What is your oil preferance?

Motorcycle Consumer News did an oil comparison a few years ago using a V4 Sabre .They used two motorcycle specific oils , one was HP4 and I don't remember the other, but anyway Mobil 1 and Castrol GTX were the automotive oils. The motorcycle oils had their asses handed to them by a fair margine. I believe the the whole "shearing" by the transmision is oil company propaganda to get you to pay more for less. Amsoil is another story I bought their synthetic two stroke oil for my Yamaha WR 200 and it wiped out my piston in six rides. I have three seasons of riding on one piston and rings now entering the fourth using Valvoline petroleum Two stroke oil. I have better than half a jug left and I won't run that shit in my weed whacker. Just my two cents.

 

Castrol (auto) and Fram filter from Walmart in every bike I've oned. 50K+ miles and runs perfect.

VFRMike.

 

Except you cannot use the auto oil if it has so called friction modifiers in it as the clutch will start slipping.

 

Good one MGVFR

 

I havent had any problem with golden spectra - semi synthetic blend. I was running 10-40 but this last time I went with 20-50 under advice from TOE CUTTER - it does get damned hot here in sacramento, triple digits all summer long.

I cook with it too.

 

Oil discussion

This subject is just like tires. Everyone has their favorites and views. In defense of synthetics, they flow quicker on start up in colder weather. You guys in the northern states will know what I am talking about. An Alberta spring day starts at 5 c(41 F), goes to about 20 C (68F) and back down to 10 C or so (50 F) at night. This is one reason I use synthetic in my bike. Summers here can be brutally hot (30-35 C, or 86-95 F), and also be quite cool (mother nature is a real bitch sometimes) Syn oils give me the best lubrication for the huge variance in temperature we see in Alberta. You can't use syn for a fresh engine break in, as it won't let the rings seat properly,especially in two strokes.

That's my 2 cents

 

My piston and rings were put through enough heat cycles to be seasoned and seated. I spoke to a mechanic at a local bike shop who told me guys that run sythetics in their two stroke dirt bikes have to rebuild more often . Apples and oranges maybe, but the oil is there to lubricate and it seems at least in a two stroke the synthetic is not as good as petrolem based oils.

 

Nicely put.....+1 for the use of Synthetics in Alberta. Case in point, this weekend I'm headed out on a 2-day 1000km ride. Forecast is calling for Saturday morning to start around 4°C but reach 22°C by mid afternoon.

While I have a preference for the Motul 5100, I had a hard time finding it last weekend (Was the entire city doing their spring oil change???). I put Motul 3100 in this time, which I believe is a semi-synthetic. 1000km later everything seems fine. Heck, if it comes out reasonably clean after another 2500-3000km, I might just stick with it. The $15/jug difference basically pays for the filter.

 

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever if it doesn't have a wet clutch.
Synthetic oil is better than dino oil in every aspect, period.

 

Advance Auto Parts brand 10w-30: 2.99 a quart / 10.49 a gallon.

But then again I'm just using it to flush out old engines and not actually run them.

 

When I bought my 1995 VFR it had 10W40 semi-synth. automotive oil from the bulk in it. The clutch sometimes slipped a little in higher gears with full throttle at about 9.5k-10k rpm. I changed the oil and put 10W40 Kroon Expulsa RR full synth. in it. Clutch never slipped again and shifting gears improved(smoother). I use a Honda oilfilter. After about 3000 km the oil still looks as new when I check oillevel! Doesnt use any oil either, but that's normal for a VFR( very good engine).

 

I use the Honda stuff, can't remember if it is full synth or not, have to look at my notes.
Just wish you didn't have to take the friggin fairing off to do it, what a major pain in the gonads. I simply hate those little fasteners, although they seem to do a good job staying fastened when they are.

ace57