Oil info from the "poll" section.

[dietcokeking]

A side issue of great significance: Pretending for a moment that oil manufacturers are correct in all their motorcycle-specific claims, can the cost of research and a different additive package justify the retail price of m/c-specific vs. auto oils?

Motorcycle oil development seems to have stalled while auto oils are now at grade SM. Research costs must have stalled, too, eh? Then, can a few cents worth of additional or different additive ingredients justify the 50-100% increase in cost for m/c-specific at retail? Perhaps it's this price gouging that causes me to be so cynical!

I suspect that m/c-specific oil should properly sell at 10% more than car oil. Perhaps it is advertising-induced paranoia that allows the oil manufacturers to gouge the users of m/c oils. I've certainly never seen definitive research to prove their point despite much searching.

Again, pretending that m/c-specific oils are far better for our bikes than car oils, I would submit that the car oils I use in my bikes today are better than ANY available motor oil in 1981. I expect that I will wear out before my bikes do.

Mobil 1 synthetic 15W-50 car oil continues to work well in my four bikes (I sold my '82 XL250 to a buddy recently). Castrol GTX has worked well for me when I need to do a short interval oil change.

My clutches are fine. In fact, I've never had to replace a clutch on any bike I've owned. They're pretty durable!

[ron bayless]

tHANKS TO ALL WHO ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT CASTROL IN MY BIKE.KELZER SAYS NO, BUT THE RESTO OF YOU SAID OK, SO I WILL GO WITH THE MAJORITY.THANKS AGAIN.

[earlfor]

The price gouging is worse than that. I can buy GTX for #1.25 a quart. Motorcycle oil at the dealer is $12 a quart. According to the results of independent testing and analysis I have read, motorcycle specific oils average no better and some are not as good.
I can name a well known motorcycle oil that after reading an independent evaluation of, I would not put in my lawnmower much less my car or motorcycle.

Earl

[QUOTE=dietcokeking]

Motorcycle oil development seems to have stalled while auto oils are now at grade SM. Research costs must have stalled, too, eh? Then, can a few cents worth of additional or different additive ingredients justify the 50-100% increase in cost for m/c-specific at retail? Perhaps it's this price gouging that causes me to be so cynical!

[JMHJ]

Do any "car" oils have a disclaimer about "don't use in motorcycles" on them? If the stuff was bad for bikes, you'd think they'd want to avoid getting sued, or what have you.

In fairness, volume produced has something to do with pricing too.

I used Castrol 20W-50 for years in my first bike, regular at first, then semi-synthetic. I went a LONG time (not miles) between changes on the semi-synthetic stuff once, and it held up nicely. I'm trying 10W-40 now, but not Castrol; nothing against it though.

[83'GK]

Ron, If you're educated in the subject you certainly wouldn't run the current formulation of GTX in any motorcycle. But 83 GK would...you decide. But he's never seen a disassembled motor after FACTORY testing, I have. So what's he really know on the subject, very little real world knowledge if you ask me.

......Yet you have not disclaimed anything I posted last time, nor given any of us any real worldly knowledge except how you know it all and the rest of us don't, yet you call me uneducated..you arrogance is, say, bizarre...

[jimcor]

Do any "car" oils have a disclaimer about "don't use in motorcycles" on them? If the stuff was bad for bikes, you'd think they'd want to avoid getting sued, or what have you.

Nope, not as far as I know.

[rustybronco]

Why would one want to compare a 10w oil to a 80w gear lube?
real life world example here, my brother in law had a buick that he used gear oil in it, it lasted 70 miles before it started knocking.
i'll stick with rotella in my engines thank you.

[Kaiser Sosei]

Some of you people are very bizarre......


While the car transmission analogy I used was brought up by several people, they too missed the point. Yes the tranny's in your ancient MGB requires motor oil (from that time period...and no wet clutch.), Your Honda civic may too (it doesn't have a wet clutch either.) etc etc... Not a single person said it was OK to put GL-5 in their motor because it's obviously a different type of lubricant proving not all lubricants are the same! Motor oils are different now. I think the fork oil in my old GS is supposed to be 10w-40 motor oil too. Well heck then, those fancy pants fork oil companies must be BS too then huh ? I bet Matt Mladin runs good ol'e Penzoil 10w-40 in his bike and forks! Hell, he's a 4 time champ, he must know what works and what doesn't then right.....Gyaawly.

Kelzer.

The reason I brought up the transmission was you stated that motor oil could not stand up to the shearing action of the gears, obviously it can.

My father has run car oil in his 77CB750 for years, no clutch problems. When I rebuilt the engine for him, no sludge, no severely worn parts. I have run regular oil in my 80GS1100, no clutch problems.

I think most of us would buy motorcycle oil if there was independant proof that it was better than car oil, and it wasn't 4 times the price. I can get full synthetic car oil for cheaper than what motorcycle oil costs.

Oh yeah, my ancient MGB gets me to work everyday......\\/

[rustybronco]

Some of you people are very bizarre......

Not a single person said it was OK to put GL-5 in their motor because it's obviously a different type of lubricant proving not all lubricants are the same! Motor oils are different now. I think the fork oil in my old GS is supposed to be 10w-40 motor oil too. Well heck then, those fancy pants fork oil companies must be BS too then huh ? I bet Matt Mladin runs good ol'e Penzoil 10w-40 in his bike and forks! Hell, he's a 4 time champ, he must know what works and what doesn't then right.....Gyaawly.

It's that simple.

Aloha,
Kelzer.

Racing is now in the equation? well if i was using my bike for HARD street use, motorcross or road racing i'd use fork oil, but for street use i use a blend of 20wt oil and atf and it is working just fine.
just so you know we're not all hicks, i race cars on weekends and we use royal purple full synthetic in our engines, two full seasons, no problems. and i would not use 75w140 in our shocks, but thats a different thread...

[crc1214]

Well, The Kelzer, welcome to the GS Resources. Nice way to become a valued forum member, jumping on board and assuming some of us are a bunch of cheapies and know nothings in less than 10 posts. And now some of us are bizarre. All because some don't agree with you and your slant on oil. Oil. The most debated thread on any motor website. And just who made you the final authority on oil? Why you did! All based on your statement that you worked for Suzuki and were a member of their accessory department with lubicant development as part of your job responsibility. Hell, this is the Internet you can be Mr. Suzuki if you want. So please drop in often and let us know how smart you are and keep trying to help us out. :-D

LOL!! LOL!! LOL!!! Kelzer man, oil is the hottest debated topic on this site. And posing as some absolute authority on the subject as a brand new member isn't the best way to earn everyone's respect, that's for sure. Just step back and think about this for awhile - as an employee in the motorcycle industry, do you really think you would ever hear that anything other than motorcycle specific oil should be used in motorcycles? Hell no!

I remember reading an article that compared dyno figures, HP, compression, and some other data from a brand new CBR1000 and a CBR1000 with 100,000 miles that had used CONVENTIONAL AUTO OIL in it (20W-50 in the warm months and 10W-40 in the cold months). The oil was changed every 3,000 miles and the filter every 6,000 miles. Guess what? All performance figures were virtually identical between the two.

I'll post the article if I can find it.

Chad

[scotty]

50 Years of castroll supersede all the technical bull designed to make us pay ridiculous amounts for oil with special names on it. Synthetic works well without slippage if the bike was in good condition to start with
this is really old hat

change the oil and filter often--there is no magic

[The Kelzer]

Well I guess if you guys all know more than a guy who has personally seen the motors after being tested then I guess all of you are pretty damn brilliant. Many also swore the world was flat as they didn't know any better. You all must be in that group too. (There are even some people from Arkansas that SWEAR we never made it to the moon).

Your intollerable ignorance aside, I'm very pleased to see that your GS's have held up as well as they have. They were seriously over engineered from the beginning and that pays off in being able to tolorate years of abuse. In fact I can't think of any I4 motor that has a non-plain bearing supported crankshaft. Those GS motors are still the rage in modern dragracing (soon to be eclipsed by the new Busa' motors as they are no longer making those ancient GS cases) and that says alot about their durability.

As someone who used to use Castrol GTX in my GPz 550 (until the clutch started slipping...true story....and before being employed at Suzuki....obviously.) I've seen that the world is round with my own eyes. I know what's the right choice when it comes to motorcycle oil, I was just trying to help everyone out. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished and ignorance certainly is bliss.....it was for me too.

Yes 83GK you are bizzarly ignorant. Time to open your eyes to the future. If someone gives you advice from personal experience, it's worth at least a try.

Wait until you see my next thread about "proper break in procedures"...or "Catholisism-is there a God? I've never seen him"....he he he...just kidding.


With sympathy,
Kelzer

[jimcor]

Well I guess if you guys all know more than a guy who has personally seen the motors after being tested then I guess all of you are pretty damn brilliant. Many also swore the world was flat as they didn't know any better. You all must be in that group too. (There are even some people from Arkansas that SWEAR we never made it to the moon).

Your intollerable ignorance aside, I'm very pleased to see that your GS's have held up as well as they have. They were seriously over engineered from the beginning and that pays off in being able to tolorate years of abuse. In fact I can't think of any I4 motor that has a non-plain bearing supported crankshaft. Those GS motors are still the rage in modern dragracing (soon to be eclipsed by the new Busa' motors as they are no longer making those ancient GS cases) and that says alot about their durability.

As someone who used to use Castrol GTX in my GPz 550 (until the clutch started slipping...true story....and before being employed at Suzuki....obviously.) I've seen that the world is round with my own eyes. I know what's the right choice when it comes to motorcycle oil, I was just trying to help everyone out. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished and ignorance certainly is bliss.....it was for me too.

Yes 83GK you are bizzarly ignorant. Time to open your eyes to the future. If someone gives you advice from personal experience, it's worth at least a try.

Wait until you see my next thread about "proper break in procedures"...or "Catholisism-is there a God? I've never seen him"....he he he...just kidding.


With sympathy,
Kelzer

Just a troll.

[Grandpa]

I respectfully suggest that we all end this thread. It's getting too personal and going nowhere. Everyone has made his point by now, so let's move on. I can see both sides of the issue. Insults back and forth do no one any good.

Let's stop. Just a suggestion from a new member.

[rustybronco]

Kelzer, welcome to the GSR! glad to have you aboard.