synthetic or not synthetic

[prxbadger]

ok as in the title but has anyone any experience with semi synthetic?

it seems to be holding up ok but if people think its rubbish then i will appreciate knowing :-D

[Jethro]

Uh oh, game on...

I've used it all, none makes my bike run cooler, none extends my service interval, none makes my seals leak, none improves gas mileage, etc.

I often buy the Castrol Syntec which is a blend. Why you ask? Becasue it has the big, huge cap with no foil to peel off underneath.

[prxbadger]

Becasue it has the big, huge cap with no foil to peel off underneath.

lmao :-D makes sense to me

i only ask because although its an old engine, it is young in miles n i wanna do the right thing with its blood

cheers jethro

[Dave8338]

ok as in the title but has anyone any experience with semi synthetic?

it seems to be holding up ok but if people think its rubbish then i will appreciate knowing :-D

I like the synthetics, the only problem that I've ever run into is that in an older engine with higher mileage, I've have noticed, that gaskets that did not leak prior the the synthetic conversion, began to shortly after. I'm not sure that this can be directly linked to the synthetics or if in fact, they were about to start leaking and just did so as a coincidince. Either way, if they're going to leak, they need to be fixed.

[prxbadger]

I like the synthetics, the only problem that I've ever run into is that in an older engine with higher mileage, I've have noticed, that gaskets that did not leak prior the the synthetic conversion, began to shortly after. I'm not sure that this can be directly linked to the synthetics or if in fact, they were about to start leaking and just did so as a coincidince. Either way, if they're going to leak, they need to be fixed.

cheers dave, i have noticed a smell of oil when stopped in traffic although there was a rather battered honda behind me :-| when i first noticed

cant find any leaks and there is no excess smoke so.......dunno

[Dave8338]

cheers dave, i have noticed a smell of oil when stopped in traffic although there was a rather battered honda behind me :-| when i first noticed

cant find any leaks and there is no excess smoke so.......dunno

PEACE BRO... I think it is more a matter of how often the maintenance is done and less a matter of what particular fluids are in the equation. \\/

[salty_monk]

Pure synthetic might cause your gaskets to start leaking but unlikely. With Semi it's very unlikely.

Dan

[Nessism]

Based on research the following is my understanding on the oil subject:

-There are various grades of oil available from pure dino to pure synthetic. Some oils listed as synthetic are actually refined dino (such as Quaker State and Penzoil synthetic). There are also blended oils so basically the entire spectrum is covered.

-Synthetic oils have chemistry which resists breakdown thus they last longer than dino oils. Extended usage is the benefit – thus high mileage recommendations between changes (Amzoil recommends up to 25k miles for automotive use).

-Since synthetic last longer, it’s common to beef up the detergent package to keep sludge under control during extended mileage usage. The high detergent level has a tendency to loosen up gunk in the engine that may be blocking a leak path – thus the reason some people say that synthetic caused leaks in their engines.

-Synthetic does not lubricate better per say but in the case of extreme usage, such as racing, they provide a margin of safety so to speak. BMW cars come with synthetic oil from new for example, so there is no concern with the oil being “too slippery” for proper break-in.

-Oil formulations change all the time so if you’re anal about the subject you need to pay attention to what direction the industry is moving. For example, diesel oils have recently been reformulated due to changing legislative requirements, and auto oils have reduced zinc as of late due to catalytic converter longevity concerns.

In my opinion, low buck synthetic (like Rotella 5W-40) is a good hedge against overheat damage on our air cooled GS engines. Diesel grade dino oil is also a good way to go for those that don’t wait too long between changes. Spending big bucks on motorcycle specific oils, is not going to do much other than lighten your wallet. Again, my opinion.

[prxbadger]

thank you nessism very informative, think i'll stick to the semi synthetic

[Thomas Kenny]

I've been running Mobil 1 15-50 synthetic in my GS550ES for 5 years no leaks good smooth shifts and my clutch has been just great.

[tfb]

Eeek, not another oil posting... :-D

Mind you, in my experience, switching to synthetic oil definitely makes the transmission quieter.

[Road_Clam]

lmao :-D makes sense to me

i only ask because although its an old engine, it is young in miles n i wanna do the right thing with its blood

cheers jethro

Keep in mind, and older engine has an older WET CLUTCH. Tired clutches respond bad (possible excessive slippage) to any type of synthetic based oils. Remember, the oil not only in the engine, it's in the clutch. Most experts will advise you DON'T use synthetics in older bikes. I am dead against synthetics in older engines. I use Kawasaki 10W-40 or 20W-50, depending on the time of year. The stuff is full petroleoum based, inexpensive, and never let me down.

[cberkeley]

The thought keeps popping up in my mind too, about changing to Synthetic. But, I think I prefer to stay with my dino, Castrol GTX 20W50 and change it early, which equates to like three times a year for me <1000-miles per oil/filter change. About the same cost as once per year with Syntec.
While I'm doing that I change-out the final-gear oil too SAE90.

[prxbadger]

Keep in mind, and older engine has an older WET CLUTCH. Tired clutches respond bad (possible excessive slippage) to any type of synthetic based oils. Remember, the oil not only in the engine, it's in the clutch. Most experts will advise you DON'T use synthetics in older bikes. I am dead against synthetics in older engines. I use Kawasaki 10W-40 or 20W-50, depending on the time of year. The stuff is full petroleoum based, inexpensive, and never let me down.

hmmm, now i dont know lol

my clutch seems fine at the minute, its only had 16k miles on it so i will certainly keep an eye on it

cheers

[Cassius086]

Based on research the following is my understanding on the oil subject:

-There are various grades of oil available from pure dino to pure synthetic. Some oils listed as synthetic are actually refined dino (such as Quaker State and Penzoil synthetic). There are also blended oils so basically the entire spectrum is covered.

-Synthetic oils have chemistry which resists breakdown thus they last longer than dino oils. Extended usage is the benefit – thus high mileage recommendations between changes (Amzoil recommends up to 25k miles for automotive use).

-Since synthetic last longer, it’s common to beef up the detergent package to keep sludge under control during extended mileage usage. The high detergent level has a tendency to loosen up gunk in the engine that may be blocking a leak path – thus the reason some people say that synthetic caused leaks in their engines.

-Synthetic does not lubricate better per say but in the case of extreme usage, such as racing, they provide a margin of safety so to speak. BMW cars come with synthetic oil from new for example, so there is no concern with the oil being “too slippery” for proper break-in.

-Oil formulations change all the time so if you’re anal about the subject you need to pay attention to what direction the industry is moving. For example, diesel oils have recently been reformulated due to changing legislative requirements, and auto oils have reduced zinc as of late due to catalytic converter longevity concerns.

In my opinion, low buck synthetic (like Rotella 5W-40) is a good hedge against overheat damage on our air cooled GS engines. Diesel grade dino oil is also a good way to go for those that don’t wait too long between changes. Spending big bucks on motorcycle specific oils, is not going to do much other than lighten your wallet. Again, my opinion.

I have seen some oil analysis results from very respectable folks that show even M1 Extended Performance is not a true synth any longer. (not sure about their $8.12/quart motorcycle specific synthetic). The automotive M1 EP results gave characteristics which meant it fell into Group III oils, not IV (synth). Only TRUE synths I am aware of any longer are AMSOIL and REDLINE. Not to say M1 EP isn't a good oil...I use it, and change the filter every 3,000 miles and then top off the oil. At 15K, I change it all. After the 1100 gets a rebiuld and an 1166 kit, I may switch to Amsoil after break in...

I would not even bother with semi-synth. Just run good quality standard dino, like Castrol, or something. Maybe even Rotella 15w40 diesel oil. Just my .02, mind you!