Delo 400LE for motorcycle?

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Anyone using the newish Delo 400LE 15W-40 (CJ-4) in their motorcycle? Seems lots of folks use the Rotella 15W-40, but I haven't read much about Delo users. I've got a Kawasaki with a wet clutch.
 
I think the possibility of a clutch slipping with a non bike oil is way overblown. I've ran every car oil and several addatives such as The Torco stuff thats loaded with moly and the VSOT and never had a clutch slip on any of my bikes or quads.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I think the possibility of a clutch slipping with a non bike oil is way overblown. I've ran every car oil and several addatives such as The Torco stuff thats loaded with moly and the VSOT and never had a clutch slip on any of my bikes or quads.
I agree completely. Ive tried a bunch of oils in two stroke wet clutch dirt bikes, including 10w30, 10w40 and transmission fluid and have never had clutch slippage. I like the 15w40, simply because its a tuff oil. The only thing I ever had not work at all was gear oil, I thought Id see what would happen and it would grab, as soon as you put it in gear, it was like haveing no clutch. the clutch plates are pretty toleratable.
 
I've used it along with Rotella t, and Delvac 15/40. In my older Goldwing, I found better shift quality with the Delo, and better with the Delvac. Never any slippage. I don't know what oil was used before I bought the bike, but the above oils are all I've used in it.,,
 
I've been using Rotella synthetic (the old formula) 5W-40, but shifting gets rather notchy after awhile. Some people have suggested that regular dino 15W-40 diesel oil will be more resistant to shearing. I've used Delo in a diesel application and liked it a lot, but maybe I should just stick with Rotella for the motorcycle now that I see it meets JASO MA (for wet clutches).
 
I have been using the new Delo 15w-40 in a 2008 Goldwing for the past 15,000 miles. No problems with the oil. In fact, the 15w-40 causes my tranny to shift smoother than Honda's GN4 which I used for the first couple changes. I have also tried the Rotella T 15w-40 which gave the same performance as the Delo. I don't think you can go wrong with either Delo or Rotella in the 15w-40 dino. Likely Delvac is just as good, but I have not tried it. I change oil and filter at 3,000 miles.
 
Sunruh, are you saying you tested the Delo and it was not as shear resistant as ST and SRT? What oils are ST and SRT?
 
ST is SuperTech ci-4 15w40
SRT is Shell Rotella T cj-4 15w40

delo 400 le finished at a susvis of 70.6 after 2.9 hrs (gator bait)
SRT at 72.3 after 2.9 hrs (caney creek)
ST at 75 after 3.3 hrs (trainrobbers)

ST flash 410
SRT flash 400
delo flash 385
 
Thanks for that info. I guess I'm late to the game, but what exactly do you do to these oils in three hours or so? Are those the names of races?
 
those were races in the texas state championship enduro circuit.
various years the caney creek round has also been a us national enduro event. it is in the sam houston national forest. gator bait is in sand, sand and more sand. that area is mined for sand and shipped to houston to make cement. trainrobbers is in arkansas.

the tscec series covers a huge land area. new mexico, texas, louisana, arkansas and oklahoma. except for alaska where can you say you start in the middle of the state, drive 8 hours at 70mph and are still in the state.
 
Sounds like fun! I like the idea of a real-world test bed. Good stuff. Too often we're comparing specs. from the manufacturer and declaring one thing or another better based on nothing really.
 
I'm also interested in the difference with the new Delo 400LE.

FYI, this was taken from the caltex website.
This seems to be the difference between the 'older' Delo 400 Multigrade and the 'newer' Delo 400 LE


KEY PROPERTIES
.....................Delo 400 Multigrade ...Delo 400 LE
SAE Grade.......................15W-40 ...15W-40
Density at 15°C, kg/L............0.886 ...0.886
Base No., D2896, mg KOH/g.....12.2 ...9.6
Base No., D4739, mg KOH/g.....10.0 ...N/app
Sulfated Ash, %m..................1.4 ...1.0
Flash Point °C......................230 ...204
Pour Point °C....................-33 ...-30
Viscosity, cSt at 40°C............125 ...125
Viscosity, cst at 100°C...........15.1 ...15.7
Viscosity Index...................125 ...131
Zinc, %m..........................0.15 ...0.13


Delo 400 Multigrade:
PEREFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
• API CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF-4, CF, CD
• API SL, SJ, SH
• ACEA E7-04, E5-02, E3-96.
• JASO DH-1
• EMA Global DHD-1
• Caterpillar ECF-2, ECF-1a
• Cummins CES 20078, 20077, 20076, 20072
• DDC 93K214
• Mack EO-N Premium Plus 03, EO-M Plus, EO-M, EO-L Plus
• Volvo VDS-3, VDS-2
• Mercedes-Benz 228.3
• MAN M 3275, 271
• MTU and DDC Categories 1&2
• ZF TE-ML 04C, 07C


Delo 400 LE
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
Caltex Delo 400 LE SAE 15W-40 meets:
• API CJ-4, CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4, CF, SM, SL
• ACEA European Service Categories E-7
• major diesel engine manufacturers' requirements
Caterpillar
Cummins
Detroit Diesel
MACK
Man
Mercedes
Volvo
• engine test performance requirements
• Caterpillar ECF-3, ECF-2
• Cummins CES 20081
• DDC Power Guard 93K218
• Mack EO-O Premium Plus 07
• MAN 3275
• Mercedes Benz 228.3
• Volvo VDS-4




So, am I right in saying that it looks like the 'older' Delo 400 multigrade seems to be a stouter oil than the newer Delo 400LE, however the new LE has less ash?
BTW, is sulfated ash an issue with motorbike motors, specifically newer fuel injected sportsbike motors?
Also, isn't higher zinc better for motorbike motors or am I just way off track???
Cheers,
Dan.
 
I have read that ZDDP is good for flat tappet pushrod engines also. I was reading about an engine building using a HDEO whose formulation had changed and as soon as it did he was getting junked cams from the lobes being wiped on startup.

Zinc went from 1400ppm to 1200ppm. You wouldn't think it could be that alone that casued poor results for the builder.

A Boron compound is being used more now with ZDDP getting lower.
 
Not much interest in this Delo stuff?

I have been looking at the "Bunch of VOAs" posted here http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=478127#Post478127

and it would seem on paper that the 400 is better than the 400LE for motorcycle use.

What is really interesting to is me also is that the boron and moly are substantially higher than a lot of other oils, Rotella (CJ-4 which has virtually zero of both) to name but one which has a good track record.

I know I know jack @#%$ about oils but from the little I have read moly and boron are two really good additives.

The Mobil motorcycle oils seem to have a similar flavor but more slightly more ZDDP.
 
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If you like Delo 400 LE 15W-40 Wal-Mart is blowing it out at $8.50 a gallon right now. Still not sure about using it in my MC, but I bought 4 gallons for my boat's diesel engine.
 
I run Delvac in my Kawasaki now, and I ran Rotella T in my last bike, a 2007 UM V2S 250R, both with good results.

I bought a gallon of Delo at Walmart for $8.50 and I plan to run it in my Kawi at next OCI.

I like Delvac in my Kawi better than the Honda GN4 oil that was in it. I learned about running HDEOs in bikes here at Bitog, and I plan to keep on running them. They seem to work very well, and are priced right.
 
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