Rotella T5 15w-40

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In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.
 
Originally Posted By: vindex1963
In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.


+1
 
Originally Posted By: Spur
Originally Posted By: vindex1963
In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.


+1


+2

If they ask, just tell em you used approved oil purchased at dealer....
 
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
Originally Posted By: Spur
Originally Posted By: vindex1963
In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.


+1


+2

If they ask, just tell em you used approved oil purchased at dealer....


Exactly but I've never been asked.
 
+3...
In my 49 years I don't recall any denied warranty claims due to oil choice...
maintenance malpractice like no oil in the engine is cause for denial...
 
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Originally Posted By: vindex1963
In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.


You will likely only ever get in trouble if they ask and you respond honestly. In the automotive world it does happen, especially when people put the wrong transmission fluid in and the thing burns up.
 
There are examples of people, even here at BITOG, who have had to provide evidence for some form of warranty claim.

Three decades ago, when I had repeated issues with a 5.0L Mustang, after 12 (twelve!) trips in for warranty service issues regarding the engine, I finally started a case via the State Atty General for a "lemon law" vehicle. And that's when Ford got really serious about wanting to see every detail about what I did, even though lube had nothing to do with the electrical/computer issue controlling the engine.

The upside to this is that because failures are rare, and companies typically want to avoid poor publicity, they will often take care of things that they do not have to under warranty for the sake of good public relations. However, that does not change the conditions of a written limited warranty, nor the risk associated with not following those conditions.
 
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Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: vindex1963
In my 31 years of riding I've never heard of a warranty claim denied because of oil choice and I've never heard of an oil test being done to deny a warranty issue. I've had engine work done under warranty and oil was never brought up or even hinted about. I think warrantee denied is way to much of a blanket statement and has gotten people so paranoid as to exaggerate the facts about it. Seems these things are internet facts more than real life facts.


You will likely only ever get in trouble if they ask and you respond honestly. In the automotive world it does happen, especially when people put the wrong transmission fluid in and the thing burns up.


I think you'll agree that transmissions are a little different case. The only reason I could see them denying claim is if you came in with a slipping clutch [MC] or burnt transmission [clutches]... which definitely can be culprits of incorrect oil/fluid choice.

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
There are examples of people, even here at BITOG, who have had to provide evidence for some form of warranty claim.

Three decades ago, when I had repeated issues with a 5.0L Mustang, after 12 (twelve!) trips in for warranty service issues regarding the engine, I finally started a case via the State Atty General for a "lemon law" vehicle. And that's when Ford got really serious about wanting to see every detail about what I did, even though lube had nothing to do with the electrical/computer issue controlling the engine.

The upside to this is that because failures are rare, and companies typically want to avoid poor publicity, they will often take care of things that they do not have to under warranty for the sake of good public relations. However, that does not change the conditions of a written limited warranty, nor the risk associated with not following those conditions.



I agree, people should be aware... but not something they should practically worry about. If its gets to that point, personally, I would go buy a genuine factory filter and oil, replace both and bring the bike in for service.
 
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Originally Posted By: rrounds
This was a test back in '94 by John C. Woolum/ Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
California State University, Los Angeles
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm

And the only oil he would use for more than 1500 miles in the test bike was the M1 15/50.

I was using M1 15/50 all thruogh the 90's till they changed it.
Now I use Delo or Rotella 15/40.

ROD


That was probably back when it was a solid Group IV oil. It does seem to have been watered down a bit by Mobil after the whole "synthetic" state of Group III base stocks worked through the legal system here in the USA>
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: rrounds
This was a test back in '94 by John C. Woolum/ Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
California State University, Los Angeles
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm

And the only oil he would use for more than 1500 miles in the test bike was the M1 15/50.

I was using M1 15/50 all thruogh the 90's till they changed it.
Now I use Delo or Rotella 15/40.

ROD


That was probably back when it was a solid Group IV oil. It does seem to have been watered down a bit by Mobil after the whole "synthetic" state of Group III base stocks worked through the legal system here in the USA>


Not only the legal system, Group III base stocks work well in the mechanical system
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
+3...
In my 49 years I don't recall any denied warranty claims due to oil choice...
maintenance malpractice like no oil in the engine is cause for denial...


Now that does it every time. haha
 
A bit late to this party... Guys can "study", "research" and be considered an expert because they come across as knowing it all. What I know to be the best evidence against armchair reading and pontificating is actual use of an oil in a motorcycle.

Anyone with a lick of sense would know all the HDEO 15w-40 oils are basically the same. Not at single one of them is gonna cause any issue with a wet clutch in good repair based on millions of miles of use in every manner of bike made. That is a fact. Doesn't matter what Shell or Mobil says. I take experience and certainty based on experience over speculation any day. Don't most folks?

15w-50 M1 has been used ad-nauseum without incident in wet clutches for millions of miles as well. I have run it and Rotella T5 15w-40 synblend in my motorcycles with boring success.

It is laughable the amount of fear and confusion that can be created over this subject.
 
Rotella T 15W40 made my Ducati Multistrada's 1198cc twin vibrate more, the clutch grabby, and top end pull felt reduced as well so I dumped it after a few hundred and went back to motorcycle 4T synthetics. Smoothness and high rpm pull restored. There's my Actual Use In a Motorcycle vs. arm chair pontificating...
 
LoneRanger,

No heartburn meant toward what you are sharing. Those issues are not what I was getting at, as my experience shows different oils offer different "feel". SuperTech 20w-50 wins hands-down in my 1980 XS1100 for shift quality over an OCI, and 15w-40 HDEO'S or M1 15w-50 do the trick extremely well in the 2001 ZRX1200 with 45,230 miles and 135 hp/85 ft-lbs at the rear wheel with no clutch slippage no matter the oil.

It's the fear mongering and "expertise" about clutch slippage simply because a company doesn't spend the $$ to satisfy a niche market designation, when it has been absolutely and positively shown to be a non-issue for literally decades and millions of miles with HDEO's.
 
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Originally Posted By: Bonz
LoneRanger,

No heartburn meant toward what you are sharing. Those issues are not what I was getting at, as my experience shows different oils offer different "feel". SuperTech 20w-50 wins hands-down in my 1980 XS1100 for shift quality over an OCI, and 15w-40 HDEO'S or M1 15w-50 do the trick extremely well in the 2001 ZRX1200 with 45,230 miles and 135 hp/85 ft-lbs at the rear wheel with no clutch slippage no matter the oil.

It's the fear mongering and "expertise" about clutch slippage simply because a company doesn't spend the $$ to satisfy a niche market designation, when it has been absolutely and positively shown to be a non-issue for literally decades and millions of miles with HDEO's.



But my bike calls for MA2.........
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Bonz
LoneRanger,

No heartburn meant toward what you are sharing. Those issues are not what I was getting at, as my experience shows different oils offer different "feel". SuperTech 20w-50 wins hands-down in my 1980 XS1100 for shift quality over an OCI, and 15w-40 HDEO'S or M1 15w-50 do the trick extremely well in the 2001 ZRX1200 with 45,230 miles and 135 hp/85 ft-lbs at the rear wheel with no clutch slippage no matter the oil.

It's the fear mongering and "expertise" about clutch slippage simply because a company doesn't spend the $$ to satisfy a niche market designation, when it has been absolutely and positively shown to be a non-issue for literally decades and millions of miles with HDEO's.




But my manual says MA2......
wink.gif
 
I am a regular 'abuser' by filling both of my shared sump bikes with a plethora of different oils in the 10w-40 and 15w-40 categories; I lean toward conventional since I deliberately do premature oil changes to avoid notchy shifting and oil thinning caused by shearing in the transmissions; occasionally I will mix leftover oils to use as short OCI 'flushes' or as short OCI for winter storage which include riding during the late autumn & early spring; sometimes I use plain ole 10w-40 passenger car motor oil for the 'flush' or storage fills; I tend to use a quality motorcycle oil or heavy duty engine oil during the majority of the riding season when the bikes are ridden much more often;

my 'stash' for next year...a 'mix' of quality motorcycle oils (Spectro & BelRay 10w-40 conventional with a bit of leftover SuperTech 15w-40 hdeo) for riding season & Smitty's Super S 10w-40 conventional pcmo for winter storage; my point to this post...NEVER have had a clutch slippage issue in any of my common sump bikes!!!
 
Prezactly the objective here... Show the abject fallacy of the clutch slippage issue simply based on the fact a manufacturer won't certify for a niche. When contacted by a consumer, and a manufacturer responds in "CYA" speak, well... Would anything else be expected? They don't make enough from motorcyclists to go out on a limb, even when they know they could.

The guys making the $$ are selling motorcycle specific oils to guys that buy into them.

I am an oil [censored], can't seem to take the same one home twice in a row. I swap oils around because I do analysis and am interested how the oils compare to one another. In many years and analysis, the main difference is synthetic oils hold a higher flashpoint at the end of an OCI vs dino oils, all else equal. Otherwise, wear numbers are more or less interchangeable over 4000-5000 mile OCI's in my 2001 ZRX1200.
 
Originally Posted By: Bonz
Prezactly the objective here... Show the abject fallacy of the clutch slippage issue simply based on the fact a manufacturer won't certify for a niche.


Certifications are certifications...to use any other is open to getting something that wouldn't pass.

Even an educated guess that it "should be right" is still guess.

Picking M1 15W50, or a 15W40 HDMO is a pretty good "guess" that it will be fine...picking something with Allison C4 makes the guesswork nearly non existent....but that's back to appropriate certifications.

Originally Posted By: Bonz
Anyone with a lick of sense would know all the HDEO 15w-40 oils are basically the same. Not at single one of them is gonna cause any issue with a wet clutch in good repair based on millions of miles of use in every manner of bike made. That is a fact. Doesn't matter what Shell or Mobil says. I take experience and certainty based on experience over speculation any day. Don't most folks?


Wow, you said a LOT in that post.
All the same, not a single one....sounds a little more like a religion than a series of compiled statistics.
 
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