desiel oil in road bikes?????

When I bought my 85 vf1000r the owner told me that he uses rotalla desiel oil when he changes the oil. Well it seems to be working the clutch doesn't slip. But I'm about do for an oil change and before i use it I just wanted to ask If anybodies ever heard of this. I have a dodge 3500 desiel and it would be nice to just have to buy on type of oil for both. But it just doesn't seem right. Everybody has been so helpful on this forum I just thought that someone might be able to shine a little light in the subject for me.

 

In Fl, I think your good with the 15/40 oils, but you may want to stick with the Shell Rotella T Syn 5/40 wt. It's not true synthetic (a type 3 hydro cracked) but its better than any non synthetic.

I love my VFR more than my wife, so I use Mobil1 4T 10/40 synthetic.

 

It is fine to keep using what was in the bike. The Shell rotellaT and rotellaT syn are diesel oils. Oils are defined by the additive package the MFG decides to well add to the oil for a specified task. Motorcycle and diesel have an almost identical package. The shell oil had slightly higher ash content which prohibits a JASO certification. The oil meets or exceeds JASO standard other than ash. You can read all about it in the shell web site. +1 on the pulrolator filter that derstuka recommended.

One caution. If your bike is older and had always used standard oil, switching to synthetic can be an issue. You can develop leaks around older seals etc.

Welcome to the Shell Rotella Forum: Rotella Oil for Motorcycles <<-- link to shell forum

 

Back in the 1960s..............we used Shell Rotella in our imported British and Italian sportscars!

 

We did the same in the '70s, but just poured it on top of the engine and let it dribble down the sides, just to save the oil pump from having to work so hard. :smile:

 

Shell Rotella Synthetic now certified JASO MA.

 

Good on you Interceptor1!!!! The very best of replies. "RTFL".

Some folks go on and on and still don't get it right!:redface:
Visiting manufacturersl sites is always helpful. They offer great info but often is not passed on (secondhand) with the greatest accuracy!
I always believe in getting info from the "horses mouth".

Here's some tid bits. To be taken with a grain of salt. I use Rotella in my Kubota diesel and have considered using it in my VFR but I don't.
I don't put a lot of miles on the bike and like to change the oil twice a year since I lay it up for the winter. I stick with Honda filters and Honda GNW 10w40. I always torque the oil filter and oil drain bolt to factory specs. Never had a problem. Some folks don't and have never had a problem? I've only done this for fifty years. I do like Mobil1 for my Acura RDX. Also use it in my S2000.
I believe my old MG's called for "regular" oil of a specific non "multi" viscosity. Regular oils were non detergent oils. Detergent oils were "Heavy Duty" oils.........who needs this history???
See were this is going. The controversy has never ended!!!:wink:

 

My oil and tires are better than all of yours put together, so there...

 

Shell Rotella T is JASO certified, one more myth debunked. It's good oil, lots of folks use it. Is it really diesel oil or an engine oil meeting the requirements for use in diesel engines? Now that is something that hasn't been decided.

 

Nonsense, mine are waaay better. But I can't prove it, I just know.

 

I grind up my old tires and mix them with the oil........Better bounce per ounce ya' know!

 

Hello tinkeringwith “moderator” stuff

Congrats with your promotion…I wasn’t aware…..
If I am to understand your position…. I am not sticking to the thread content….
I can’t decide for myself what I think is the best of replies!!!!!
I am not allowed to be anecdotal!!!!
You can’t spell
You know all the answers…I digress

You should check some of the past “oil threads”…and the continuation of this one…What you don’t have any other admonishments…..should I take this personally….
You don’t have respect for my caveats…..my smilies….WTF.

You just have no respect…..it’s a forum…FCS
You are entitled to your post…..it’s a free country or countries (token Canadian’s)

But your freedom ends where my freedom begins….

How do you get off with uttering threats and harm to other posters…..
But I’m forgiving……let me buy you a coffee…….how ‘bout a cup of what you are selling in your avatar…..

Call for Derstuka!!!!!

 

Naa, ol messinwidshit thinks he owns threads and is able to rescind freedom of speech because he voted for that Bush dude. Likely not a bad day but stagnant hypoxia.

 

From the Shell "Ask The Expert" Faq:

Can heavy-duty diesel oil be used in motorcycles?


Motorcycle gasoline engines may not seem in the same league as the big displacement diesel engine under your hood, but they share some of the same lubrication requirements. So yes, in many cases, a premium heavy-duty universal oil capable of serving both diesel and gasoline engines is the best choice for your bike.

The high power-to-displacement ratio of a motorcycle engine means rod and main bearings are subjected to loads that are not normally found in passenger car engines. The valve train is also highly loaded, and requires extreme pressure boundary lubrication. The same can be said about gears in the transmission, which are normally lubricated by engine oil. Oil additives containing phosphorus protect these highly loaded extreme pressure areas (in both gasoline and diesel engines). Because diesel engines have higher loading of components, more of the phosphorus-containing additive is present than in typical passenger car oils. And with advanced catalyst systems for gasoline engines, the phosphorus content has been declining in passenger car oils.

Since many bike engines are air-cooled, and tend to be operated at high power outputs and speeds, their lubricating oil needs to be more resistant to high temperature oxidation. That?s another advantage of a premium universal oil. Another thing you want in your motorcycle is oil that has excellent viscosity control, so that with use it retains high temperature viscosity. Some multiviscosity grade passenger car oils, subjected to extreme loads, can quickly thin out. Their viscosity can drop to the next lower grade.

One last thing to consider is whether oil contains friction modifier additives. For improved fuel economy, most passenger car oils have such an additive. But the wet clutch in your bike doesn?t perform right with friction modifiers. Universal engine oils don?t have friction modifiers.

Be careful choosing diesel oils. Not all of them are universal. In addition to the API Service Category CI-4 PLUS for diesels, look for API Service Category SL.

Premium universal oils like Shell ROTELLA? T Multigrade are formulated for heavy-duty performance, and your bike engine has some heavy-duty challenges for oil. For optimum performance, be sure your oil is up to the challenge.

 

Don't worry! Your bike has the best engine oil in it so keep on using it!