Here we go with oil question again

[Rock]

Ouch, I just found some online prices $$$$$ for the Mobil 1 motorcycle oil. Someone has lost their mind.

[jimcor]

Re: Professional Oil Test

http://www.xs11.com/stories/mcnoil94.htm
This is a very good test of oils, auto vs cycle, the interesting part is near the end of the article, heck of a good test.

That 'was' a very good test. Was being the word, here. But, that information is 11 years old now. All oil formulations have changed since then. Mobil 1 alone has gone thru three changes since that test!

[Hoomgar]

I use Valvoline or Castrol GTX in all my engines.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn't anyone use ... 10w-40 ...? Wouldn't this be the correct weight to use?

Think of your recommended 10W-40 as the all-season oil. The 10W part gives you good flowability in the coldest weather for cold starts. The 40 part gives reasonable protection on the hottest days in stop and go traffic. If you could only run one oil all year, that would be suitable.

Now, if you only ride in the warmer seasons like me, you don't need the same cold start flowability as someone riding in sub-zero temperatures, but you would want the best protection in the hot season. The Mobil-1 car oil I use has adequate 15W flowability when cold, and 50 viscosity when hot for better protection.

Remember, too, that an oil with a narrow range (ie: 20-40 instead of 10-40) will retain its stated big number viscosity longer as fewer polymer additives are necessary to maintain the big number viscosity: Those polymers break down over time, causing the big number viscosity to drop. More polymers equals more degradation of viscosity.

If I was in a really hot climate, I'm sure I'd seek out a 20W-50 oil.

[Anonymous]

Re: Professional Oil Test

that information is 11 years old now. All oil formulations have changed since then. Mobil 1 alone has gone thru three changes since that test!

It sounds like you'd agree with me that the point to remember is that Mobil-1 car oil is even better than when tested, as are all the suitable car oils. They're certainly adequate for my use, and they continue to be much cheaper than the motorcycle-specific oils.

[jimcor]

Re: Professional Oil Test

that information is 11 years old now. All oil formulations have changed since then. Mobil 1 alone has gone thru three changes since that test!

It sounds like you'd agree with me that the point to remember is that Mobil-1 car oil is even better than when tested, as are all the suitable car oils. They're certainly adequate for my use, and they continue to be much cheaper than the motorcycle-specific oils.

Yes, I'll agree with that.

I like Rotella-T and/or Delvac 1300s Heavy Duty oils, commonly thought of as diesel oils. Cheap and with more zinc and detergent than most 'car oils'. Closest thing you can buy to a so called 'motorcycle oil' and close to 4 to 6 bucks a quart cheaper. Both are dino oils 15W-40.

But for the last two oil changes in the 550L I've used Phillips 66 (Conoco-Phillips) TropArtic 10W40, their new SL/SM rated non-energy conserving oil. Picked up a case at a dollar a quart at...Dollar Tree.

I also bought a couple of cases of TropArtic 10W30 Synthetic Blend, energy conserving, SL/SM and ILSAC GF4 rated oil, also at a buck a quart at Dollar Tree, for the car. (That ilsac and gf4 rating is new car warranty requirement stuff)

Your motorcycle engine designer never had lube this good to work with.

[retrex]

Regarding oil viscosity

I am just throwing this out there for others to investigate on your own and make your own conclusions. For what it's worth over the years I have read a good number of oil articles related to motorcycles. The agreed gist of all is 1. You should use oil viscosity recommended by the manufacturer for the climate you ride in. Change the oil at specified intervals. 2. Heavier weight oils do not neccesarily provide you with better protection against wear. They don't flow well at warmup where most of the wear occurs. Heavy weight oils cause higher internal friction and elevated oil temperatures. 3. Oils with a high ZDDP (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) content protect better than those with lesser amounts. But only at oil viscosity breakdown, ie metal to metal contact. 4. Teflon additives will kill your engine. Teflon expands with heat and evenutally clogs oils passageways. 5. The best oil after engine break in period is a full sythetic. But do't go far beyond oil change invterval recommened by manufacturer. 6. Investigate a number of resources before making any decision about your oil. Look for scientific concensus, not expert opinion. FYI

[dpep]

I started using Mobil 1 15-50 auto oil back in the early 80's when the 850 had 10,000 miles. I would sometimes go 5000 miles or more between oil changes. I know, I know--I have never changed oil as often as most say you are supposed to. I do not baby a bike when I ride it. And there were times when I ran it dangerously low on oil at interstate speeds. What I am saying is this oil did not have an easy job. I had a complete crank-up rebuild done at 100,000 that actually wasn't necessary (long story) but it did allow us to see that there was minimal wear on the bottom end engine parts. Nothing other than the usual "kit" items (springs, seals, etc) really needed to be replaced.

You should not run synthetic oil for the first few thousand miles in a new bike or after a rebuild. The parts need some friction to seat. Unfortunately the oil consumption in my bike remained after the rebuild (the guy didn't replace the valve guides), so I never returned to the Mobil. At a quart of oil every 2-3 tanks of gas I will not be running synthetic. I have gone back to old standby Castrol 20W-50, storing up when it goes on sale.

I also believe that you do not have to change oil as often if the bike is using oil. At a quart every 500, you have completely turned over your oil by 2000 miles anyway. The only thing you haven't changed is your filter which still needs to be done periodically, but not as often. IMHO.