So, who uses non-motorcycle oil in their bikes?
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jonrobertd
- Rookie
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- Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:05 pm
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- Location: Toccoa Georgia
I had the very same experience. Only Shell Rotella T 5W-40 full synthetic from now on for me!BuzZz wrote:Well I changed it to Rotella T, the synthetic stuff, in a 5W-40 wieght tonight. Worlds better. The engine is quieter and smoother and shifting is night-and-day. It is still an old Yammi box, no hiding that, but very much smoother and easier shifts. I was also very happy to hear the engine nioses quiet down as much as they did.
Synthetic for this bike from now on......
One great benefit I noticed, is that the bike warms up faster and is ready to ride sooner. Back on the dino oil, it seamed like the bike finally warmed up just as I got to my destination.
The other nice thing is that it is available at most Wal-Marts for around $13 for 4 quarts.
ZZR600
VTR250 - Nothing quite like your first love
VTR250 - Nothing quite like your first love
Re: So, who uses non-motorcycle oil in their bikes?
Okay. I did. And Dan starts out with this stuff:Telesque wrote: Check it out: http://www.dansmc.com/4stroke_oil.htm
dansmc.com wrote: Check the oil every time you start the engine. No fool'n... every time... without fail... always.
While you are at it oil your rear chain too... EVERY TIME YOU RIDE!!!
Dan must spend all of his time playing with his motorcycles with his hands, and only riding them on alternate weekends.
Because unless you see oil pooling on the ground or splattered all over your rear chassis, or the obvious visual and aromatic signs of rampant oil-burning coming from your exhaust, you shouldn't need to check your oil level or color nearly that often. Once every week to two weeks sounds ana enough.
And if you oil your chain every time you ride, you will see oil pooling on the ground wherever you park. I use chain wax, and if I applied that stuff every day, I'd have to get a heavier chain to hold all the wax.
I hope he was just being funnier than I take him for....
'93 Honda VT600CD Shadow VLX Deluxe
Re: So, who uses non-motorcycle oil in their bikes?
You see what's coming, don't you?blair wrote: Because unless you see oil pooling on the ground or splattered all over your rear chassis...
Yesterday I was doing some work on my bike, checking the oil, snugging the chain, removing and putting back an exhaust pipe to get to the nuts to snug the chain, etc.
And in a classic fit of irony, I forgot to screw the oil filler cap/dipstick back in.
So next time I started the bike, it didn't make its usual brap-brap-brap noise, all I heard was phoof-phoof-phoof and then I noticed something puffing at my pants.
I thought maybe I'd mis-attached the pipe, but no, the bike was spitting oil upwards and backwards. Hitting me, the pipe, most of the right side of the bike, my saddlebag, a borrowed torque wrench that was sticking out of the bag, and the ground for about eight feet back and three to the side...
I lost maybe half a pint, but it was spectacular.
I'm just glad I backed onto the street first and didn't do it in the garage...
'93 Honda VT600CD Shadow VLX Deluxe
As a general rule for life, you can NEVER check the oil too often, in anything. 
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macktruckturner
- Legendary 300
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- Location: Ft. Benning, GA
A noob to bikes I may be - but not to oil. Oil's the family business - and at the "technician" level I spent a good 6 years covered in the stuff before I enlisted.
In one of my jobs, we had a lovely dyno, and were asked by a certain import tuner in the Houston area to test two Honda B16A's at 6000rpm for 16hours at loads from 30% to 80% (more than any engine's stress level will ever feasibly reach under even heavy riding/driving conditions). One was to have generic (O'Reilly Auto Parts Brand - at the time contracted by Valvoline) 10w30 dino juice. The other was to have Mobil 1 10w30.
Both were assembled by myself and another tech prior to running - with tolerances, mic'd, mapped, and recorded. The same was done after running. 16 hours isn't a lot of time, but it is a lot of time at that many RPM with what by normal operating conditions is way more than substantial load. The end results showed no significant difference, nor signs that a significant difference would be on the horizon.
That's about the most "scientific" evidence I can relay from intimate personal experience that supports the pick an oil, stick with it, and adopt a religious service regimen path of engine life. On the non-specific and not measured side of things, I spent quite a bit more than 16 hours working on the same vehicles regularly, and have seen several people succeed with various vehicles under various conditions by picking an oil, sticking with it, and doing the same thing, at the same time, all the time.
One case would be my Grandfather (a bonafide Rocket Scientist, NASA Space Race time. Lunar Module thrust control systems mojo, very cool). He's owned one of every single Goldwing ever. He picks an oil, and sticks with it. Changes every 2K miles. His 89 was retired with over 130K miles on it. Another case would be a customer that drove a Ford Superduty F350, with the PowerStroke. He ran nothing but Royal Purple 15W40, and changed every 5K miles (which was to say every week given his line of work). When I enlisted, he had 328K on a 2002 - when I went home just prior to OIF3 the same vehicle had over 743K miles on it. Impressive.
The engines I have rebuilt, or otherwise seen fall apart fell apart because the owner neglected to adopt any kind of sane routine. One had his LS1 dump on him after a mere 28K miles of light driving, but those 12K miles had some 8 different oils changed at odd intervals, with a few skipped filters. He changed fuel grades, and used more wonder additives than anyone else I've ever met too. Another was a woman that would only add oil, never change it. Eventually it turned to grease, and her motor ceased all rotational movement and became one with itself.
This is about as much as I've rambled on any subject since I deployed. I think it's about time to put a fork in it! The point, if I have one, is regardless of the motor, pay attention to it - find an oil you like and run it. Change it the same time everytime, and always change the filter. Change plugs at the same time every time, with the same kind of plug unless you have a reason for changing. Clean/change your air filter. Basic user level maint. will keep your vehicle of choice running well for a lot longer than manic changes of products,and intervals.
Best,
Anthony
In one of my jobs, we had a lovely dyno, and were asked by a certain import tuner in the Houston area to test two Honda B16A's at 6000rpm for 16hours at loads from 30% to 80% (more than any engine's stress level will ever feasibly reach under even heavy riding/driving conditions). One was to have generic (O'Reilly Auto Parts Brand - at the time contracted by Valvoline) 10w30 dino juice. The other was to have Mobil 1 10w30.
Both were assembled by myself and another tech prior to running - with tolerances, mic'd, mapped, and recorded. The same was done after running. 16 hours isn't a lot of time, but it is a lot of time at that many RPM with what by normal operating conditions is way more than substantial load. The end results showed no significant difference, nor signs that a significant difference would be on the horizon.
That's about the most "scientific" evidence I can relay from intimate personal experience that supports the pick an oil, stick with it, and adopt a religious service regimen path of engine life. On the non-specific and not measured side of things, I spent quite a bit more than 16 hours working on the same vehicles regularly, and have seen several people succeed with various vehicles under various conditions by picking an oil, sticking with it, and doing the same thing, at the same time, all the time.
One case would be my Grandfather (a bonafide Rocket Scientist, NASA Space Race time. Lunar Module thrust control systems mojo, very cool). He's owned one of every single Goldwing ever. He picks an oil, and sticks with it. Changes every 2K miles. His 89 was retired with over 130K miles on it. Another case would be a customer that drove a Ford Superduty F350, with the PowerStroke. He ran nothing but Royal Purple 15W40, and changed every 5K miles (which was to say every week given his line of work). When I enlisted, he had 328K on a 2002 - when I went home just prior to OIF3 the same vehicle had over 743K miles on it. Impressive.
The engines I have rebuilt, or otherwise seen fall apart fell apart because the owner neglected to adopt any kind of sane routine. One had his LS1 dump on him after a mere 28K miles of light driving, but those 12K miles had some 8 different oils changed at odd intervals, with a few skipped filters. He changed fuel grades, and used more wonder additives than anyone else I've ever met too. Another was a woman that would only add oil, never change it. Eventually it turned to grease, and her motor ceased all rotational movement and became one with itself.
This is about as much as I've rambled on any subject since I deployed. I think it's about time to put a fork in it! The point, if I have one, is regardless of the motor, pay attention to it - find an oil you like and run it. Change it the same time everytime, and always change the filter. Change plugs at the same time every time, with the same kind of plug unless you have a reason for changing. Clean/change your air filter. Basic user level maint. will keep your vehicle of choice running well for a lot longer than manic changes of products,and intervals.
Best,
Anthony
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macktruckturner
- Legendary 300
- Posts: 326
- Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:56 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Ft. Benning, GA
Tom,
I had a 92 Sentra - that thing would not die. During a tropical storm in Houston (not Allyson for those of you from H-town), I found it w/ the hood about a foot under water. It still ran fine - even with a shorted ECU. $300 later, it ran even better. I regularly tested the rev-limiter, yet she persisted. I had to sell it so I could get another Camaro b/c it just won't die on me! In hindsight, that was a stupid move - it got 37mpg on the highway.
Anthony
I had a 92 Sentra - that thing would not die. During a tropical storm in Houston (not Allyson for those of you from H-town), I found it w/ the hood about a foot under water. It still ran fine - even with a shorted ECU. $300 later, it ran even better. I regularly tested the rev-limiter, yet she persisted. I had to sell it so I could get another Camaro b/c it just won't die on me! In hindsight, that was a stupid move - it got 37mpg on the highway.
Anthony