Good substitues for Shell Advance Ultra 4/Ducati
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You do know that Shell Rotella 15W-40 and 5W-40 are both JASO MA rated?
Stamped on the back of the bottle.
Stamped on the back of the bottle.
Oh, sorry - I missed that. Too bad that Rotella doesn't make a something-w-50.
I agree that you should follow the manufacturer's recommendation on motor oil grade.
Of course, you could use the Rotella 5W-40 if you're in a cooler climate and it matches with the viscosity chart in the owner's manual.
The Valvoline VR-1 Racing 20W-50 is an excellent oil for air-cooled engines. A lot of the Harley guys are using it and the used oil analysis(s) with that oil (on this site) are returning excellent numbers.
It's about $4.75 a quart at the local parts store.... and AutoZone is currently running a "special" with $2 off, per quart.
If you want a PAO-based synthetic - then Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50 and Amsoil MCV 20W-50 will give you excellent service, albeit at a higher price.
Then there's the Mobil 1 15W-50 oil that comes in those 5-quart jugs at the local Wally World. Not as robust as the M1 V-Twin or the Amsoil MCV but it will certainly give you excellent service.
You didn't mention the oil change interval....
I agree that you should follow the manufacturer's recommendation on motor oil grade.
Of course, you could use the Rotella 5W-40 if you're in a cooler climate and it matches with the viscosity chart in the owner's manual.
The Valvoline VR-1 Racing 20W-50 is an excellent oil for air-cooled engines. A lot of the Harley guys are using it and the used oil analysis(s) with that oil (on this site) are returning excellent numbers.
It's about $4.75 a quart at the local parts store.... and AutoZone is currently running a "special" with $2 off, per quart.
If you want a PAO-based synthetic - then Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50 and Amsoil MCV 20W-50 will give you excellent service, albeit at a higher price.
Then there's the Mobil 1 15W-50 oil that comes in those 5-quart jugs at the local Wally World. Not as robust as the M1 V-Twin or the Amsoil MCV but it will certainly give you excellent service.
You didn't mention the oil change interval....
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The track guys I run with who have Ducati's 1098, 1198 & 848 are running Amsoil 20w-50 and Maxima Maxum4 Ultra 5W-50.
The Maxima4 Ultra 5W-50 is the stoutest oil we have seen to date.
The Maxima4 Ultra 5W-50 is the stoutest oil we have seen to date.
The oil change interval is 7500 miles according to the manual. I might try the M1 20W-50 V-Twin, although it is kind of pricey at $10/qt. I believe I need to run a JASO MA oil as well, so the regular M1 15W-50 is not a choice?
Is the M1 V-twin worth the price of admission or should I mail order some oil?
Is the M1 V-twin worth the price of admission or should I mail order some oil?
If I were doing 7,500 mile oil change intervals in an air-cooled bike then I would use the Mobil 1 V-Twin or the Amsoil MCV.
Both are JASO-MA and a bit more robust for your application than the M1 15W-50.
Both are JASO-MA and a bit more robust for your application than the M1 15W-50.
NAPA has a 15W-50 Synthetic product. Don't know about the various certifications but it is the right viscosity for your application, and I'm pretty sure it is not marked "Energy Conserving".
Of course Amsoil has three or four products that would also work just fine, 15W-40, 10W-40 & 20W-50.
Cheers!
Of course Amsoil has three or four products that would also work just fine, 15W-40, 10W-40 & 20W-50.
Cheers!
Hi.
Very respectfully, I think you are taking a terrible risk running
any motorcycle oil 7,500 miles. I am sure you will get some people saying it OK or worked for them, but I can tell for a fact that EVERY UOA I have had on my Honda Interceptor using Mobil 1 "Racing 4T" has shown that it sheared down to a mid weight 10W-30....and that was with 2,000 mile changes. M-1 is not a junk oil, either! I do NOT ride particularly hard....which is why the shear down got my undivided attention. I LIKE the M-1 bike oil and my son and friends have run it with good luck in racing dirt bikes and sport bikes....but based on what we saw, I would never go a long distance on oil and particularly in an Air Cooled motor.
You have a NICE, expensive motorcycle....why in the world to you want to try to shave a few bucks a year on oil in a bike of that quality? Talk about false economy... The risk reward ratio on that deal is TERRIBLE unless you are going to unload that bike
in year or so and just don't care about the long term (and possibly mechanical reliability!)
The foregoing doesn't mean I am right...but that is my two cents.
Very respectfully, I think you are taking a terrible risk running
any motorcycle oil 7,500 miles. I am sure you will get some people saying it OK or worked for them, but I can tell for a fact that EVERY UOA I have had on my Honda Interceptor using Mobil 1 "Racing 4T" has shown that it sheared down to a mid weight 10W-30....and that was with 2,000 mile changes. M-1 is not a junk oil, either! I do NOT ride particularly hard....which is why the shear down got my undivided attention. I LIKE the M-1 bike oil and my son and friends have run it with good luck in racing dirt bikes and sport bikes....but based on what we saw, I would never go a long distance on oil and particularly in an Air Cooled motor.
You have a NICE, expensive motorcycle....why in the world to you want to try to shave a few bucks a year on oil in a bike of that quality? Talk about false economy... The risk reward ratio on that deal is TERRIBLE unless you are going to unload that bike
in year or so and just don't care about the long term (and possibly mechanical reliability!)
The foregoing doesn't mean I am right...but that is my two cents.
The Ducati Owner's Manual states to change the oil every 7500 miles using Shell Advance Ultra 4 15W-50. The dealer says that we don't have that oil in the US. So what exactly do i want to use? The overpriced "motorcycle specific" oil, or a synthetic that meets JASO MA? My Ducati has an air-cooled L-Twin, it's not exactly cutting edge technology.
Hi, again...
I think we had a little miscommunication. My concern, EVEN IF Ducati says 7,500 miles....is the 7,500 miles on the OCI. Shell Advance or not....
I AGREE that I sure would not drop $12 a quart for "motorcycle oil". I did that for a while in my Interceptor then went to a 15W-40 HDEO. Seems to be every bit as good and at a fraction of the price and I can change it more often without feeling like I am pouring dollars down the drain.
Frankly, if that were my bike, I would run Rotella T 15W-40 in it. Those premium 15W-40 HDEOs' are VERY tough oils. Those oils are intended to stand up in diesel engines with 20 to 1 compression and operate for LONG OCI's....they are not wimpy oils!
If you live in a hot place or the engine will see a lot of heat, you could run a 20W-50 in the summer. If you live in a place with more moderate temps, the I highly suspect a premium HDEO in 15W-40 would be perfect for that motor....and I would change it every 3,000 miles like clock work.
....The above is just my opinion..... based on many years of being around all kinds of engines, gas, diesel and racing, and reading a lot of well thought out and documented threads on here.....
Good luck with you Duc.
I think we had a little miscommunication. My concern, EVEN IF Ducati says 7,500 miles....is the 7,500 miles on the OCI. Shell Advance or not....
I AGREE that I sure would not drop $12 a quart for "motorcycle oil". I did that for a while in my Interceptor then went to a 15W-40 HDEO. Seems to be every bit as good and at a fraction of the price and I can change it more often without feeling like I am pouring dollars down the drain.
Frankly, if that were my bike, I would run Rotella T 15W-40 in it. Those premium 15W-40 HDEOs' are VERY tough oils. Those oils are intended to stand up in diesel engines with 20 to 1 compression and operate for LONG OCI's....they are not wimpy oils!
If you live in a hot place or the engine will see a lot of heat, you could run a 20W-50 in the summer. If you live in a place with more moderate temps, the I highly suspect a premium HDEO in 15W-40 would be perfect for that motor....and I would change it every 3,000 miles like clock work.
....The above is just my opinion..... based on many years of being around all kinds of engines, gas, diesel and racing, and reading a lot of well thought out and documented threads on here.....
Good luck with you Duc.
I downloaded a MY2006 Ducati Tech sheet from a website. It shows that the Ducati's all use Shell Advance Ultra 4 in 10W-40. I know this is a synthetic 10W-40 that meets JASO MA. I am not sure why the owner's manual specifies 15W-50 (there is an Ultra Advance 4 in this weight). So I guess this PDF answered my question: a synthetic xW-40 that meets JASO MA will work.
Your air-cooled Ducati should have its oil changed every 3000 miles and filter changed every 6000 miles. Shell Rotella T6 5w-40 is near perfect and affordable when you buy it a gallon at a time. I have over 32,000 miles on my 1996 900 SS SP and follow the above schedule for oil & filter changes. YOu should always use a synthetic oil in your Ducati. JASO-MA is approved for wet clutch motorcycles.
Fred
Fred
T6 will shear faster than the 15w-40. My K1200S recommends either a 10w-40 or a 15w-50. I split the difference at a 15w-40 rotella. I'll wager it is better or equal to any high priced motorcycle oil out there.
How does the Rotella T 15W-40 compare with Rotella T6 5W-40? Wouldn't the dino 15W-40 be thicker and cause starting issues in cold temperatures? I generally prefer a synthetic, but how does 15W-40 fare against the 5W-40 in a long-term oil change interval (3000-7500 miles)? Ducati advises a 7500 mile OCI using the Shell Advance Ultra 4 10W-40 synthetic in the air-cooled and liquid-cooled L-Twin engines.
I asked this question a few years ago and based on the properties of the oils, the consensus among the known experts on the board was that the 15w-40 would be more shear resistant than the 5w-40. Shear is a key if not the most key issue in motorcycle oils.
15w-40 is typically not an issue with cold starts on motorcycles because of their use. Typically, motorycles especially ducatis are garage kept and used when it is not snowing outside. Cold starts therefore are not really cold starts for motorcycles (as compared to winter starts for cars), and as such are unlikely to occur below freezing. In fact, if you live in North America and are not riding in the North in the winter months, motorcycle starts typically occur well in the acceptable temperature range for a 15w-40.
15w-40 is typically not an issue with cold starts on motorcycles because of their use. Typically, motorycles especially ducatis are garage kept and used when it is not snowing outside. Cold starts therefore are not really cold starts for motorcycles (as compared to winter starts for cars), and as such are unlikely to occur below freezing. In fact, if you live in North America and are not riding in the North in the winter months, motorcycle starts typically occur well in the acceptable temperature range for a 15w-40.
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