Do you use regular car oil in a motorcycle? (ride, bike, auto)
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so... Friction modifiers in Auto Engine oil are not always compatible with Wet Clutch Applications (many motorcycles)
I use HD Synthetic Diesel Oil for my various motorcycles API 'C' Series (Commercial) rather than 'S' Series (Gasoline) (viscosity appropriate to climate / use). Usually 15w-40 for moderate climate. Most of my MC are thumpers / low RPM. But I have raced extensively. No oil related engine failures (yet) 60+ yrs.
Use what is appropriate for your application. (Temps, RPM, environment, machine)
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 08-15-2023 at 07:19 PM..
so... Friction modifiers in Auto Engine oil are not always compatible with Wet Clutch Applications (many motorcycles)
I use HD Synthetic Diesel Oil for my various motorcycles API 'C' Series (Commercial) rather than 'S' Series (Gasoline) (viscosity appropriate to climate / use). Usually 15w-40 for moderate climate. Most of my MC are thumpers / low RPM. But I have raced extensively. No oil related engine failures (yet) 60+ yrs.
Use what is appropriate for your application. (Temps, RPM, environment, machine)
This, is the big difference.
Always use "MA" oils in your bikes.
Or, Rotella T.
I have only 1 thumper, and it gets Rotella T 15W-40 w/XLA
My ah-ha moment was in 1976, putting Mobil1 SE (for the first and LAST time...) in my XS2, the day I left on a cross country trip. That was a bummer.
I like my clutches to GRIP!
As in all my vehicles, I only use my MC clutch a couple times / day, so it STAYS engaged for most of the time.
(Trying to preserve my Clutch Cables!)
FYI:
Will Rotella T6 hurt a gas engine?
Shell Rotella® T6 Multi-Vehicle 5W-30 full synthetic heavy duty engine oil is formulated to perform well in gasoline engines, without sacrificing protection in diesels.
Is Rotella T4 safe for gas engines?
Shell Rotella® T4 NG Plus 15W-40 provides excellent protection for mixed fleets, meeting a wide range of specifications for Natural Gas Engine Oil, Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil and Passenger Car Motor Oil.
Can you use Shell Rotella T1 in a gas engine?
Product Description. Shell Rotella T1 Heavy Duty Diesel Engine oils are a high quality single grade oil blended to provide excellent performance in diesel engines of all major manufacturers and in all gasoline, LPG or LNG engines.
Rotella T is very affordable and available as a MC oil.
I used to keep a drum of it in the shop. (but it's now cheaper to buy in 2.5g jugs)
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 08-16-2023 at 08:52 PM..
FYI:
Will Rotella T6 hurt a gas engine?
Shell Rotella® T6 Multi-Vehicle 5W-30 full synthetic heavy duty engine oil is formulated to perform well in gasoline engines, without sacrificing protection in diesels.
Is Rotella T4 safe for gas engines?
Shell Rotella® T4 NG Plus 15W-40 provides excellent protection for mixed fleets, meeting a wide range of specifications for Natural Gas Engine Oil, Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil and Passenger Car Motor Oil.
Can you use Shell Rotella T1 in a gas engine?
Product Description. Shell Rotella T1 Heavy Duty Diesel Engine oils are a high quality single grade oil blended to provide excellent performance in diesel engines of all major manufacturers and in all gasoline, LPG or LNG engines.
Rotella T is very affordable and available as a MC oil.
I used to keep a drum of it in the shop. (but it's now cheaper to buy in 2.5g jugs)
Funny you mentioned Shell Rotella because that was the only non-mc oil I ever used.
I don't remember what it was but I believe it was the 15w-40 type and I used it in my first Gen Yamaha V-max. It didn't like it too much but it was also the only mineral oil I used, everything else was full synthetic. V-Max was an interestingly picky bike when it came to oil and you could totally tell whether it liked the oil or not from first ride. The shifting and acceleration would change noticeably based on the oil.
I must have tried at least 6 different brands during my 4 year ownership. I was really surprised how unimpressive Motul was despite all the hype.
It loved Schaeffer V-Twin 20w-50 oil and also did well with Mobil1 20w-50 full synthetic oil.
Nowadays, I use whatever weight & type the manual is calling for just as long as it is full synthetic, brand doesn't matter.
My Stelvio requires 10w-60 so I don't deviate, I use full synthetic 10w-60 and the one I am using every 12 months or 6000 miles (whichever comes first) is, the Liqui Moly 4T Synth 10w-60 Race 4L.
Why not just use whatever a particular manufacturer recommends? Oil is cheap...
I agree, buying the oil based on the specs the manufacturer recommends is the wisest but I have to disagree with the oil is cheap part.
A decent synth oil is about $12-$15 depending on the specs. The last time (mid Spring 2023) I bought , it was $65 for my oil. I'd not say it is cheap. The previous purchase of the same oil less than a year earlier was $50, still not cheap but more reasonable. When you add a decent oil filter which would be about $12-$15, an oil change is about $80 and that is when you do it yourself.
Income wise, I am nowhere near what I was making several years back but still, the above price is not "cheap" by any means!
I should have been more specific. In the general aviation community there's a saying, "oil cheap, engines expensive". My piston plane needs oil changes every 50 hours or 3 months whichever comes first. The required oil has specific additives to lessen cam and bearing wear. The cost to OH the engine ranges from 22 to 30K - so comparatively the correct oil is very cheap. My VW diesels also require oils meeting a specific spec. I just added a Himalayan to the garage and the manual states that 15W-50 semi-synth is the oil to use - I can only assume the manufacturer knows best. That oil is a PIA to find. In any case I have a shed filled with strange oils!
I should have been more specific. In the general aviation community there's a saying, "oil cheap, engines expensive". My piston plane needs oil changes every 50 hours or 3 months whichever comes first. The required oil has specific additives to lessen cam and bearing wear. The cost to OH the engine ranges from 22 to 30K - so comparatively the correct oil is very cheap. My VW diesels also require oils meeting a specific spec.
Interesting, I wasn't familiar with the "piston plane" term so I looked it up. If I am not mistaken, general a term used for the smallest passenger planes, correct?
50-hours flying time? That doesn't sound very long but for a plane, I can understand the stricter maintenance requirements. After all, if a car/motorcycle breaks down on the road, you are merely stuck on the road but if a plane broke down in the air...
Quote:
I just added a Himalayan to the garage and the manual states that 15W-50 semi-synth is the oil to use - I can only assume the manufacturer knows best. That oil is a PIA to find. In any case I have a shed filled with strange oils!
Never seen or heard a manufacturer call for a semi-synth oil. Really odd as I do not even understand the logic of using a semi-synth oil or whatever advantage it could have over full synth if mineral oil wasn't suitable?
Based on a brief research I made years ago, semi-synth was marginally better than regular mineral oil and marginally cheaper than full synth affirming that the it existed as a mid point from a lubrication and cost perspective. Given the cost difference between the full synth and semi-synth for standard vehicles is negligible, if the vehicle doesn't require a mineral oil, might as well use full synth over semi or am I mistaken?
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