OIL OPINIONS

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:58 pm

10-30 no way

10-40 still burns quite a bit (3/4 pint per 20litres with hard riding on a hot day) No blue smoke - only under very hard acceleration.

What do you think 20-50 or a semi-synthetic 10-50 ?

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:16 pm

If you search on this you'll find many topics that cover this...

Basically 20w50 Motorcycle Oil (API SG or JASO MA). Not SH or greater automotive oil.. Doesn't have the zinc our bikes need...

-Don

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:42 pm

Agree. 20W50 motorcycle-specific oil. Unless you operate your bike throughout the year and below 35 degree ambient temperatures..

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:56 pm

I take out my bike at 5 degrees celcius. I normally start the season with a 10-40 and as soon as ambient temperatures reach 15 degrees celcius I switch to a 20-50 motorcycle oil.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:50 pm

Do you guys have a favorite brand? I've always used Honda Genuine 10w40 in my bikes. It sounds like everyone here thinks that 20w50 is better.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:01 pm

MOTUL 20W50

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:30 pm

My last oil change was with 15W-40 Shell Rotella. It's dual rated for gasoline or diesel engines, and has the zinc additives (at least for another year or so. Thanks, EPA. Stock up.)

On the down side, I'm losing quite a bit of oil at highway speed, (6500--7K RPM) and it's not leaking. I would not expect this to be related to the brand/type of oil I use--but I'll accept advice.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:31 pm

I too am using the rotella 15w-40 oil. works great.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:56 pm

Honda 10W-40 since 1981

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:01 am

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:58 am

I use Valvoline Racing straight 50 wt oil all year long for all the bikes in my stable.

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:03 am

Insert favorite brand here,diesel truck 15W40 is excellent oil at a believable price,such that you afford to change it. It "now" has quite bit of the zinc we need.

As for a comparison I use and have used Valvoline for years. Originally it was Racing Blend,they reduced the zinc,then it was motorcycle specific but the cost is now nearing $4.00/qt. The diesel stuff is about $8.00/gal and easy to get. The diesel stuff smells better,you can smell the zinc,and looks like oil,versus the clear looking stuff now called oil.

I would say 20W 50 but perhaps the 15W40 diesel actually holds up better and maintains it's viscosity. Using my kids '02 GSXR 750 as an example it was the typical noisy Suzuki motor until we put the MC specific Valvoline in,it ran better/quieter. Now it has the diesel stuff in it and seems better yet. Have not changed oil in my 1100 yet but will soon. Regardless we just buy it by the gallon and use it in everything cars and bikes.

This suggestion was recently shown in an Hot Rod magazine aritcle about cam failures in hot cars,but we found it more than 1yr ago.

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:25 am

sonicrete wrote:

Insert favorite brand here,diesel truck 15W40 is excellent oil at a believable price,such that you afford to change it. It "now" has quite bit of the zinc we need.

As for a comparison I use and have used Valvoline for years. Originally it was Racing Blend,they reduced the zinc,then it was motorcycle specific but the cost is now nearing $4.00/qt. The diesel stuff is about $8.00/gal and easy to get. The diesel stuff smells better,you can smell the zinc,and looks like oil,versus the clear looking stuff now called oil.

I would say 20W 50 but perhaps the 15W40 diesel actually holds up better and maintains it's viscosity. Using my kids '02 GSXR 750 as an example it was the typical noisy Suzuki motor until we put the MC specific Valvoline in,it ran better/quieter. Now it has the diesel stuff in it and seems better yet. Have not changed oil in my 1100 yet but will soon. Regardless we just buy it by the gallon and use it in everything cars and bikes.

This suggestion was recently shown in an Hot Rod magazine aritcle about cam failures in hot cars,but we found it more than 1yr ago.

That is an idea I have not thought about. And a good one too. hmmm.

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 7:07 am

depends..on my nice bike nothing ever less than XXw50 on my ugly one..XXw50 plus a ltre of stp or other suitable thick goooop!! cuts its appetite in half, but dont try to crank me near freezing!!

Nitro

Twinstar Joined: Jun 08, 2006 Posts: 91 Location: Kent, WA

I run the honda 10 40 but Im about to change to 20 50 or maybe something else. I dont know

Twinstar Joined: Aug 23, 2005 Posts: 95 Location: Waco, TX

amsoil 20w50 motorcycle oil here

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:55 pm

If you Google oil there is a ton of reading out there. As consumers it is up to us to decide what the best is. Hence your question to the forum.

The link to http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2156.pdf
Gives their perspective on why their oil is the best. They use standard testing techniques and no doubt only post the good results to skew our thinking process.

But I found the results of the various test interesting and it made me change my brand of preferred oil (used to be Castrol but it failed so many tests that I went out oil shopping).

Your question was on viscosity though. According to the study 41% of SAE 40 dropped to SAE 30 and 43% of SAE 50 dropped to a SAE 40 within an initial 30 cycles. So you may want to think about using a higher viscosity to begin with.

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:31 pm

I hear what you are saying FITTER......Are you saying that I should stick with a 20w50 all around?

What do you put in your F?

Cold.