Your Oil Choice Would Be...?

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Rustypig

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Apr 26, 2016
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Location
N. Idaho
2009 KLR 650 single thumper/shared sump.

I'm looking at an Alaska trip this summer and fortunately I already live in N. Idaho, but that still means 7K of hard riding if I get to fit it all in a 20 day ride. I'm planning to change oil up there at the 1/2 way point, but you never know...

I've ran Rotella T6 syn since it's first change but honestly think there is a bit more chunking/clunking than I think there should be when shifting most of the time.

I've read the MC oil analysis threads a good bit but I'm kind of a noob when it comes to all the analysis realm has to offer. I can ascertain that some oils are pure [censored], and some seem to trend in the average yet drop viscosity arena with the shredding that occurs in these type bikes.

So my question is: If you were taking off tomorrow and plan to ride more than maintain...what's going in your oil sump (cost be [censored]).
 
Yeah, that's a good one. So is Valvoline 4T and so is Motul.

But I'd likely put Rotella T5 in there and cruise on. You can get it at any truck stop. And you can change it anywhere. Robust enough for 3K and a change anytime.

Otherwise, if you are going to big city Alaska, you might want to try Harley oils. They always have a good selection
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
What does the owner's manual say for oil weight?

SAE 10W40, 10W50, 20W40 or 20W50. The typical generic group for single thumpers. There can be a vast difference between oils in each group...hence the original question.
 
Originally Posted By: barkingspider
Kawasaki oil should be good

Maybe, but last I checked Kawa, Yama, Toyota, Chevy etc, didn't own/operate refineries so it tells me they order/re-badge others oil. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I prefer to stick with the majors who are in the business with their name on the line & public scrutiny keeping them honest. Rotella, Delo, Castrol, Mobile 1, Red line, Amsoil etc.
I've never put a drop of "Yamalube" in my vstar, Kodiak or other toys, nor "Kawasaki Oil" in my KLR for that matter. In this case I'm assuming a 4-5K worst scenerio before I can refresh it so I'm even willing to look at custom DIY blends.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Rustypig
Originally Posted By: barkingspider
Kawasaki oil should be good

Maybe, but last I checked Kawa, Yama, Toyota, Chevy etc, didn't own/operate refineries so it tells me they order/re-badge others oil. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I prefer to stick with the majors who are in the business with their name on the line & public scrutiny keeping them honest. Rotella, Delo, Castrol, Mobile 1, Red line, Amsoil etc.
I've never put a drop of "Yamalube" in my vstar, Kodiak or other toys, nor "Kawasaki Oil" in my KLR for that matter. In this case I'm assuming a 4-5K worst scenerio before I can refresh it so I'm even willing to look at custom DIY blends.


That's not true in the case of a good company, like Harley D, Volvo or BMW. They have long term contracts with a supplier who does a special brew for them, aimed at Max power, long life or fuel efficiency. Max power equals thinnish when hot, longlife equals lots of good detergents and anti wear add's. Fuel economy means thin when cold or hot AND very slippery (A fair slug of Moly).
You might think the first and third oils are similar, BUT most bikes can't use too much Moly due to wet clutch design.

I'm a longlife fan but on the thick side! (Hence Shell Ultra 0 or 5w40 A3/B4)
 
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
Just use a Shell oil finder or guide, don't guess at it as HDEO oils contain too much Moly or Zinc for a wet clutch. They are designed for truckers.

http://www.shell.com/motorist/oils-lubricants/advance-for-motorcycles.html

http://www.shell.com/motorist/oils-lubri...vance-sx-2.html

http://liqui-moly.lubricantadvisor.com/Default.aspx?Lang=eng


Had a look at the moly site. How come the "street" and "basic street" (both 10W40, IIRC) give a base number (7.9 mg KOH for both) and the synthetic stuff (20W50, IIRC) doesn't?

Not that it matters, just mildly curious.
 
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
Just use a Shell oil finder or guide, don't guess at it as HDEO oils contain too much Moly or Zinc for a wet clutch. They are designed for truckers.

http://www.shell.com/motorist/oils-lubricants/advance-for-motorcycles.html

http://www.shell.com/motorist/oils-lubri...vance-sx-2.html

http://liqui-moly.lubricantadvisor.com/Default.aspx?Lang=eng


The OPs question is "what would you use". He lives in the USA and we dont have access to oils you do and you dont have access to some we do.

Some Shell Rotellas here are Jaso approved oils and far superior and meet far more standards then "Motorcycle oils" that carry no certifications other then words and claims on a bottle.

To give you an idea, the oil that you mention Shell Ultra 0 or 5w40 A3/B4 is available to me on Amazon but would cost $142.95 for 1-4 liter container delivered to my house from the UK!
Shell Ultra
 
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Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
Just use a Shell oil finder or guide, don't guess at it as HDEO oils contain too much Moly or Zinc for a wet clutch. They are designed for truckers.

Zinc additives do not generally affect wet clutch operation. It is desired in motorcycles partly for its lack of friction modification.

As for the question of which oil. Just about every brand has a lubricant advisor or finder or whatever they call it, so just pick a brand that you trust. If you are worried about the oil holding up, pick a 10W-50 JASO MA2 oil and go with it. The JASO spec limits shear and other aspects, assures the clutch will be fine and even if it did shear down, if you start with a 10W-50 the lowest it should go is a 15W-40, which is also acceptable in the KLR.
 
Originally Posted By: Rustypig
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
What does the owner's manual say for oil weight?

SAE 10W40, 10W50, 20W40 or 20W50. The typical generic group for single thumpers. There can be a vast difference between oils in each group...hence the original question.


With the above info, I would run 20w50 all day long. You can find them on clearance all the time
 
I just sold my 2008 KLR 650 last year. It was a great bike that really can go just about anywhere and do anything. Rock solid reliable and easier than most lawnmowers to work on.

I tried many different brands and weights of oil while I had it and I came to some conclusions. If you want a 5w-40 synthetic for the cooler months, go with Delo 400 LE 5w-40 full synthetic. almost all of the oils I am going to list are cheapest at Wal-Mart. If you want a cheaper option for the warm weather, Delo 15w-40 conventional was great and gave the best shift feel of anything I tried. Rotella T3 15w-40 was a great option also and it has the Jaso-MA rating if you care about that. I was never too worried about it myself. If you study the VOA's of almost any high quality HDEO designed for diesel trucks, they are all similar, even the ones with the JASO-MA rating. If your KLR burns oil, a heavier oil like 20W-50 will help slow the oil burning down. Adding 1 oz of TCW-3 to your fuel at every fill up really helps slow down oil burning also. My best guess at why it helps is that the heavier oil is less likely to vaporize and burn off on the cylinder wall. Adding an oil based upper cylinder lube like TCW-3 helps the piston make a tighter ring seal and prevents blow by in both directions.

In summary, I recommend Delo or Rotella in 5w-40 or 15w-40. I primarily used Delo 5w0-40 and it always worked great for me. Have fun with that pig and be safe!
 
I would be more concerned about being able to ride a thumper 7K in 20 days on everything from Interstate hwys to fire roads, than what oil to use in the thumper. Good luck and let us know how you fared...I'm sure the KLR will be just fine.
 
I had a 1985 KLR 600 & all i used in it was Castrol GTX 15w40 or 20w50. Bike ran great for 15 years commuting 100km 5 days a week. Oil was changed every 2 months.

Cam chain tensioner was a weak part so was replaced every 2 years .
Valve check every 3 years when camchain was replaced.Valves were always on the loose spec so left as is.
After 15th year bike was stolen & never seen again.
Oh yeah this bike was kick start only & always started 1st kick in summer & 2nd kick in winter,it really was a good bike!
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
I would be more concerned about being able to ride a thumper 7K in 20 days on everything from Interstate hwys to fire roads, than what oil to use in the thumper. Good luck and let us know how you fared...I'm sure the KLR will be just fine.


LOL, This concern hasn't escaped me either. I'm pushing 50, but it's a bucket list thing and this is the first year I can actually swing the consecutive time off. I figure...what the [censored], that's what NSAIDS are made for!

So back on topic; it seems many say to just stick with the HDEO's and many don't even recommend sticking with synthetic. At home I routinely drop the Rotella T6 pretty early...cheap insurance in the spring/fall, so I should probably just be running the normal 15-40 vs 5-40 synthetic anyway.

My question of these two would be: Is there a definite advantage to running the synthetic or is the shearing action of these singles going to level the playing field by 3000 miles so that either oil is done and must be dropped. I'm not trying to cheap out here (counting break in changes I've dropped the oil 7 times in 6K on this machine since new). I just don't want to burn a day looking for an oil change if it can go an extra day and find a convenient place etc.
 
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
Rotella T 15/40 and call it a day without question that would be my choice.



Yes or Delo 15W-40
 
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