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oils that are more expensive, better or just more

2K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  phuzz 
#1 ·
Does anyone know the truth on oils. my shop here in town says just run 10-40 valvaline and change after every two rides. You see all these synthetics out there and so many different atv oils do you think it really matters.
 
#3 ·
Weather it's mineral based or synthetic your mottor will be just fine. The main thing is to have a oil rated to be compatible with the clutch and style of riding you do. You hammer the crap out of it and want it to last a while, use better oil. Not really the careing type rider than who cares.........lol
 
#4 ·
DO NOT USE AUTOMOTIVE OIL. It will kill your clutch. Automotive oils have a phosphate based friction reducer in them. They will destroy your clutc.

Syhthetic oil is far better that natural oil. It lasts longer, reduces friction better, it is more shear resistant, and more heat resistant.
 
#5 ·
I'd threaten to report that shop to Yamaha (if it's a Yama licensed shop) unless they give you some free gear. Automotive oil is a big no-no.
 
#6 ·
20/50 vr1 valviline racing oil :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
BJH said:
DO NOT USE AUTOMOTIVE OIL. It will kill your clutch. Automotive oils have a phosphate based friction reducer in them. They will destroy your clutc.

Syhthetic oil is far better that natural oil. It lasts longer, reduces friction better, it is more shear resistant, and more heat resistant.
Some automotive oils have a friction-reducing additive, and will be labeled "Energy Conserving". Some people feel that this will allow clutch slippage, at times. Or not. Clutch abuse is 1000 times more likely an issue with offroad machines than not using an oil with a picture of a motorcycle on the bottle.

If dino oil is within lubrication specs, a synth offers little advantage.

Something to read:
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm
and
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

Bottom line, use what you feel comfortable using, and change it at the right time. I use Rotella 15w-40, and it is non-energy-conserving, and under $1.50 a qt.
 
#8 ·
phuzz said:
BJH said:
DO NOT USE AUTOMOTIVE OIL. It will kill your clutch. Automotive oils have a phosphate based friction reducer in them. They will destroy your clutc.

Syhthetic oil is far better that natural oil. It lasts longer, reduces friction better, it is more shear resistant, and more heat resistant.
Some automotive oils have a friction-reducing additive, and will be labeled "Energy Conserving". Some people feel that this will allow clutch slippage, at times. Or not. Clutch abuse is 1000 times more likely an issue with offroad machines than not using an oil with a picture of a motorcycle on the bottle.

If dino oil is within lubrication specs, a synth offers little advantage.

Something to read:
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm
and
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

Bottom line, use what you feel comfortable using, and change it at the right time. I use Rotella 15w-40, and it is non-energy-conserving, and under $1.50 a qt.
From the second page you listed.
"Synthetic oils have a higher viscosity index than mineral base oils. Synthetics have better resistance to thinning at high temperatures and thickening at low temperatures. Since synthetics have little or no VIIs, synthetics last longer in service without radical changes in viscosity.

Synthetics have a much higher film strength than petroleum oils, so it takes a lot longer for the oil to drain completely off your bearings and into your sump.

Diester synthetics are polar molecules with solvent properties which dissolve residues and combustion byproducts.

Recommendations
I get a lot of email, "My buddy has 283,000 miles on his Yamazuki 867 Nintruder, and he's never used anything but 35¢ per quart grocery store oil changed every 48,000 miles." Here's the truth: modern Japanese engines are amazingly well engineered and can tolerate a surprising amount of abuse. However, putting automotive oils in your motorcycle and running them for more than 1500 miles is abuse. I abuse my motorcycle enough with the way I ride them without adding on the abuse of using cheap oil that will break down in 1500 miles.

Some people should, in my opinion, clearly use a synthetic oil. You should be using a synthetic if:

you have one of these new 4-stroke MX bikes. These MX bikes hold only about one quart of oil, all of them have marginal cooling systems, and if there's a more severe use of an engine than MX, I don't want to be physically present when it happens."
 
#10 ·
MONSTERMATT said:
my boy said it really dont matter if you run synthetic or not as long as you regularly change the oil it dosent make any difference
This is what I believe, provided that the dino oil offers all the specified protection for the engine.

If you doubt the protection from dino, then go synth, for the extra headroom in protection.

Personally I believe dino to work for my machines, unless I want an extended change interval.
 
#12 ·
Talljess said:
ams oil is an excellent choice..kinda pricey but cheaper than an engine rebuild next year
I have heard good things about Amsoil.

But what are people doing to their engines or oil to warrant an engine rebuild? Reasoning like a synth is going to protect an engine during a thrashing that a dino wouldn't; I don't have any faith in that engine due to its rough life anyway.

Anyone here use quantitative or conclusive evidence such as oil analysis?
 
#13 ·
Hey Phuzz, thanks for adding the links, above. It took about an hour to read through all of the information, but their research really cuts through all the BS that you get from people who sell oil. It was also interesting to learn about all of the classifications. They had great reasons why you should at least use 20w-50 instead of 10w-30 if you are going to use automotive oil in motorcycles. They also made a pretty good case for using synthetics under certain conditions.
 
#14 ·
fastJan said:
Hey Phuzz, thanks for adding the links, above. It took about an hour to read through all of the information, but their research really cuts through all the BS that you get from people who sell oil. It was also interesting to learn about all of the classifications. They had great reasons why you should at least use 20w-50 instead of 10w-30 if you are going to use automotive oil in motorcycles. They also made a pretty good case for using synthetics under certain conditions.
Sure, np.

I hope it's at least semi-factual. It sure is hard to separate the hype from the facts we all need to care for our machines without tossing good $$$ away.

It is long, and it took me a while to read/digest, but I thought it did cut thru some of the hype.

Bobistheoilguy.com is another site, and I recall reading one where they took a z28 and only changed the filter, and topped off the oil as necessary, and ran it for some ungodly amount of miles. But thru using oil analysis, it was actually safe and in spec for the engine to do this. It goes against all we've grown up to think, though.

I'd like to see more research on it, especially as un-renewable as oil is. It'd suck if we were all tossing it out with only 20% "used up". But like others, I get wary, and want to protect my machine, so I change earlier rather than pushing it too long.
 
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