Amsoil vs other Synthetics

[BigBear]

I'm currently using Amsoil in my 09 RSV. I'm going to be changing the oil in a couple of weeks.

 

Should I stick with Amsoil or move to another synthetic? Any harm in changing from Amsoil to another type of Synthetic (Mobil-1??).

[CMIKE]

I don't think it will cause any problems. You probably like me remember our dads talking about if you start using one oil stay with it...if you swap brands it will start using oil.

I know folks who swear that will happen but techincally I do not see how it is possible unless one oil had built up a bunch of gunk in the engine and other one flushed it out.

I use Amsoil in a lot of engines at my house. VW diesel, Venture, Vstar, Generators, Racing bikes, enduro bikes.

I think Mobil one is a good synthetic oil also...do not think it would really be that much different that what you are using.

Amsoil has some good products and I order them straight from Amsoil.com. Buy enough that the $20 prefered customer status saves me some money so I get it cheaper than I can buy it at any retailer I have found so far.

 

Try the Mobile one if you want to. I may try some of it myself one day.

Edited April 18, 2009 by CMIKE

[saddletramp1]

I have used both oils in my 07...depends on what is staring me in the face when I go to buy it. Can't tell any difference, between them. Bike runs great with either oil.

Hope this helps.

 

Steve

[hig4s]

You probably like me remember our dads talking about if you start using one oil stay with it...if you swap brands it will start using oil. I know folks who swear that will happen but techincally I do not see how it is possible unless one oil had built up a bunch of gunk in the engine and other one flushed it out.

 

That is exactly what happens, because of different detergent compounds in different oils build up and clean differently, but unless the gunk is blocking the oil from leaking out of a worn seal, which should only happen in an engine with significant miles on it, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

For that matter, there are those that suggest changing brands regularly to keep the build up from ever happening is a good idea.

 

I've seen the Amsoil sponsored test results for synthetic motorcycle oils, and as you would expect it shows their oil is the best, but it also shows Mobil 1 MX4T a close second, and virtually all synthetics except Royal Purple pretty good.

[1BigDog]

Ill second what Al said. Amsoil and Mobil one run a very close 1 to 2. Hardly any noticable difference, unless your a chemist..lol.

[KiteSquid]

A lot of us here use Shell Rotella T synthetic 5W-40 oil in our bikes.

 

It costs a lot less than most other synthetic oils as we pick it up at Wall-Mart in the one gallon jug. It costs just a little less than $20

 

it is compatible with the wet clutch.

 

It is in the blue jug NOT the white jug

 

 

http://www.truckinginfo.com/images/news/Shell-RotellaSynthetic5W40.jpg

 

 

 

The white jug is Dyno oil based.

 

http://www.thelauders.com/Gilco2/images/shell_rotella15w40.jpg

[buddy]

I did my first oil change on the RSV yesterday. Went with Mobil 1 for motorcycles.

First thing I noticed was smoother shifting between gears sure was a big change. And I really gave the oil a test yesterday too,my Mom forgot her Meds when she came down Saturday. So I went to her house 80mi away, doing 85-90mph most of the way up and back. And the RSV ran perfect up & back and no problem with the oil either....The motor seemed to run smoother too?......

 

Buddy

[heatonmt]

I will be changing over to the Mobil one just because it is easer to find if needed out on the road it is at almost ALL Wal-Marts and auto zones. Amsoil not easy to find out on the road. But with the new type bikes I would hope not to be looking for oil when I am on the road.

[Snarley Bill]

hard to beat mobil1. i use the 10w-30 automotive, energy conserving in all my bikes, lawn mower, and air compressor, have for years. never had a clutch slippage issue. the belt does slip on my compressor when doing drag starts, but my 200 hp. zx-14 don't seem to care. by the way amsoil buys their pao base stock from exxon mobil. if a gold wing won't slip the clutch in a 100 mile an hour roll on, you don't have nothing to worry about. by the way alot of the drag bikes (brock davidson being one in his busa's and zx-14s) use 5w-30 mobil1 energy conserving to cut friction and gain a few horsepower. bill

[hig4s]

hard to beat mobil1. i use the 10w-30 automotive, energy conserving in all my bikes, lawn mower, and air compressor, have for years. never had a clutch slippage issue. the belt does slip on my compressor when doing drag starts, but my 200 hp. zx-14 don't seem to care. by the way amsoil buys their pao base stock from exxon mobil. if a gold wing won't slip the clutch in a 100 mile an hour roll on, you don't have nothing to worry about. by the way alot of the drag bikes (brock davidson being one in his busa's and zx-14s) use 5w-30 mobil1 energy conserving to cut friction and gain a few horsepower. bill

 

The "energy conserving" oils from any manufacturer contain extra friction modifiers that can (but may not) damage wet clutches.. For many years I used Mobil 1 auto oil that was NOT "energy conserving" on my motorcycles with no problem. But since I bought the RSV I figured if I can afford a full dress touring bike, I can afford motorcycle oil.. That and RSVs have notoriously weak clutch springs so I won't chance energy conserving on the RSV.

 

As far as the Rotella T,, it is also very good oil, and because it is designed for diesels I believe it does not have the "energy conserving" additive. It is available at most truck stops.

[frogmaster]

A lot of us here use Shell Rotella T synthetic 5W-40 oil in our bikes.

 

It costs a lot less than most other synthetic oils as we pick it up at Wall-Mart in the one gallon jug. It costs just a little less than $20

 

it is compatible with the wet clutch.

 

It is in the blue jug NOT the white jug

 

 

http://www.truckinginfo.com/images/news/Shell-RotellaSynthetic5W40.jpg

 

 

 

The white jug is Dyno oil based.

 

http://www.thelauders.com/Gilco2/images/shell_rotella15w40.jpg

 

 

DITTO

[Snarley Bill]

The "energy conserving" oils from any manufacturer contain extra friction modifiers that can (but may not) damage wet clutches.. For many years I used Mobil 1 auto oil that was NOT "energy conserving" on my motorcycles with no problem. But since I bought the RSV I figured if I can afford a full dress touring bike, I can afford motorcycle oil.. That and RSVs have notoriously weak clutch springs so I won't chance energy conserving on the RSV.

 

As far as the Rotella T,, it is also very good oil, and because it is designed for diesels I believe it does not have the "energy conserving" additive. It is available at most truck stops.

thats why i use energy conserving. it's all about the moledinum disulfide, a very expensive anti friction anti wear additive. very slick. less drag means less wear. this is why you use less gas and get more power. less friction means your engine lasts longer. clutch abuse ruins clutches. clutches are cheaper than engines and easy to change. never had a clutch slip in 50 years of riding.

[Terry Richardson]

Uh oh I just changed the oil in my 87 Venture Royal with the white Rotella T oil, I havent had any problems with it. Does this mean I will have clutch slipage?

[FROG MAN]

I use the Rotella full synthetic in all my Bikes,Atv's,Lawn tractors,etc with no problems. The wife runs mobile 1 full synthetic in her pickup and my pickup gets Amsoil. There all good.

[BigBoyinMS]

Uh oh I just changed the oil in my 87 Venture Royal with the white Rotella T oil, I havent had any problems with it. Does this mean I will have clutch slipage?

 

No, the white is fine too. It just isn't synthetic. A lot of folks still use the white jug.

[RandyR]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say if you change your oil and filter every 3,000 miles or 6 months, then petroleum based oils (dinosaur squeezings) are probably ok if you use a quality oil. If you want to extend the change interval, then synthetic is what you should be using.

 

btw, I've run Mobil-1 4T motorcycle oil in my Triumph, but am now considering the Rotella non additive oils.

[BigBear]

OK...thanks for the data. I decided to stick with the Amsoil ($40/gallon)...yeah...it's $20 more than the Rotella, but there wasn't any compelling reasons that would lead me to change brands.

 

Buddy's post about the clutch was interesting! I may try the Mobil-1 next oil change. I seem to have problem finding neutral every once in a while...especially when stopped.

[timgray]

I did my first oil change on the RSV yesterday. Went with Mobil 1 for motorcycles.

First thing I noticed was smoother shifting between gears sure was a big change. And I really gave the oil a test yesterday too,my Mom forgot her Meds when she came down Saturday. So I went to her house 80mi away, doing 85-90mph most of the way up and back. And the RSV ran perfect up & back and no problem with the oil either....The motor seemed to run smoother too?......

 

Buddy

 

I got the same effect with 15W50 Mobil 1 for Diesel trucks in my 1st gen. Bet ya $10.00 its' the same stuff just in a different bottle and mine cost $22.95 for 5 quart jug.

[Snarley Bill]

on the oil thing , what it amounts to is what ever gives you piece of mind. there are many on the wing site that use honda dino oil and change oil and filter every 8000 mile. that is the change interval honda recommends, and they have over 200,000 miles on their bikes. some are nearing 300,000. i just can't go that long, and i use what i feel is the best for me. mobil1 automotive, energy conserving, extended performance, 10w-30. this is the very best synthetic exxon mobil makes including motorcycle specific. it is garranteed for 15,000 mile + oil changes. it makes me feel good and thats what counts. i change it every 3,000 miles in my wing. was going to go to 4,000 last change but just could'nt find it in my heart. i like to keep my motors smiling. lol. i still say if you use a premium oil be it syn. or dino, you aren't going to hurt that motor. if you use what the factory recommends and change it at the recommended intervals. am i throwing my money away? probably. but it makes me feel better knowing my bike gets the best. the worst that you can do is use oil with a higher viscosity then the factory recommends. the main and rod bearing clearance on these new age motors is so close. thick oil will not circulate fast enough to lube critical parts like pistons and rings, etc. mostly when the engine is cold. i have built enough street and race car and motorcycle engines in my day, that i think i have a pretty good handle on the oil thing. so i feel good with the oil i use. bill

[hig4s]

thats why i use energy conserving. it's all about the moledinum disulfide, a very expensive anti friction anti wear additive. very slick. less drag means less wear. this is why you use less gas and get more power. less friction means your engine lasts longer. clutch abuse ruins clutches. clutches are cheaper than engines and easy to change. never had a clutch slip in 50 years of riding.

 

I think you mean molybdenum disulfide, But to each his own,, I have had a couple of clutches damaged by energy conserving oils..

 

And as far as clutch abuse, modern motorcycle wet clutches are designed to be treated regularly in a manner that would be considered abuse in an auto clutch. dirt bike, dual sport and super sport clutches are specifically designed to be slipped to control traction, and if you use energy conserving they will not hold up to this intended use.

 

On mildly powered, sedately ridden cruisers it may not be as big a deal, but still energy conserving additives are not designed, nor recommended by any manufacturer, to be used in wet clutches.

 

And as far as engine wear, there are lots of energy conserving oils that don't do as well as Mobil 1 MX4T when tested for engine life and wear. Matter of fact Mobil 1 Extended Performance energy conserving car oil got a 0.44 rating on the four ball wear test, and Mobil 1 MX4T motorcycle oil got a 0.40.. While 0.40 is the best any motorcycle oil has done, only 3 energy conserving auto oils with molybdenum disulfide have done better. Amsoil and Valvoline Syn Power at 0.35 and Castrol GTX at 0.36.. all other energy conserving oils did worse than Mobil 1 MX4T.

 

So MX4T without molybdenum disulfide has better wear protection than 80% of all the energy conserving oils with it.

[Snarley Bill]

I got the same effect with 15W50 Mobil 1 for Diesel trucks in my 1st gen. Bet ya $10.00 its' the same stuff just in a different bottle and mine cost $22.95 for 5 quart jug.

i would say it is close. the diesel oil has a little more acid neutralizer in it. and 15w-50 is to high a viscosity for these engines. diesel engines run alot more bearing clearance than our bikes do so they can use a thicker oil. reason being they have tremendous crank bearing journal diameters, and need more clearance to promote good oil flow. bill

[KiteSquid]

I think you mean molybdenum disulphide, But to each his own,, I have had a couple of clutches damaged by energy conserving oils..

 

BTW molybdenum disulphide attacks copper, which is an ingredient in some clutch friction materials.......

[Snarley Bill]

I think you mean molybdenum disulfide, But to each his own,, I have had a couple of clutches damaged by energy conserving oils..

 

And as far as clutch abuse, modern motorcycle wet clutches are designed to be treated regularly in a manner that would be considered abuse in an auto clutch. dirt bike, dual sport and super sport clutches are specifically designed to be slipped to control traction, and if you use energy conserving they will not hold up to this intended use.

 

On mildly powered, sedately ridden cruisers it may not be as big a deal, but still energy conserving additives are not designed, nor recommended by any manufacturer, to be used in wet clutches.

 

And as far as engine wear, there are lots of energy conserving oils that don't do as well as Mobil 1 MX4T when tested for engine life and wear. Matter of fact Mobil 1 Extended Performance energy conserving car oil got a 0.44 rating on the four ball wear test, and Mobil 1 MX4T motorcycle oil got a 0.40.. While 0.40 is the best any motorcycle oil has done, only 3 energy conserving auto oils with molybdenum disulfide have done better. Amsoil and Valvoline Syn Power at 0.35 and Castrol GTX at 0.36.. all other energy conserving oils did worse than Mobil 1 MX4T.

 

So MX4T without molybdenum disulfide has better wear protection than 80% of all the energy conserving oils with it.

like i said this is a no win argument, to each his own. you got to do what your comfortable with. if you check out the mobil website they don't recognize the four ball test as being a valid test. bill

[Terry Richardson]

Shooooeee...thanks bro... scart me for a minute. I just started using it and it seems to perform well with the white Rotella.

[footsie]

I have been using reg auto mobil one 15-45 with no problems bikes a quieter, and shift better. Never have been able to tell the differqence in auto oil and motorcycle oil. I just about have began to believe is just words on the bottle.

I can not help but put my 2 cents worth in on this, diesel engines have the same 0.002 to 0.005 clearance on the crank and any other piston engine. Or aleast every cat or cummins I built did. the same as a 350 chevy. The ring gap and the piston clearance is greater in some engine depending on horse power and application. naturally aspirated or turbocharged.

 

freedom of the road for all

 

who is going to thunder beach in panama city beach.

 

Gregg