All about motorcycle oil!

[simonantz]

Not sure if this site has been shared before, but for your reading pleasure...just about everything you could wish to know about oil for your motorcycle!! http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/moto...l.html#Oil3150


Way way back, when I had the z1 and then the cb900 I just used good quality car oil (which to be honest seemed just fine) . Now with these new motors and my first NEW bike I like the idea of making the most of whats out there , or is it just sales talk

[Yanosh]

Had a quick scan through... So who here used motorbike oil and not just normal car oil in their bikes?!

I've always used a decent semi-synthetic in both my car and bike and never thought twice about it....

[CookMySock]

Rules of thumb, ish ;

As long as you match the manufacturers SAE spec exactly, and exceed the API spec, you will be fine. Don't buy the cheapest oil you can find - buy the next one or two up. You don't need the latest super-whizz-bang fad oil.

Once you decide on an engine oil, stick with the same brand and spec.

You should have a very very good reason to use a different SAE spec oil. Using a slightly thinner (lower SAE) is probably ok. Using a thicker (higher SAE) oil is usually not ok.

Change your oil on time. Going over a service interval by 1000km won't hurt it.

Performance bikes with wet clutches don't cope with sooper dooper slippery oils. They slip and destroy themselves.

DB

[Max Preload]

I think this bit is a particularly important one:

CAR VS. MOTORCYCLE OIL:
Car oils are formulated for cars. Motorcycle oils are specifically formulated for motorcycles. Motorcycles induce accelerated viscosity breakdown, and thus motorcycle oils contain additives that car oils do not to correct for this. Additionally, many car oils contain additives which are not suitable for motorcycles with wet clutches; if you have a wet clutch (or aren't sure), always stick to good motorcycle oils.

[speedpro]

I think this bit is a particularly important one:

The viscosity reduction was best handled by a "car" oil as documented in another thread. I would expect though that the same company's motorcycle specific oil would be even better.

[speedpro]

Now with these new motors and my first NEW bike I like the idea of making the most of whats out there , or is it just sales talk

Sales talk - see other thread.

[homer]

so looks to me like the castrol gps oil that goes in the bike i have rates pretty well .

[homer]

actually the container has castrol gps power 1 on it
its 10 w 40

[simonantz]

Thanks homer, Im going to settle on this castrol oil with this bike of mine, it sounds rather good to me .

[Fatjim]

Had a look through the sites and not one of them mentioned to my memory how well an oil performed after 3,000k's in a motorbike.

None of the testing was on used oil, let alone oil than had been used in a motorbike under the extreme conditions of heat, clutch and most importantly gearbox that they have to put up with.

My understanding is that automotive oils that rely on polymers to get a good multigrade weight do not last in bikes. They can be shot by as little as 300 k's. eg. I tried a Shell part synthetic in the fireyawn and it came out like water when hot. Scary stuff.

The problem is the polymers get chopped up when run through a gearbox and the oil looses it viscosity and therefore its lubrication properties when hot.

Quality diesel engine oils achieve their mutligrade rating more by using a better base oil, than by polymers.

Although a diesel oil may or may not perform better than some other Dino oils they last better and give much better overall protection between oil changes.

I also understand that the main advantage of a synthetic over a dino oil is the extended service intervals. however, my SV1000 has a requirement of a 6000k oil change, so there is absolutely no point in using a synthetic until it's out of its warranty, at that point, I'd still have to be able to sleep at night with extended oil changes. to do that, I'd expect the oil manufacturer to specify what that is in a motorcycle. I don't know if any do. The other way would be to get it tested every 6000k's, which seems pointless, and costly.

I'll stick with my 15w-40 weight diesel oils thanks.

[CookMySock]

I'll stick with my 15w-40 weight diesel oils thanks.

You are right, and it sounds like you are getting away with it, but if you are exceeding your engines' API spec and you have a real high revving engine, it is possible - even likely you tuck a piston skirt, snag a ring, or run a bearing doing this.

I wrecked a set of rings and pistons doing this.

Slow revving engines are not an issue, but high revvers will push an oil wedge that cannot move out of the way quickly enough due to the thicker oil.

If you want to see this theory in action, get an alternator bearing and clean it out with petrol, then pack it with super-thick heavy-duty grease and reassemble and refit the alternator. It will spin the bearing outer in its housing inside a week. I know, I did it. It destroyed the bearing housing, leaving a perfectly new, perfectly well-greased bearing in place, and a red hot housing.

DB

[ynot slow]

Stick with the bike reccomendation is a rule of thumb I use.

[simonantz]

Some interesting comments.... I like the sound of castrol bike oil, cause they mention the xtra high bike revs and engine heat with the air and oil cooled bikes , as well as the combo gear and clutch . But to be honest I have been away from bikes for some time now,so its great to hear from the masters of the moment!

[faredce]

mmm iv been using a fully synthetic motorcycle oil castrol.. my bike is a screamer aprilia 125 and have found this works well has been the only one iv used but see no reason to vary..

[TimeOut]

That be a 2 smoker?
The thread is about 4 stroke oils.