Motorcycle oil

[Snarley Bill]

Just to throw this in about oils....

Several years ago Quaker State got a bad reputation. My Grandfather had a 1970 GMC truck with a 307 engine. He ran Quaker State oil in it and he was very persistant about changing it every 3000 miles. His opionion was that any motor oil would work as long as it was changed often. My Grandfather died many years ago and I ended up with his truck. I continued to drive the truck until it had 167,000 miles on it but I didn't change the oil as often as he did. After a couple of years, the body rusted and fell apart but the engine was still strong. I sold the engine to a friend and helped installed it in his truck. I don't know how many thousands of miles he drive his truck before selling it. During the engine swap, we replaced all of the gaskets because they were starting to leak and we were shocked as to how clean the engine was inside. This proved to me that regular maintenance (oil changes) played a huge roll in long lasting engines. Here I had an engine that had 167,000 miles put on it with an oil that had a terrible reputation but for the most part it was changed regularly.

I run the Yamahalube in my RSV and Yamaha filters but as long as it meets motorcycle oil specs, I don't think it really matters much as long as it is changed at the proper intervals.

I use to be a member of a forum for Suziki's and I know a lot of people use to run the blue jug Rotella in their bikes

years ago before we got totally dependent on other countries for oil, the best base oil came from pennsylvania. it was a parrafin base oil. all the foreign oil was asphalt base. quaker state and pennzoil was the best oil you could buy. i used them exclusively in everything. now they would be considered very dated compared to all the new technology. the oil controversy was in full swing back then. the prettier the can and the better the marketing the better the oil was. they even dyed royal triton purple. it was so pretty it had to be the best. almost had me hooked but i fell for the paraffin base oil is best hype. now we have all the latest high tech hype going on. i don't honestly know what the best oil is, and i doubt if anyone else knows either. i just got to go with what works for me and choose from all the scientific data that is put out there for me to try to decipher. oil once was the best kept secret in the world. now the computer age has helped to allow us to understand a little more about the chemistry of it. we can argue forever about oil just like politics and religion. but you will never convince me that i'm not using the best oil made and i don't think i have a chance of a snow ball in hell of convincing anyone else theirs is the worst.

[flb_78]

Well just to be different here, I have been using Royal Purple for several years in both my V star and now the RSV. I use the Yamaha filter and Max Cycle 20w 50. I also use Royal Purple Synchromax in the rear gear box too. I agree that any brand name oil will do the job if changed often enough. I think I have emotionally connected to Royal Purple because of their website explanation as to why use Royal Purple.

 

 

http://www.royalpurple.com/why-use-rp.html

 

 

I hope you have good luck with the Royal Purple. When I was working in the truck shop, Arrow Trucking decided to switch from Chevron Delo 400 to Royal Purple. We had to start stocking it to keep their business. After 6 months and several catastrophic engine failures, they decided to switch back to Chevron Delo. We ended up dumping 2 barrels of it down the drain after a year because we couldn't sell it to anyone.

[timgray]

Mobil 1 is absolutely a true Synthetic. This is another statement that some Amsoil distributors have tried to spread. This has come up here before and I did the research and posted the proof here that Mobil 1 is indeed a true synthetic. Sorry, I don't have time to find it again now but will later if I need to. That is why Mobil challenged Castrol for claiming that THEIR'S was a true synthetic.

 

 

That is very good to know. I heard from several mechanics that "synthetic" is a scam and that most are no longer synthetic. They must have been referring to castrol.

[MAINEAC]

I believe the best tip I've received from here is this...most all oil brands will do the job....the secret is changing it often....every 3000 miles or so.

 

 

The oil thread can get lengthy....lol.

 

3000 Miles???? I'd have to change my oil 10 times a year... I pay extra for Amsol Synthetic so I don't have to change it so often... I usually go 6K miles but have gone 10K between changes on 1 occasion... Also in the 62K miles I've put on my RSV I've never had to add a drop of oil... For the record I use K&N oil filters cuz that's what my Bro carries in his shop... I'm gonna try the Shell Rotella this spring... I ran that in my big trucks for years..

[Stoutman]

I noticed one difference on the labels of synthetic oils. If you look at Mobile 1 it says "Fully" synthetic. Other oils like the Walmart house brand, Pensoil, and Valvoline say "Full" synthetic. I have not looked at tha Amsoil or Royal Purple containers. This might be one way to tell them apart at the store.

 

Also, ditto's to what Snarley Bill says about the crappy stuff we used to put in our engines. I remember opening a bottle of oil (can back then) and smelling for sulphur. If you could smell the sulpher you knew you had the cheap stuff.

[Snarley Bill]

I noticed one difference on the labels of synthetic oils. If you look at Mobile 1 it says "Fully" synthetic. Other oils like the Walmart house brand, Pensoil, and Valvoline say "Full" synthetic. I have not looked at tha Amsoil or Royal Purple containers. This might be one way to tell them apart at the store.

 

Also, ditto's to what Snarley Bill says about the crappy stuff we used to put in our engines. I remember opening a bottle of oil (can back then) and smelling for sulphur. If you could smell the sulpher you knew you had the cheap stuff.

hey stoutman how you been? i remember the recycled oil i used in my 56 chevy cuz it used it as fast as i put it in. no telling what all was in that, probably paint thinner, rear end lube,and anti freeze. a real bargain at 25 cents a qt. we should worry about the oil in our cars like we do in our bikes. lol. bill Edited January 23, 2009 by Snarley Bill

[hig4s]

Mobil 1 is absolutely a true Synthetic. This is another statement that some Amsoil distributors have tried to spread. This has come up here before and I did the research and posted the proof here that Mobil 1 is indeed a true synthetic. Sorry, I don't have time to find it again now but will later if I need to. That is why Mobil challenged Castrol for claiming that THEIR'S was a true synthetic.

 

I have been looking for that proof, but not old proof.. From what I understand when Castrol won the suit and was allowed to call their hydrocracked synthetic a full synthetic, Mobil, to save costs, started doing the same thing. I know in the last two years I have e-mailed Mobil and asked them if they are still a true synthetic using PAOs, or if they now also use hydrocracked bases. They refused to answer saying their formula was propriatary and do to security reasons they could not answer.. funny, when they were suing Castrol they made a big fuss and told everyone they used PAOs only.

 

As far as I know, Amsoil is the only true PAO only synthetic major brand left. That being said, the better made hydrocracked synthetics like Castrol and Mobil 1 are virtually as good as Amsoil. Even in the testing sponsored by Amsoil where Amsoil always show up superior, Mobil 1 and Castrol Syntec, usually come in a fairly close 2nd and 3rd.

 

Personally, from what I have seen major brand dino oil has gotten so much better in the last 10 to 15 years, if I didn't do extended oil changes on my vehicles I wouldn't bother with synth anymore. I always do double the recommended interval on my cars and 1.5 times the interval on my bikes with either Mobil 1 or Syntec.

[Freebird]

From what I understand when Castrol won the suit and was allowed to call their hydrocracked synthetic a full synthetic, Mobil, to save costs, started doing the same thing.

 

The ONLY place I have heard this has been from a handful of Amsoil distributors. Even the official Amsoil site doesn't make these allegations. So where are you finding proof of this?

[Who Dey]

I would just use what ever the dealer/manufacturer tells you to use. I'm not an oil expert but i'm not a believer in Synthetic oil. I just dont think the cost of it is justified. I know from another website that i am on that alot of the guys use it in their bikes and some of their bikes started using oil, and they switched back to regular oil and have had no problems. I use to Drag Race for many years and i never used Synthetic oil and i never lost an engine ever. These are not race cars we are dealing with here so i really don't see a nedd to use synthetic.

[STAR RIDER]

I use Amsoil 10-40 for motorcycles and a Scott filter which passes ASTMF316 Test for 35 Microns. Had no trouble since I bought it new. Using amsoil it looks as good as fresh as the day I put it in every 4000 miles. They say you can go longer, but I change it every 4000 miles. I take my amsoil down to Yamaha and they clean my filter and put in the amsoil I have given them. I had read articles that there are motorcycles that went over 200,000 miles on amsoil.

See Scott Filter website: http://www.scottsonline.com/products.php?PartType=3