Below is my post I put in the "Polls" section. As an Ex. Suzuki employee I felt the information is important enough that I thought I'd post it again here.
This is the very laymans version of why to use M/C specific oils........
I've sat in many (too many) hours of meetings with different oil formulators some huge (like Shell), others small (like Motul, Amsoil and Spectro). While I absorbed as much of the scientific details as possible, unless your an oil engineer, which I'm not, the best you can do is understand theory. So here is the basic theory,
In the old days, cars and motorcycles could share their oils hapily. First came catalytic converters. Then came fuel economy regulations and all of a sudden cars had certain economy numbers to meet and sulfur was deemed a catalyst destroyer ! Sulfer is a WONDERFUL lubricant and gear cushion in oils. So to compensate for the loss of sulfur and several key oil ingredients, Moly (a VERY slippery substance) and several other polymers were added. Now as a AUTO oil, these blends work GREAT! However, they were causing clutch slippage and other internal issues in motorcycle engines and gear cases. That was the beginning of M/C Specific oils.
The latest discussions were as of late, that the EPA and CAFE have stepped up their requirements for auto's to the point that we will in the very near future be seeing vehicle specific motor oils. Your new 2008 Honda Civic will HAVE to use Honda's (or whomever also meets that spec) specific oil.
Back to motorcycles.....
Motorcycles have several unique issues that are rarely thought of when Joe Schmo walks into his local Wal-Mart and buys his 99 cent quart of oil. They are this:
1: Wet Clutch- while your clutch may not be slipping now (especially on the lower Torque GS motors) The additives in Auto oil ARE affecting it. Some can get away with it...some cant. We had GSXR1000's with slipping clutches within 100 miles of normal usage after the owner put in Auto oil at his 1'st oil change...too save a few bucks....(cost him hundreds in the long run).
2: High RPM. Find me a auto engine that redlines above 10K and doesn't DEMAND a special oil. New 600's are reving to 17,500rpm STOCK!!!
3: Transmissions sharing oil with the motor. LOTS of sheering action here, synthetic oil is good to help prevent molecular chain sheering (viscosity break down). Cars use a specific tranny fluid. You wouldn't pour GL5 in your car engine now would you...??
4: and the least thought about.....Motorcycles are not typically not used everyday and tend to sit around accumulating moisture inside the motor. M/C oils have additives that allow the oil to coat the metal parts for longer periods of time while sitting (marine engines use ALOT of the additive because rust is such an issue)
So now that the API isn't catering to motorcycles anymore the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers joined up and formed JASO to discuss motorcycle specific lubrication issues. MA is their best rating (almost always a synthetic), MB is 2nd best (usually a dino oil). USE ONLY MA OR MB RATED JASO OILS FROM NOW ON.
Synthetics are better than Dino oils (we all know that right??) Use the best oil you can afford.
Suzuki oil is very good, Mobil 1 M/C oil is very good, their are MANY more oils that are very good...ELF, Motul, Redline, Harley Synthetic...etc Look for the JASO lable.
The testing Suzuki used to approve it's own oils is so severe, you will NEVER be able to duplicate it on the road or on the track, I don't care who you are.
Use M/C specific oils and quit being cheap.....the more they sell, the lower the cost will go. Like Plasma TV's !
I hope this helps.......and go easy on the Crisco. ;-)
Aloha,
Kelzer
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