging out mostly behind the rear axle the YSS fork springs may feel a bit better!

DaveinHutto said:

I have been looking at putting a Race Tech kit in, its a stateside company. Is there a fork thread?

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Stuart Fillingham on YouTube has a good install/review on the YSS fork kit.
I just received mine (finally) and I'll hopefully be putting it in soon.
Have the Diablo (are actually rebranded YSS Z series emulsion shocks) on now, ride nice....threaded preload adjusters and adjustable rebound dampening.
FYI, Ohlins fork kit is just springs and preload adjustable caps.
Hans

After many hours trying to find a compatible oil filter for my 650, I didn't find one that I was comfortable with so I ordered a 6-pack from India on Fleabay. (Arrived at my local Fedex within a week but had to sit there for 4 days before customs finally released it.) Had about 450mi on it so I checked the valve clearances (3 of the exhausts and 1 intake were a little too tight), took it for a spin then did an oil & filter change. The new ones I ordered look exactly like the original in every way. Under $60usd and have 5 more years of original oil filters.