Brad Penn Does A Nose Dive

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Messages
507
Location
St. louis
Right on the heals of the new Kendall MC oil that won't hold a candle to their GT-1 auto oil (on paper anyway) comes this little nugget.

American Refining Group makes several product levels

Premium Penn Grade which looks like this

Hydrotreated paraffinic distillate 65-75%
Additives 5-15%
Solvent Refined Residual Oil 5-15%
Green Dye

Penn Grade 1 High Performance which looks like this

Severely Hydrotreated/Hydrocracked Base Oils 70-80%
Synthetic Hydrocarbon Base Oil 5-10%
Additives 5-10%
Solvent Refined Residual Oil 1-5%
Green Dye

Included in the Penn Grade 1 High Performance line is the motorcycle oil. It used to be the good stuff as shown above. In December they changed the base according to the MSDS. What they have done is retain the Penn Grade 1 High Performance name for this oil but changed the base to the Premium Penn Grade. Yes, from a Grp III with a dash of IV to a what, a Grp I? In my mind a bait and switch. At least the Auto oil is still the good stuff and is available in 20W50.

You would think people in the motor oil business would learn from these tactics. The residual affects of these things are long lasting and for someone like Brad Penn I don't think they have enough of a base customer to lean on.

Must be something in the water in Bradford PA.
 
I'm gonna wait for G-Man to comment on this news. If I recall, he is a big Brad Penn fan.
 
Brad Penn's whole marketing approach reminds me of organic food. They go on and on about their source of crude and imply that "naturally" good crude makes a good final product.

'Cept for that nagging little ol' problem- motor oil isn't the same as farm-fresh eggs from free-range chickens. The more unnatural motor oil is, the better. And if the source of crude has ANY effect WHATSOEVER on the end product, then the way the product is made is deficient.
 
Can't disagree with you but I like the idea that there was a good semi syn 20W50 out there with a good MC additive package for about $4.50 / Qt. I'm very disappointed that they would pull this nonsense. I can see the marketing guys thinking this is a great idea, lets mislead the customer. Wow, I've recommended this oil to people. Now I have to tell them that the company is a bunch of ......
 
If you're going by the date on the MSDS as the date they supposedly "updated" the composition on the oil you are mistaken. The Penn-Grade 1 MC oil has never been a synthetic blend, which is one reason I don't use it. I use their "regular" Penn-Grade 1, which is Group III/Group I blend.
 
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
If you're going by the date on the MSDS as the date they supposedly "updated" the composition on the oil you are mistaken. The Penn-Grade 1 MC oil has never been a synthetic blend, which is one reason I don't use it. I use their "regular" Penn-Grade 1, which is Group III/Group I blend.



Well the way it is supposed to work is that the product in the box, on the pallet in the back of the truck is supposed to correspond to the MSDS paperwork provided to those handling it. Probably not measured with an atomic clock but it is supposed to correlate. But that is really not the issue. I can assure you that there was (and is a copy in my basement) of an MSDS for
PENN-GRADE 1 V2 4-STROKE HIGH PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLE OIL, 20W50, Product Code 7157, dated 09/14/07 that lists product components as

Severely Hydrotreated/Hydrocracked Base Oils 70-80%
Synthetic Hydrocarbon Base Oil 5-10%
Additives 5-10%
Solvent Refined Residual Oil 1-5%
Green Dye

The current MSDS linked at the ARG site for the same exact product code and title with a revision date of 12/02/09, clearly stating that it supersedes the MSDS for that specific product dated 09/14/07 lists the product components as

Hydrotreated paraffinic distillate 65-75%
Additives 5-15%
Solvent Refined Residual Oil 5-15%
Green Dye

Now we can debate whether one of these has Group III, can be called semi synthetic, syn blend, and such but I think we can agree that product component listing has changed right?


And cven is correct that the 10W40 MC oil did not change and still carries its 09/14/07 MSDS. If you go to the ARG site and call up the 10W40 and 20W50 you will see the MSDSs and see that they are different between the two grades offered. That much has always been the case.
 
I see what your saying now Eagle. I'm using the 10/40 MC oil not the 20/50 MC oil so I didn't pay that much attention to it. It has been changed and from what little I know about this stuff its not for the better.

Maybe we should shoot them an E-mail and ask them why they changed the 20/50? And why didn't they lower the price after the change to lower grade base oils? I'll keep an eye on the 10/40 MC msds and will not be happy if they do the same with it.

The whole reason I started using it was it seemed to be a good value from a good company.

Does anyone know for fact if "severely hydrotreated/hydrocracked" base oils are group 3 and "hydrotreated paraffinic distillate" are group 2 or am I way off on that???
 
When the MC version of this oil first came out I looked at the MSDS and it did not say anything about a synthetic component or "Severely Hydrotreated/Hydrocracked" base oil. That was the reason I did not switch my bike to it and kept using the Penn Grade 1 racing oil. And as I said earlier, the MC oil has never been labeled "partial synthetic" like the racing (now HP) oil.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top