May 15, 201412 yr Read a post this morning about Elf HTX740. The thread was asking where it could be bought now BVM have ceased trading . Guys ,whome is an active contributor to this site stated that GRO 75w was good and he uses that. Reading more guff on the ELF HTX , someone said " it says on the label not for oil bathed clutches". So whats not in it ? Or whats in it that's not good for wet clutches ? Any one know ? What i can tell you is that they use a similar product ,also ELF,in the old Citroen VTR 5 speed gear box and it's nasty stuff full of detergent . Recognized the sickly smell straight away.Going to do some digging on this subject as my mate is a rep for Castrol BP,see if he knows anything. So after waffling for 2 mins,i have a something . Putoline GP Nanotrans. It's designed for bike's with wet multiplate clutches that can run Synthetic.That last word is the important bit.Because if you run it in a box designed for mineral based oil,should water enter the gear box ,the detergents in that stuff mix with it and the chemical reaction that take's place will attack any metal surface that's not coated . So that will be the gearbox then. I have found you get clutch drag with the HTX . Any one else found that ? Please ,jib in . Updated this @ 20.00 hrs tonight .Right then . Putoline Nano tech GP 75w works ! Refilled with specified amount . Fired bike up and let it warm up for 5 mins.Operated clutch a few times. Rolled it out the workshop . Put it in gear and it dragged ! So rode around the garden got up to third and started to change down . Came to a stop and ah there it goes. Selected neutral first pop.So as not to jump to a conclusion ,put it in first whilst stood by the side of the bike . Didn't budge .Rolled bike backwards, in first with no problem one handed then selected neutral first try. Good enough for me Tommy ! Ted Edited May 15, 201412 yr by shyted
May 16, 201412 yr Shyted Interesting indeed. I hate using the HTX in my Repsol clutch. What I find most interesting is that the Montesa Honda trials bike team is sponsored by Repsol A VERY large oil and gas company with many specialized oils and lubricants for engines transmissions in all sorts of motorcycle and automotive applications yet the bike uses Elf HTX and who knows what other fluids in it from the factory? Why no Repsol gearbox, clutch lubricants brake fluids suspension fluids ??? Seems Repsol would want to use the bike as a advertisement of its products. Makes me go mmmmmmmm http://www.repsol.com/SA/ProductosyServicios/BuscadorPySLubricantes/Default.aspx?categoria=1&sAplicacion=FichaProducto{FichaProducto}&sNegocio=Lubricants{LUBRICANTS}&pMARCA=Repsol&pAPLICACION=Automotive&pSEGMENTO=Motorcycles&p4CATEGORIA=4T Edited May 16, 201412 yr by billyt
May 16, 201412 yr Author Indeed Billyt,totally agree. Remember though ,they also have a long standing relationship with ELF.Your a similar age to me so expect you remember the Elf racing team (Honda) whom Ron Haslam rode for. But myself , it make's me scratch my bumps when the factory recommends an oil not designed for wet clutches.The word's " if you use this you can have it for 5 euro per liter" spring to mind . Repsols list is massive . So as you rightly state , why on earth use Elf ? Yes jrsunt , Putoline are dedicated motorcycle oil researchers and their web site is good. There's a rep to be found around the North of England , and when i'm back from work next .i'm going to get digging.
May 16, 201412 yr But more expensive than the Elf HTX! Would like to be paying£10 per litre rather than £28
May 16, 201412 yr I just uncrated my new Cota… still recommends HTX 470 in the Owners Manual. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. What are the potential downsides of using it? Maybe clutch slip when NOT wanted… full torque application? Factory team must have it their boxes? Mags
May 17, 201412 yr The only disadvantage Elf HTX 740 has, apart from price, is the difficulty to find neutral imo
May 17, 201412 yr The only disadvantage Elf HTX 740 has, apart from price, is the difficulty to find neutral imo I don't have any trouble finding neutral with elf...
May 19, 201412 yr Dropped the gearbox oil today after first day out running it in, yesterday. Oil had some fine particles and a few bigger ones. In with the HTX 740 it is! Mags
May 19, 201412 yr If my memory serves me right, ELF HTX 740 has been the recommended gearbox oil by Montesa Honda for years, both for the 4RT and the 315 Cotas. Always used it, bought from BVM, but now I'm stuck as to where to get it from now. So maybe I will have to consider an alternative.
May 19, 201412 yr If my memory serves me right, ELF HTX 740 has been the recommended gearbox oil by Montesa Honda for years, both for the 4RT and the 315 Cotas. Always used it, bought from BVM, but now I'm stuck as to where to get it from now. So maybe I will have to consider an alternative. I use GRO Gear Extreme 75W (recommended by GasGas and Beta I think) and it's practically the same kind of oil. Putoline Light Gear oil 75W is another alternative.
May 21, 201412 yr If my memory serves me right, ELF HTX 740 has been the recommended gearbox oil by Montesa Honda for years, both for the 4RT and the 315 Cotas. Always used it, bought from BVM, but now I'm stuck as to where to get it from now. So maybe I will have to consider an alternative. But the HTX is difficult to find at my location so I did some research: The HTX is a very thin synthetic gear oil, Elfs spec sheet says the viscosity is 21cST@40C. The closest I found was Valvoline Dexron VI synthetic ATF at 29.5cST@40C. So I tried that and liked the results. As a side other gear oils ranged from 35 to over 100cST@40C. ATF is gear oil for wet clutches. The Japenese bike makers have a spec for wet clutch use; JASO-MA. So any oil that mets that spec is OK for wet clutches, and that includes some engine oils. But engine oils are thicker than HTX and thin oils have much faster clutch hookup and less drag compared to thicker oils. Edited May 21, 201412 yr by chuck4788
May 21, 201412 yr But the HTX is difficult to find at my location so I did some research: The HTX is a very thin synthetic gear oil, Elfs spec sheet says the viscosity is 21cST@40C. The closest I found was Valvoline Dexron VI synthetic ATF at 29.5cST@40C. So I tried that and liked the results. As a side other gear oils ranged from 35 to over 100cST@40C. ATF is gear oil for wet clutches. The Japenese bike makers have a spec for wet clutch use; JASO-MA. So any oil that mets that spec is OK for wet clutches, and that includes some engine oils. But engine oils are thicker than HTX and thin oils have much faster clutch hookup and less drag compared to thicker oils. Just for info: GRO Gear Extreme comes closer to the ELF oil with 20cST @40°C
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