Tests of some motorcycle oils

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jeffmc

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Just for the heck of it I have run the following tests of motorcycle oils over a 4000 mile range on my 2012 Honda Goldwing.

Honda GN4- pretty good basic oil, notchy shifting from the start. The infamous missing from first to second gear was also pretty bad.

Motul 5100 JASO-MA- very good oil. Very smooth shifting and very good pull on acceleration. Would be my second choice for running with this bike.

Motul 5100 JASO-MA2- Did not like the new formula. Pull was not as good in high revs. Still had the smooth shifting but the bike preferred the older formula.

Honda HP4S- Actually pretty good. Strong acceleration but notchy shifting. Did not run it as long as the others but I think for the Goldwing a good choice.

Castrol Power 1 RS- Never used a oil that made the bike feel like the clutch was slipping but this oil did. A very smooth oil when running in low RPMs but whack the throttle and RPMs reved up with little pull. Do not like it.

Valvoline 4 stroke dino- Utterly shocked how the bike ran on this oil. Very smooth shifting, excellent pull and acceleration at high RPMs. No vibration.
This was the best yet.

Rotella T6- Good oil but felt alot of vibration back through the bike when riding for long periods of time.
 
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Pete, it was the 10w40 Valvoline. As far as Rotella T I had used that in my Nomad a few years back and a good oil. In winter the 15w40 was a bit to start with. I tried to stick to 10w40 or 10w30 as Honda specs since it is under warranty. The Rotella T6 was just to try it. I like HDEOs and may use Delvac in the future. But the dino Valvoline is a gem for the price. I had used their synthetic in my Roadstar in the past so I knew Valvoline makes good oil. I agree with Steve now that Castrol is [censored]. Plain and simple.
 
what I mean is the vibration on long rides you get back through the handlebars. The ones that cause numb hands. Some oils are better at circumventing this over others. Folks, the reality is, there isnt a one oil fits all. No matter how loyal we are to a brand. It really comes down to the rider, the clutch and the clerances of the engine itself. What may be [censored] on one may be golden on the other.

Trust me, I may not be as astute as some but I have tested just about every bike oil out there. I am old school and if you are looking for that one oil fits all, then look at Maxima syn-blend, Spectro Golden 4, Brad Penn and even Yamalube.

Amsoil? Was once good but their ability to not shear over time on the newer motorcycle formula has gone away. BMW use to have Spectro make their own name brand. No more, why? Because they found they could contract with Castrol and lower their price. Spectro would not change their formula to a Group III and thus their asking price was not as low as Castrol. Please, dont even get me started on the misconception of motorcycle oils.
 
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Some oils are noisier than others, not sure why but they are. For instance on my car I get more cam noise with Quaker State Ultimate durability when warm versus Kendall GT1 syn blend. Wear numbers were both good, but one seemed to dampen noise more than the others. Perhaps something similar is going on here. I know several Harley riders that notice engine noise difference between oils also.
 
I have a 2012 Goldwing as well and have been content to run Rotella T for 4K or so OCIs. I ran Amsoil 10w30 in winter 2012 and it did fine, but more than I want to spend on oil. I did hardly any riding last winter due to the amount of snow and ice. Besides that I'm getting older and more fond of staying warm. Interesting about the Valvoline and I'd be willing to try it. I'm over 18K and happy with the bike overall.
 
How does engine oil cause a vibration through handlebars?

Sounds like clutch chatter, bad tires, wheel bearings, or steering knuckle adjustment
 
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Originally Posted By: jeffmc
I agree with Steve now that Castrol is [censored]. Plain and simple.


well there is 1 exception...just 1.

you should give the Syntec 0w30 (ie the famous German Castrol...was originally green that then became gold). its the only 1 that is even worth lifting off the shelf to read the back of the bottle.

very interesting findings...thanks for posting it
 
Originally Posted By: rossn2
How does engine oil cause a vibration through handlebars?

Sounds like clutch chatter, bad tires, wheel bearings, or steering knuckle adjustment


what about staying on rotating masses (ie crank, cams, gearbox, balancershaft ....) and causing an imbalance?

yes clutch chatter because its not flowing properly through the clutch?

now i will also say this (and i have NO idea how to change the oil on a 2wheelmotorhome) if whatever is removed to do an oci isnt put back exactly the same in with the exact same torque values can also cause vibrations. even on my bike, if i put the bash plate back on just a hair different it will vibrate differently. and of the 3 mounting holes, 1 of them is not slotted. some of us can notice the slightest difference because we have had that bike for years and years and know every nuance and therefore is something isnt exactly the same, we notice.
 
Originally Posted By: rossn2
How does engine oil cause a vibration through handlebars?

Sounds like clutch chatter, bad tires, wheel bearings, or steering knuckle adjustment


Oil doesnt cause it but some oils do help with dampering it a a bit. I honestly think some oils are thicker then others, even with the same viscosities. I think that oils that are on the thicker side do a better job at cushioning the engine viberation that some v-twins exhibit.

Steve, yep German Castrol very good.
 
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Originally Posted By: sunruh
Originally Posted By: rossn2
How does engine oil cause a vibration through handlebars?

Sounds like clutch chatter, bad tires, wheel bearings, or steering knuckle adjustment


what about staying on rotating masses (ie crank, cams, gearbox, balancershaft ....) and causing an imbalance?


My thinking as well. Something with the dynamics of the fluid
 
Originally Posted By: sunruh
rossn2 said:
.......(and i have NO idea how to change the oil on a 2wheelmotorhome)


ROFL, I'm writing that one down. Been looking for a term for the loaded up road whales with the dual barca lounger back rests plus twenty gallon hard bags and top cases. Sometimes I even see these things towing a [censored] trailer!
Click to expand...
 
Hey LoneRanger. . .I resemble that remark! But my road-barge handles pretty well (2013 Victory XC Tour) once up to speed. It'll never go through the curvys like a Duc or my beloved BMW, but if ridden aggressively it will keep up with most normal riders under most conditions. . .and it sure is comfy on a long trip!
 
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