OC I- car/diesel oils VS. quality moto spec. SYN

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howie333

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Jan 7, 2010
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Location
Central New Jersey, USA
07 Ninja 650R/ HD FLHRI(Road King)
I've been using Amsoils oils and filters in my bikes for years, and changing motor oils @5K mls. Amsoil rep informed me I can double that mileage to make the oil pay it's additional expense over conventional or car/diesel syn oils, and will be safe to do. I still change @5Kmls. My question is; would I be better to use a less expensive SYN or conventional oil, (moto or non-moto--non energy conserv) and change oils at 2.5-3K ml OCI w/ good auto oil filter?
HR
 
I think so. There is no way I would run any oil 10k miles in a combined sump motorcycle engine.

I will be the first to recommend a HDEO like Rotella which even meets the JASO MA spec. I'm sure several more would tell you HDEO will serve to just fine.
 
Why don't you do a uoa of the oil to see if it is holding up for you? There is no reason to change the oil at 3,000 miles if it is still good . That being said HDEO oils especially the major brands are top notch oils from my experience.
 
Please define HDEO oils. I havn't personally used a non syn oil in any recent bike I've owned after sufficient break-in, so havn'nt had opportunity to have said oils tested and dont find need to w/ the Amsoil,unless I dare to leave oil in engine case till 10k mls.; which I dont. This topic has come up for me cause of the (which to use)Rotella 15W-40(conv) vs. Rotella 5W-40(syn) decision. Thanks for replies;
HR...
 
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HDEO stands for Heavy Duty Engine Oil. Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, and Mobil Delvac are the big three of HDEOs. They are mainly used by and marketed to diesel owners and long haul truckers. I use Rotella in my bike but I am still torn between the synthetic and dino versions. Honestly, dino Rotella should offer plenty of protection for my Honda Shadow engine but the synthetic gives me warms fuzzies. Eh.

TucsonDon has posted several UOAs on the motorcycle UOA forum in which he ran dino Rotella in his Goldwing. The oil did great in his bike.
 
thanks for reply;
i've considered the Rotella 5W-40(syn) for my Ninja 650. The manual states 10-40 not 5W-40, and even though many use it, I'm still on fence, and that's why I've considered the 15W-40. I think either one of these oils should still be changed more frequently than the Amsoil I'm using now; esp the conventional. The oil Blackstone tests done on the two Rotellas show even w/ no engine damage, still a viscosity breakdown sooner than I'de like, and not many are tested to 5Kmls and over.

HR...
 
Yeah viscosity does break down fast in these engines and that's because the engine oil has to go through the clutch and transmission which shears them. Amsoil is good stuff but 10k miles? I'd be doing some UOAs along the way and slowly working my way up to 10k if I really wanted to try it.

As for the viscosity grades, a 5w-40 will work great in your bike that calls for a 10w-40. The "W" does not stand for "weight" as many people believe. It actually stands for "winter" and is just a way of showing the oil's cold flow properties. The lower the W number, the easier that oil will flow at cold temps. The second number in the grade is the oil's viscosity at operating temp. So you can see, a 5w-40 and a 10w-40 oil will be roughly the same viscosity at operating temperature because they are both 40 weight oils. The difference is that the 5w-40 will flow better when cold. This means the oil will make it up to the top end quicker and should offer better protection.

Having said that, a 15w-40 oil like Rotella does not flow like molasses at most temperatures just because it is 15w. The difference can be seen at temps below freezing. In a New Jersey riding season, you will be fine with just about any oil as long as it is 40 weight.
 
Thanks for reply;
I'm sure the Rotella's would be fine as you stated, but not sure if I'de leave the 5w-40 Syn in the engine case for the same 5K ml OCI as the Amsoil w/o seeing a few oil tests done at that mileage. Did Rotella change the 5W-40 recently w/ the 6T to be JASO rated. didn't see it on bottle, and is it an improvement?

HR...
 
I think any of the Rotellas would be okay for 5k miles but yeah, get some UOAs done to prove it to yourself. I really don't know if the Rotella T6 is an improvement over the previous synthetic or not. Some say it is and some say it is just a label change.

As far as the JASO MA, both Rotellas have met that spec for a while. It was just one of those things where they didn't pay to for the process to have it listed on the bottle. And I can't blame them, the oil is marketed towards diesel trucks, what do they care? But Rotella has developed a following among motorcyclists and I believe they saw this and decided to go through with getting it JASO MA certified.

As for the Harley, air cooled bikes are not my thing so I can't tell you too much there. Other than I am reasonably sure you can find a cheaper option than the Amsoil that will do a fine job even at 5k OCIs. M1 15w-50 would be a great place to start.
 
Do you mean-20W-50 for the Road King, and 10W-40 for the Kaw Ninja? I guess 20W-50 could be used for the Ninja for the summer, but cause i'm using a syn oil, I'de figure a 10W-40 would be sufficient for all seasons(flow better). The manual states a viscosity from 10-30 to 20-50- not a 5W, and I usually ride in New Jersey. If I stay w/ the Amsoil for the Road King; then I'de just get the oil+ filters shipped for the Ninja at same time I buy for the HD. I also considered using the Purolator (Pure1) oil filters for both bikes to save some money

HR...
 
Purolator does not recommend using their PureOne filters on motorcycles. I think they say they are too free flowing or something like that. The regular ole' Purolators are fine. Your mileage may vary.
 
Originally Posted By: dsmith41
Purolator does not recommend using their PureOne filters on motorcycles. I think they say they are too free flowing or something like that. The regular ole' Purolators are fine. Your mileage may vary.


Wix for me
 
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