Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Sorry to be re-posting this question again, but oil is a tricky subject...

I bought Rotella 5W-40 "Synthetic" & 15W-40 (Heavy Duty)non-synthetic, I know Amsoil is the best but I wanted something better than what the dealer was putting in but I don't need the best (I'm cheap). The dealer normally changes my oil every six months and I plan to stick to that interval.

I ride in southern Arizona where the weather is 35-95F, I normally ride early in the morning on Sundays and the temp is 50-80F and I go on 100-200mi rides (under 3k every six months).

I ride an 05 Honda VTX1800F.

Whan I bought the oils I had planned to run the synthetic in my bike but the more I hear about the non-synthetic I starting to lean towards that.

Your input is greatly appreciated,

Tom

It's a honda, go Repsol!

What ever you get, make sure it's specificly for motorcycles. You don't need to run synthetic really, but in that heat it may be a good idea. Or go for a synth/dino blend. I have that in my Ninja and it runs just fine. Though once it's broken in fully (3600 miles isn't enough to warrent fully broken in IMO) I'm probably going to run full synth, odds are Motul 10w-40. Oh, check the manual for recomended oil weight, that's what you should be running.

Geoff650R wrote:Oh, check the manual for recomended oil weight, that's what you should be running.

+1

Neither oil is motorcycle specific.

The owners manual says 10W-40 and the oil change intervals should be 8k miles, it also recommend Honda GN4 and HP4, a lot of people say the GN4 is crap and the HP4 is way overpriced.


Tom

Geoff650R wrote: What ever you get, make sure it's specificly for motorcycles.

I hear this advice a lot and wonder where it comes from? Every bike I've ever owned had specs for the oil in the owners manual. If it meets the spec, who cares if there's a picture of a car or a motorcycle on the label?

flynrider wrote:

Geoff650R wrote: What ever you get, make sure it's specificly for motorcycles.

I hear this advice a lot and wonder where it comes from? Every bike I've ever owned had specs for the oil in the owners manual. If it meets the spec, who cares if there's a picture of a car or a motorcycle on the label?

The problem is evolving spec. The API ratings given to oil change over the years, so when a manual says "SJ or better," they can't know later oil specifications allow for additives the manufacturer didn't expect. For example, the latest few API ratings for motor oil allow for friction modifying additives without being labeled has "energy conserving."

The energy conserving oil could cause your wet clutch to slip, since it wasn't designed for the kind of additives that are now standard.

All that said, run what makes you happy but change your oil and filter.

Six months sounds like a lot of time for oil, unless you don't ride much, but it sounds like you put some miles on your bike. At the very, very least, follow what the owner's manual says for oil change intervals.

Skier wrote:

flynrider wrote:

Geoff650R wrote: What ever you get, make sure it's specificly for motorcycles.

I hear this advice a lot and wonder where it comes from? Every bike I've ever owned had specs for the oil in the owners manual. If it meets the spec, who cares if there's a picture of a car or a motorcycle on the label?

The problem is evolving spec. The API ratings given to oil change over the years, so when a manual says "SJ or better," they can't know later oil specifications allow for additives the manufacturer didn't expect. For example, the latest few API ratings for motor oil allow for friction modifying additives without being labeled has "energy conserving."

The energy conserving oil could cause your wet clutch to slip, since it wasn't designed for the kind of additives that are now standard.

All that said, run what makes you happy but change your oil and filter.

Six months sounds like a lot of time for oil, unless you don't ride much, but it sounds like you put some miles on your bike. At the very, very least, follow what the owner's manual says for oil change intervals.

I ride 3K miles every 6 months and the owners manual suggests every 8k miles, my dealer suggested oil changes once a year.

Skier wrote: For example, the latest few API ratings for motor oil allow for friction modifying additives without being labeled has "energy conserving."

That may be a serious consideration in the future. What I was wondering about was why I've been hearing advice to buy only motorcycle oil for the last 20 years (Mostly from motorcycle dealers that sell it).

I wouldn't consider running any type of oil past 3K miles or 4 months (but that's just me). The transmission is just too hard on the polymer chains that are supposed to maintain viscosity. Oil and filters are relatively cheap if you buy them at a discount store.

Do you guys think that the 5W-40 is too thin?

i think 5w40 absolutely sucks.when i turned 52000 miles on my 1982 v45 sabre i fell for all the bs and changed from 20w50 to shell 5w40 synthetic.
the engine rattled like a rock crusher,it was nearly impossible to shift gears.oil leaks started everywhere.i put 1000 miles on it with this miracle synthetic oil,i was afraid i was going to break the shift linkage so i drained it out and poured it on a fire ant mound.as far as i am concerned that is all it is good for.went back to 20w50.