oh no! the dreaded oil thread

[donebysunday]

What weight/grade is the Defy you picked up? I am running 10w-30 in my 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee (204,000 miles), has cut down on the valve cover drip over the course of a couple oil change intervals.

Looking at oil analysis #'s, the zinc and phosphorus for Defy 10w-30 are up to around 1100 ppm each, and more or less in line with the 15w-40 oils and similar, but I have only seen Defy in the 10w-30 wt around here.

If Defy is available in a 15w-40 or 20w-50, then could be a good choice. I would doubt they make it in those weights, as that is where the diesel oils already are.

But it is an SL rated oil, and I do not see any energy conserving symbols (noting the presence of friction modifiers), so could be a good choice for cooler weather riding, if it indeed does not have friction modifiers.

I have seen and felt how my XS's respond to lighter oil and the shifting is sooooo much better with a 20w-50 that I am a believer in it for these bikes.

Your racer buddy is right it has more of the good stuff, but not any more than other oils that we have been using for years and knowing what grade of Defy you are running will be helpful in knowing if it's a legit option for the XS and other cycles in general.

Sorry it took me so long this Defy by Quaker is 10-40 from Walmart, like $16-17 for a 5 qt. jug..
I was making a cocktail using Yam 20-40 by putting a little less oil and a cup of Slick 50.
This was in my XS650s, made them run so quiet and shift so nice.
When I'd meet up with other XS650 riders they would tell me I was going to burn up my valves my bikes were so quiet, I'd just tell them my valves are set 2 thousands wider than spec. Then I'd hear them start their bikes and could not stand the noise they made.
Now Yam quite making 20-40 and only makes 20-50.
I'm running Valvoline 20-50 in my 11LH with a cup of Duralube and like very much, both quiet and so smooth shifting.
Michael Mercury Morse of Vintage Brake/650 Central told me the Slick 50 has larger molecules and was fine in the 650 but use Duralube or Pro-Long in filtered engines, smaller molecules to slip through the filters where the 650 uses only screens.
I do ride in 20° if the sun is out, much colder and I don't ride, I drive.
By the time I get all my winter gear on I'm sweating !
How does this compare in $ to the other oils with lots of zinc and what ones are they and the grade ?

Thank You ! Done };~)

[Bonz]

Price wise it's right there with most other oils, plus or minus a few bucks either way.

The analysis I saw of the 10w-30 Defy was on "Bob is the Oil Guy" website, and done by Blackstone Labs. 1100 ppm on zinc and phosphorus, some boron and moly in there as well.

Rotella 15w-40, Delo LE 15w-40, et al similar oils have more or less that same amount of zinc and phosphorus.

A 10w-40 Dino oil will shear down pretty quick in a motorcycle such as the XS1100, and a 15w-40 would still flow down to 20 deg F just fine.

It all comes down to the bottom line... wear and tear on the engine, based on used oil analysis. If you run 10w-40 and the engine is wearing normally, then who cares, just like running a 15w-40 or 5w-40 synthetic. The proof is in the pudding, in this case the used oil.

Where the oil grade comes into play for me is the quality of shifting, and the 20w-50 carries the day in that regard, hands down.

Took my 80SG for a 175 mile ride, leading my buddy around on his new BMW K-1600GLT yesterday. I have Delo 400 15w-40 in the SG engine, and have no doubt it is being protected just fine.

I also have my project 80G that by obvious observation was not cared for like my 80SG, and I am running 20w-50 Supertech. The shifting is much nicer on the G.

Focus on protecting the engine with proper oil flow at the temps your bike sees and with the riding you do, then fine tune it to what makes the bike shift best, IMO.

[donebysunday]

Have yet to try this oil and cocktail, will report !