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oh no! the dreaded oil thread

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  • oh no! the dreaded oil thread

    couple of the techs at the local Yamaha dealer were going on and on today about all the "wonderful " virtues of rotella t oil in the new bikes. I asked one of them about using it in my '80 xs1100 special and he just mumbled something about "not sure in an old bike" so I stopped listening(my bike is older than him). so, anybody use the stuff for any length of time? noticeably better/different than yamalube or any other bike specific oil? thanks

  • #2
    Originally posted by 650mark View Post
    couple of the techs at the local Yamaha dealer were going on and on today about all the "wonderful " virtues of rotella t oil in the new bikes. I asked one of them about using it in my '80 xs1100 special and he just mumbled something about "not sure in an old bike" so I stopped listening(my bike is older than him). so, anybody use the stuff for any length of time? noticeably better/different than yamalube or any other bike specific oil? thanks
    .......did once till Shell deciced to add the friction modifiers to cover a broader range of car/truck applications. No need for the pricey bike name oils either. 20-50w in either the regular Vavoline or the motorcycle specific Vavoline seem to allow a quieter valve train IMO.
    81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

    Comment


    • #3
      I use Rotella in all my motorcycles and have had no problems so far. I only use one that have a JASO-MA rating.

      Shell Rotella T 15W-40 conventional oil does list on its packaging JASO MA as one of the specifications it meets. Note that the 10W-30 conventional oil does not list JASO-MA.

      The newer fully synthetic T6 5W-40 oil lists JASO-MA compliance on its packaging and on the Rotella website.
      80 SG XS1100
      14 Victory Cross Country

      Comment


      • #4
        I used to use Rotella T. It was in my first motor, which was a '78 in my XJ. That motor ran great, didn't burn any oil, and one day spun a crank bearing just riding down the road, ruining the motor and cases. I rebuilt another motor, and it only lasted 2500-3000 miles before the crank bearings were wiped.

        I can't prove in court it was the oil, and others have had good luck with it, but it was enough coincidence for me to switch, and I've never had an oiling problem since. It SHOULD work fine.. it's got the stuff our wet clutches like, but it got too expensive for me to trust it. YMMV.
        Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

        You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

        Current bikes:
        '06 Suzuki DR650
        *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
        '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
        '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
        '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
        '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
        '81 XS1100 Special
        '81 YZ250
        '80 XS850 Special
        '80 XR100
        *Crashed/Totalled, still own

        Comment


        • #5
          A guy on another forum had some lab analysis done on his oil at 1000,2500
          ,5000 mile intervals.He used Rotella and another Manufacturer recommended oil. The Rotella did well past 5000 miles.he posted documents from the laboratory each time.
          It sold me.
          Last edited by tarzan; 05-01-2013, 07:24 PM.
          80 SG XS1100
          14 Victory Cross Country

          Comment


          • #6
            Two other good options in the Rotella category are Chevron Delo 400LE 15w40 and
            Valvoline Premium Blue 15w-40
            80 SG
            81 SH in parts
            99 ST1100
            91 ST1100

            Comment


            • #7
              How many guys are like me and seem to put a different oil in every time they change it? Kinda like hoping we'll find some mysterious elixir for more miles per gallon or much quieter valve train or something...

              The last 3 oil changes on my 80SG were Rotella 15w40, Castrol Tection extra 15w40 and Delo 400 15w40.

              Come on guys fess up I just did...
              Howard

              ZRX1200

              BTW, ZRX carbs have the same spacing as the XS11... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35462

              Comment


              • #8
                Ohhhh, all righty then. I'll bite.

                Bonz instead of hbonser?


                How is that pronounced?
                Is it like the television shows Bones, or like the contraction of the last name of the Henry Winkler character's cousin, Antonio Bonzarelli?
                IMWTK

                CZ

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bonz View Post
                  How many guys are like me and seem to put a different oil in every time they change it? Kinda like hoping we'll find some mysterious elixir for more miles per gallon or much quieter valve train or something...

                  The last 3 oil changes on my 80SG were Rotella 15w40, Castrol Tection extra 15w40 and Delo 400 15w40.

                  Come on guys fess up I just did...
                  Yep. That's pretty much the case. I just used up my available Yamalube. There's no telling what I'll use at the next oil change. It will likely be whatever I find on the shelf at the local parts store.
                  Marty (in Mississippi)
                  XS1100SG
                  XS650SK
                  XS650SH
                  XS650G
                  XS6502F
                  XS650E

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by trbig View Post
                    I used to use Rotella T. It was in my first motor, which was a '78 in my XJ. That motor ran great, didn't burn any oil, and one day spun a crank bearing just riding down the road, ruining the motor and cases. I rebuilt another motor, and it only lasted 2500-3000 miles before the crank bearings were wiped.

                    I can't prove in court it was the oil, and others have had good luck with it, but it was enough coincidence for me to switch, and I've never had an oiling problem since. It SHOULD work fine.. it's got the stuff our wet clutches like, but it got too expensive for me to trust it. YMMV.
                    Rotella T is probably the most widely used oil for diesles running between 15-20:1 compression. I'm betting it was not the oil. Rotella T is widely used but tractor users as well.
                    1970? Honda Z50... gone
                    1974? Yamaha 100 Enduro... gone
                    1974 Honda CB200... gone
                    1981 Yamaha Virago 750... gone
                    1993 Honda Shadow 1100... gone
                    2008 Honda VTX 1800F
                    1982 Yamaha XJ1100J w/850 final, Raptor ACCT
                    1979 Yamaha XS1100SF "Chewey" Raptor ACCT

                    http://www.johnsoldiron.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      CZ,

                      Bonz is pronounced like "The Fonz", Arthur Fonzerelli. Don't remember his cousin...

                      However, The Fonz was cool when I didn't know a Yamaha from Hee-Haw.

                      Bonz has been my nickname for a long time, so figured now that hanging out here on the XS forum has made me COOL, I'd go with a more appropriate name...

                      Back to this thread... We are all oil whores and hoarders... Rarely use the same one twice in a row, although we may go back to it later when we find a gallon of it we bought 2 years ago "because it was such a good deal".
                      Howard

                      ZRX1200

                      BTW, ZRX carbs have the same spacing as the XS11... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35462

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Bonz View Post
                        - - - The last 3 oil changes on my 80SG were Rotella 15w40, Castrol Tection extra 15w40 and Delo 400 15w40.
                        Come on guys fess up I just did...
                        Hi Bonz,
                        not me. Castrol 20W50 motorcycle oil every time.
                        OK, it's twice the price of their 20W50 car oil but compared to a rebore and considering that main & rod end shells are unobtainable, even expensive oil is cheap.
                        Fred Hill, S'toon
                        XS11SG with Spirit of America sidecar
                        "The Flying Pumpkin"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for the info, Fredintoon...

                          For what it's worth, I've done extensive yet very informative reading of used oil analysis stuff on the internet, and can't find that a motorcycle specific oil is any better at protection than a 15w-40 or similar diesel oil. I also haven't seen the CM specific oil is any worse at protection. Meaning it's a wash in laymans terms.

                          Additvie packages are similar, amounts of wear material are similar in the used oil, amounts of remaining additives are similar.

                          Take a look at this link, it's good reading...

                          http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...oard=49&page=1

                          I absolutely accept and respect folks using MC specific oil, I just don't see the economy in it for me, when the proof is in the pudding, so to speak.

                          Carry on Gents...
                          Last edited by Bonz; 05-02-2013, 10:03 AM.
                          Howard

                          ZRX1200

                          BTW, ZRX carbs have the same spacing as the XS11... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35462

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Bonz View Post
                            How many guys are like me and seem to put a different oil in every time they change it? Kinda like hoping we'll find some mysterious elixir for more miles per gallon or much quieter valve train or something...

                            The last 3 oil changes on my 80SG were Rotella 15w40, Castrol Tection extra 15w40 and Delo 400 15w40.

                            Come on guys fess up I just did...
                            .........Okay, Delo LE in my 7.3L diesel, and with 240K on the odometer still have get in sunlite to see it good on the dipstick at 6K change intervals. Both bikes get 20-50w Vavoline at 2K changes on the Venturer and 6K changes on the ST.
                            81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Oil analysis question...

                              Hey guys, just had a UOA done on the oil from one of my bikes, and to make it brief, my metal readings went up across the board (iron, copper, nickel) a noticeable amount compared to the previous UOA on the same bike.

                              I DID NOT change the oil filter at the last oil change, I generally do it every other change.

                              Would/could the fact I did not change the filter cause the metal readings to go up noticeably (from residual left in the filter/remaining oil), all else being equal?

                              Opinions?
                              Howard

                              ZRX1200

                              BTW, ZRX carbs have the same spacing as the XS11... http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35462

                              Comment

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