High Performance Motorcycle oil...which one?

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Originally Posted by Langanobob
If the Amsoil is working I would stay with it. Not that there might not be other oils that also work well, it just might be an expensive experiment finding out. I second Ducked's earlier suggestion about filtering the clutch contaminated oil. Maybe you could rig up a bench mounted filtration system in your race trailer or shop. You could use a bypass type filter with a low micron rating.


You perhaps don't need a low micron rating for this, and if you use one without any preliminary cleanup it might tend to clog. The origin, and the report of it clogging the oil pickup, suggests theres a lot of debris and its likely to be quite filterable.

I'd think improvised cloth or paper filters (or maybe spinning, though the stuff may be too light) would probably do for preliminary cleanup.

If you want high efficiency bench filtering , since it presumably won't be heated, spun polypropylene water filters (max temp 60 degrees) go low-micron and are very cheap, but there'll be plumbing involved.

A low-effort alternative, after a preliminary clean-up, might be to put the stuff in a (clean, so maybe after a short OCI) car and run it for a bit, then drain it and use it.

Cars mostly have oil filters, probably adequate for this application, built-in.
 
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Originally Posted by Neiz15
I definitely have to stay with a motorcycle only oil. Believe me even changing brands gives you different clutch feel when coming off the starting line and as you know that's where the race is either lost or won. I am currently signed up as an Amsoil member but again still fairly expensive. I was thinking about going to the mobile 1 v twin but I thought that was close in price to the Amsoil. I will have to check it out. I was also thinking about the Valvoline 20/50 full synthetic but wasn't sure to trust it or not. You really don't hear much about the Valvoline motorcycle oil anywhere. I sure would like to know more about it and with that kind of price I wouldn't mind the frequent oil changes at all. Just don't want to keep the engine clean and at the same time hurt it by using something that is not holding up in high RPM runs.



Car engine oils won't work because they have friction-modifiers like moly and organic FM's in it. Motorcycle oils have a lot of ZDDP for anti-wear, and ZDDP actually increases friction so its not a problem for wet clutches.


Understandable that in this competition context the OP won't want to take any chances, BUT that's too absolute a statement.

It probably applies to some car/HDEO's, but many people have no problems using car/HDEO's in quite high performance wet-clutch motorcycles.

I've used CPC SAE 40 and Castrol 20W-50 in mine no bother, though of course they are low performance and I'm not racing.
 
Nice bikes, as far as oil, its a coin toss, maybe more so since yours is changed so frequently.
Amsoil is working for you as you say.
But to answer your question, there is always Valvoline Synthetic 4 stroke motorcycle oil
 
Why do you need a high-end motorcycle oil if you're changing it so frequently? The additive package won't be worn out, and after 2 miles, it will probably still be in grade. Just contaminated with clutch bits.

The goal as I saw it was to save money. Won't any cheap 20W50 motorcycle oil that tends to yield good UOAs in the motorcycle UOA section work fine?
 
Originally Posted by Bjornviken
300V 4T Factory Line 15W50


Yeah, great oil, but pricey over here ...

I'd do some experimenting. All racing is experimenting anyway.

I'd start with an Allison 439 rated oil in one bike and see how the clutch reacts. Allison

Keep the other on AmsOil for a while.. They're all HDEO's, but very stout oils in their own right. They have been thoroughly tested for use in wet clutch/shared sump environments under pretty harsh conditions. Yeah, your bike is not a mining machine, but they get beat on all shift and they hold up. The list is short, notice that all HDEO's we know about do not pass ...

8 passes will not be getting into any excessive shear. Maybe some fuel dilution, but they can handle that.

I'd prolly start with Delo or SafetyClean. These can be bought in 5 gallon pails. If the clutch likes either one, you'll cut your $$ in half, or more.
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted by BrocLuno



The list is short, notice that all HDEO's we know about do not pass ...



Bit unclear. Theres 10 or so on that page.

I'm guessing you mean "notice that not all the HDEO's we know about pass"
 
What area of the country do you live? I just picked up some Lucas 20W50 Motorcycle oil for $2/qt. It's in Seymour, IN and they had tons more at the flea market.
 
Originally Posted by Ducked
Originally Posted by BrocLuno



The list is short, notice that all HDEO's we know about do not pass ...



Bit unclear. Theres 10 or so on that page.

I'm guessing you mean "notice that not all the HDEO's we know about pass"


Correct - that's what I meant. But the ones that do should give you good clutch feel and wear (within reason, of course)
smile.gif
 
I would get a used ½ hp motor and a small hyd pump, along with a remote filter adapter and filter the dumped oil. That arrangement should cost you less than $500 and let you use the oil over and over. You can use an amsoil bypass filter or just a good car filter, either was is pretty cheap.

Then I would filter and reuse the oil many times.
 
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