so what are the top 5 motorcycle oils?

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Luckily I only pay a couple of dollars more a quart than the 1/4 price (of $20)mark for Amsoil. But I live in the US, the parallel reality where we enjoy relatively cheap oil prices and the ability to drive absurdly fuel inefficient vehicles, consequences be [censored].

In other places a 20 dollar quart is not too far from reality. There, I would imagine a PAO synthetic could cost less than a dino, if legislators don't toss them all in one tax bucket.
 
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Originally Posted By: Tim H.
Originally Posted By: FowVay
But,, that VR1 is the slickest oil I've ever seen. I did a valve adjustment and my shims were too slick to get them out of their buckets. I had to use a magnet to get a bite on them.


I really, really, really hope you used an old cassette tape demagnetiser on those shims afterwards....


No, I didn't fool with them. They went in a little baggy and were placed in a drawer in my garage. Those shims were replaced with new ones of a different size.

I will bring them to work tomorrow and put them on my Hall Effect probe to get a gauss reading just for curiosities sake. If they measure less than 2 gauss then we'll know that using a magnet for removal is inconsequential.

Boy, I sure hope my battery failure isn't related to the VR1. For what it's worth, my battery isn't taking a charge while sitting on my work bench with the charger hooked up. I think it's just old.
 
Originally Posted By: FowVay

Boy, I sure hope my battery failure isn't related to the VR1. For what it's worth, my battery isn't taking a charge while sitting on my work bench with the charger hooked up. I think it's just old.

I think your battery just died. Just guessing here, but if the VR1 didn't mess with the tranny clutch, I doubt it would've bothered any other clutch...
Keep us updated!
wink.gif
 
my redline gets 33% more KM's more than other oils so it should say something about its durability ^^

also revs abit faster too.
 
I use Amzoil 20-50 in my V-rod, But use Castrol GTX 20-50 in my Kawasaki Vulcan {many times) and never had a problem with my clutch.
I change it on ther Vulcan about 2300-2500 miles which is usually when the shifting gets a little funky.
 
Originally Posted By: D Hill
Luckily I only pay a couple of dollars more a quart than the 1/4 price (of $20)mark for Amsoil. But I live in the US, the parallel reality where we enjoy relatively cheap oil prices and the ability to drive absurdly fuel inefficient vehicles, consequences be [censored].

In other places a 20 dollar quart is not too far from reality. There, I would imagine a PAO synthetic could cost less than a dino, if legislators don't toss them all in one tax bucket.


Here in Newfoundland, Canada Canadian Tire sells Amsoil 10w40 for $20.00 qt. FYI 5w30 amsoil car oil is $15.00 per qt.
 
My v-star gets rotella t-6 5w-40. My harley gets red line with moly in the engine crankcase. I have tried em all. This is what works best for me
 
Op, ive had good luck with Valve 10-40 4T in my R1. 3RD OCI with this in the sump, im curious and will look up cleaning agents in this oil ( if i can find ) becouse the oil's been darker on these last few OCI'S than usual.. im wondering if its doing some cleaning that previous Oils did not. im paying $7.89 qrt for it, ive considered using the Rotella but the jug is twenty something here.. for the extra 10 bucks i like the Valve ive been using..
 
There is no best oil, that is to be decided by you. I have a close friend who is a very respected builder of race bikes. He has his favorite oil and I have my own and every other person who comes in tends to side with whatever cult (oil brand) they like. Personally, I have seen bikes blow up on the best named oils, and I have seen the over the shelf [censored] last forever with no issues. I have seen many motors taken apart and see what looks like what.

I have tried a lot of oils that were the "buzz" at the time. I know what I am using now and what I am going to try next spring.
 
racing oils are that, they hold up well but have little detergents and that will take its toll in time, true group IV + V oils like amsoil and redline are worth the $$$ to me, unless you trade frequently and let the poor sucker that buys your old ride deal with it
 
Originally Posted By: benjy
racing oils are that, they hold up well but have little detergents and that will take its toll in time, true group IV + V oils like amsoil and redline are worth the $$$ to me, unless you trade frequently and let the poor sucker that buys your old ride deal with it


Not with Mobil1 racing 0W3/50 ...

easily bests the lifetime of redline on my vehicle atm... 3 OC's so far

but then im dry clutch so...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: FowVay
Originally Posted By: Lost1
Originally Posted By: FowVay

Hope it doesn't have any impact on my wet clutch. If so,,,, I'll just change it out.

Please post back & let us know how it works with your clutch...


Well, so far I have not had any issues at all with the clutch on the transmission. However, my alternator is driven through a clutch and I notice my battery isn't charging anymore.

Whether this is directly related to the VR1 won't be known until I replace the VR1 with a JASO MA rated lube.

But,, that VR1 is the slickest oil I've ever seen. I did a valve adjustment and my shims were too slick to get them out of their buckets. I had to use a magnet to get a bite on them.


Walk out to your bike...flip a coin. Heads it may slip, tails it wont.

However, under heavy load, or abuse, it will slip. Guaranteed.

Fixing it may be as easy as swapping the oil... or it may require new steels if they glaze.

Personally, I put only nonfriction modified oil into shared sumps.

And while I have run rotella, its the only "approved" oil I've lost a clutch to. Yamalube or gn4 or motul has never given me any trouble.

Honda/Yamaha parts and service certified tech.
 
Originally Posted By: SuzukiGoat

Personally, I put only nonfriction modified oil into shared sumps.
Honda/Yamaha parts and service certified tech.


Friction modifiers additives are only about 10% of the oil product and
help the base oil do things that it otherwise could not... Additives
fall into several basic categories but Moly is the most often used
friction modifier because it has such a high melting temperature
(4730¯ F versus 2795¯ F for iron), it works great as a
high-temperature, high-pressure antiwear agent. Some still believe
that because moly is so slick its the cause of their clutch
slippage... but note that 6 of the 19 motorcycle oils used moly
including the HP4 market by Honda for any of their motorcycles

Technically speaking a wet clutch in good working order is not about
to slip no matter what oil ans additives the owner selects... what is
confusing the issue is the fact that all motorcycle wet clutches will
reach a point in their life and start to slip... have you notice that
no one complains about clutch slip when new... its about the 27K to
57K range that contaminants build up to point where the clutch may
begin to loose its grip most noted during a WFO (Wide Fooking
Open)throttle burst... in error the oil could be blamed but
technically speaking its really the condition of the clutch plates...

So the notion that we should only use nonfriction modified oils is on
shaky ground... fact is I've been using 10/30 0/30 Energy Conserving
Mobil 1 with 98 ppm Moly since 98 in Mr.RC45 with no clutch slipping
due to oil being certified 10% freer flowing than non EC oil... and as
you should know we're talking about Mr.Honda's homologated racer with a
tall first gear good for 90mph that's known to incinerate clutch
plates...
A dumb guy with a Lathe and Mill...

146-0310-Moly.content-zoom.gif
 
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
Originally Posted By: SuzukiGoat

Personally, I put only nonfriction modified oil into shared sumps.
Honda/Yamaha parts and service certified tech.


Friction modifiers additives are only about 10% of the oil product and
help the base oil do things that it otherwise could not... Additives
fall into several basic categories but Moly is the most often used
friction modifier because it has such a high melting temperature
(4730¯ F versus 2795¯ F for iron), it works great as a
high-temperature, high-pressure antiwear agent. Some still believe
that because moly is so slick its the cause of their clutch
slippage... but note that 6 of the 19 motorcycle oils used moly
including the HP4 market by Honda for any of their motorcycles

Technically speaking a wet clutch in good working order is not about
to slip no matter what oil ans additives the owner selects... what is
confusing the issue is the fact that all motorcycle wet clutches will
reach a point in their life and start to slip... have you notice that
no one complains about clutch slip when new... its about the 27K to
57K range that contaminants build up to point where the clutch may
begin to loose its grip most noted during a WFO (Wide Fooking
Open)throttle burst... in error the oil could be blamed but
technically speaking its really the condition of the clutch plates...

So the notion that we should only use nonfriction modified oils is on
shaky ground... fact is I've been using 10/30 0/30 Energy Conserving
Mobil 1 with 98 ppm Moly since 98 in Mr.RC45 with no clutch slipping
due to oil being certified 10% freer flowing than non EC oil... and as
you should know we're talking about Mr.Honda's homologated racer with a
tall first gear good for 90mph that's known to incinerate clutch
plates...
A dumb guy with a Lathe and Mill...

146-0310-Moly.content-zoom.gif




I can fully agree the moly or any friction modifiers causing clutch slip is over blown. I've never skipped a clutch even racing until it was worn thank the stack height was off. I've used many different oils too which would have worried some. Probably too much worrying or over thinking goes into this idea.
 
I've slipped a new clutch with valve springs in the place of the [censored] Barnett upgraded springs

This was in a honda auto clutch on rotella... maybe the load was too high, maybe it was the oil.

But after rebuilding I could not replicate it with gn4 or motul...

Weird, yes. But it happened.
 
nothing but amsoil, a little xtra $$ but no oil issues ever!!!! never added oil between yearly changes either!!!
 
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