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synthetic oils

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Anonymous

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i've got an '82 gs650l and am wondering if it would be a good idea to use a synthetic oil, i'll be doing an oil change in the spring and was wondering if this is a good idea, it's got about 85 - 90 k on it right now

as well what kind is suggested and what aftermarket parts are available for these old motors

dave
 
http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_oil.htm

I use whatever is on sale as long as it does not have any special formula or friction modifiers.....those can cause the clutch to get slippery I've heard. I change the oil so often that synthetic oil is a waste of $$ for me. Mobile 1 makes a synthetic just for cycles....called M4X or something...not sure.
 
With 85K miles Unless it has been rebuilt recently I would not change to synthetic. If you do? you will probably find alot of leaks that you didn't have before. Just doing regular oil changes is more important
 
I am a big believer in synthetic oil. I started using it at 10,000 miles in my 850 and continued until 100,000 when I had a rebuild. I am now at 10,000 since the rebuild, so I will be switching back over. You don't want to use synthetic during any break-in period.

The claim that most attracts me to synthetic is that it sticks better to metal when the motor isn't on. That means you are not completely metal-on-metal in those first seconds when you start the engine.

If you want to go synthetic I would recommend Mobil 1 automotive oil, 20W-50 with the red cap. Worked for me for 90,000 miles. From all I have been able to determine, special motorcycle oils are formulated specifically to decrease the load in your wallet.

I echo the importance of regular oil changes regardless of type.
 
SqDancerLynn1, why would switching to a synthetic possibly make any engine leaks worse? I'm thinking of trying Mobil 1 15/50 synthetic. I have 14,000 miles since my engine re-build. I use Motul 10/40 SG rating right now.
 
Keith, Lynn was refering to a high milage motor swapping to synthetic for the first time. If you were to do this you discover that quite an amount of sealing duties in your motor were actually being done by the normal sludgy deposits Dino oils leave behind, as the synthetic would flush them away and the motor would comsume a heap of oil and leak allover the place.
However with 14000 miles on your motor since a rebuild I would recommend the switch for you, to preserve that motor for longer.
Dink
 
Dink is correct. Synthetic had better cleaning properties so will clean out all those oil sealing deposits that older engines accumulate. I used it in my car once, and it cleaned it out so well it started to leak at the rear crank seal :)

Synthetic oil is better, but you will pay a bit more for it. I have heard that it is not a good idea to try and extend oil changes like you would on a car as the gearbox chews up the oil, and an air/oil cooled motor does stress the oil. It will not degrade as quickly as a mineral oil as it handles higher temps, shear forces etc, but will not magically double your oil change mileage. If you want to give the best protection to all that nice engine work, I would go synthetic.
 
The claim that most attracts me to synthetic is that it sticks better to metal when the motor isn't on. That means you are not completely metal-on-metal in those first seconds when you start the engine.

If you want to go synthetic I would recommend Mobil 1 automotive oil, 20W-50 with the red cap. Worked for me for 90,000 miles. From all I have been able to determine, special motorcycle oils are formulated specifically to decrease the load in your wallet.
Click to expand...

I am not sure about the "sticking to metal" claims that are made (there is an amazing amount of BS passed around about oils), but synthetic flows much better at lower temps on cold startup, getting up to the top end much faster and protecting your cams and bearings. It also stands up to the higher oil temps of air cooled engines and the gearbox stresses of bike engines much better than dino oils.

I agree about the bike specific oils - they are mostly bunk and just cost more. Kind of like the differences between regular gas and premium. Just a better profit margin for the makers.

Mobil 15W50 is also OK for bikes. I use it over the 20W50 blend because our morning temps are pretty cool here even in summer. You want to avoid the 5W30 and 10W40 (or 10W30?) blends as they have friction modifiers and can cause clutch slippage problems. I change my oil on 6000km intervals and about 3000km with dino oils, so I have doubled my intervals but they are still not very long compared to what the manual states.

Mark
 
They make all of Mobil's synthetic oils three miles from my house....I'll stop by and ask them about the car/motorcycle stuff...


Hap
 
Since all of the oil companies started selling synthetic/regular "blends" a few years ago I decided to make my own "blend" (get some of the cold start bennefits of the synthetic without the high $$). I use a mix ratio of 70% regular/ 30% synthetic. The oil companies don't tell you how much synthetic they put in their "blend" (heck, they might just be putting in a couple of ounces and still charging a $1.50 more per qt.). I use it in all my bikes and cars and so far so good :) (don't know if it is a good idea but it makes me feel better). :wink:
 
Trumpets! Drum Roll! Dancin' Goils! Barkeep, a round for the house!
Congratulations PBDave!
First poster for 2004 in the never ending saga of 'what's the best oil in the world!'. OK...I was lyin' about the round for the house. :lol:
 
I don't think it's all that good of an idea to mix the two.

Why do truck tires fly off? Because somebody mixed 80w90 and 75wXX synthetic together. It ends up with the lubrication ability that of water!

Steve
 
Your point escapes me Steve. Compared to synthetic oil or gear lube, water has no lubricating qualities. No one in their right mind would grease a tire bead in mounting a tire.

Earl


srivett said:
I don't think it's all that good of an idea to mix the two.

Why do truck tires fly off? Because somebody mixed 80w90 and 75wXX synthetic together. It ends up with the lubrication ability that of water!

Steve
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the replies :) ! I have another question, (hope you don't mind PBDave) there is synthetic and SEMI-synthetic. What's the difference?
 
Exactly Earl, mixing synthetic and regular gear oil causes things to seize. If you mix it in your differential your spider gears seize, if you mix it in your wheel hubs your wheels seize, etc.

I'm not sure how the manufacturers blend the oils but there most be something more to it than a bit of mixing.

I just realized what you meant by lubing a tire. What I meant to say is that the entire axle stub snaps off of the floating axles. Two wheels and a brake drum go bounding away.

Steve
 
re:synthetic

re:synthetic

wow sorry guys and gals i didn't realize that this would be equal to kicking a hornets nest, but i think the first post with the link will answer my question

thanks gang


dave
 
Hornets nest? :) Nah. Seems to me we're all just talking and learning. I never realized the leaking possibility by switching to synthetic oil in high mileage motors, so I learned something. :) I guess the one negative thing about synthetic oil is you'll have a tendency for more leaking as your motor gets older.
 
Must kick hornet's nest can't resist.

Smokey Yunich used a mix of 70/30 and found it to work as good as synth only. It is true a tired motor will leak more, but if you use it from the begining that should not be the case. Using synth or blends actually polishes the inside of the cylinder walls. Looks almost like chrome. I am not exactly sure how well it applies to motorcycle engines in terms of aging and the rest of the powertrain. I have 15k miles and started using a blend at 12k miles. Performance advantage, none I can tell. But I've always run a blend in my cars and trucks without problems. I see it as insurance. You could try using a heavier weight in synth or blend than conventional if you are leaking at the piston rings.
 
This article is from 1994, but contains the basic information to make up your own mind.

http://www.xs11.com/stories/mcnoil94.htm

I don't know the answer to the leaking question, as I have not run a direct comparison. You might risk leaks that were not previously there because of the better cleaning action of synthetics, but if the motor and seals are still oil tight then of cousre there will be no leaks.
 
My bike definitely runs cooler with mobile one or syntec. I supose that indicates something ????
 
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