June 10, 20251 yr The manual shows 15 hours as the oil/ filter change interval for a 2018 300. That sounds like an MX bike. Meanwhile, the Beta 4T manual shows 40 hours. What interval are people using?
June 10, 20251 yr From my maintenance log, both oils every 15 - 20 hours. Filter every other oil change. I'd say it depends a lot on conditions of use. Sending a drain oil sample for analysis can be enlightening. Don't wait 40 hours to check the level.
June 10, 20251 yr 4T Trials bikes typically have separate oil for the engine and transmission, the transmission oil needs changing when it contains water or the clutch will cause problems as the transmission never gets hot enough to boil the water out. If you are doing lots of water crossings or power wash your motorcycle regularly you will need to change the oil when the clutch starts to make strange sounds or act up. ... They only hold half a litre in each reservoir so it is not a significant cost to change out. The separate engine and transmission oil is a great design because it allows you to use inexpensive hydraulic oil in the transmission suited to wet clutch applications and change it frequently. Separate engine oil enables you to run high tech multi-grade engine oils in the engine if you wish without causing wet clutch problems associated with friction modifiers. Water is slightly less of an issue in the engine oil where the oil is in contact with very hot parts but it has a paper oil filter that will have issues if that contains water. ... Do you power wash your bikes, operate in a wet environment and do lots of deep water crossings? <- you need to change out the oils and filters more often compared to the guy riding a dirty dirt bike in an arid environment.
June 11, 20251 yr Author 20 hours ago, lemur said: 4T Trials bikes typically have separate oil for the engine and transmission, the transmission oil needs changing when it contains water or the clutch will cause problems as the transmission never gets hot enough to boil the water out. If you are doing lots of water crossings or power wash your motorcycle regularly you will need to change the oil when the clutch starts to make strange sounds or act up. ... They only hold half a litre in each reservoir so it is not a significant cost to change out. The separate engine and transmission oil is a great design because it allows you to use inexpensive hydraulic oil in the transmission suited to wet clutch applications and change it frequently. Separate engine oil enables you to run high tech multi-grade engine oils in the engine if you wish without causing wet clutch problems associated with friction modifiers. Water is slightly less of an issue in the engine oil where the oil is in contact with very hot parts but it has a paper oil filter that will have issues if that contains water. ... Do you power wash your bikes, operate in a wet environment and do lots of deep water crossings? <- you need to change out the oils and filters more often compared to the guy riding a dirty dirt bike in an arid environment. I also wonder why Montesa recommends very expensive oil for the transmission. I used that for the first change but plan to look for alternatives. I ride in mostly dry conditions.
June 11, 20251 yr 12 minutes ago, mcman56 said: I also wonder why Montesa recommends very expensive oil for the transmission. I have always assumed there was a sponsorship deal. A friend calls that oil "Elf Tears". Edited June 11, 20251 yr by konrad
June 12, 20251 yr 7 hours ago, mcman56 said: I also wonder why Montesa recommends very expensive oil for the transmission. I used that for the first change but plan to look for alternatives. I ride in mostly dry conditions. Rode 4RT for decades and only used the same all season hydraulic transmission oil I used in the farm tractors and excavator in the transmission. Regular Honda oil in the engine. Filters are easy available and inexpensive. Never have clutch and transmission problems even in winter sub zero riding 2T or 4T Using Kubota branded oil at the moment, check out your local farm supply
June 20, 20251 yr On 6/11/2025 at 10:48 AM, mcman56 said: I also wonder why Montesa recommends very expensive oil for the transmission. I used that for the first change but plan to look for alternatives. I ride in mostly dry conditions. You might look into "Nils Clutch Trial" oil its specs are very close to the ELF oil and is worth considering in my opinion. Specs for comparison: ELF 40°C 21.4 100°C 7.0 NILS 40°C 24.7 100°C 7.5
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