Synthetic motor oil/ not trying to beat a dead horse!

[2manybikes]

From what I've read here. I am going with 5w-50 Mobil 1 in my 79 F. I do ride all year, so I went with 5, instead of the 15. Anyone else using this weight?

[TopCatGr58]

The Silence is Deafening!

Hey there,

Doubt you're going to get any replies about folks using SYNTH and in the weight range you have stated. It's your wallet, but if you've read some of the other oil threads about synth, you should have seen that due to the poor wide clearances/tolerances of the pistons/rings the oil gets contaminated/dirty fairly quickly. And so trying to get the benefit of long duration/miles/time between oil changes is a waste of $$ because you'll soon learn that you'll need to change the oil about every 2-3k miles to remove the unburnt fuel residue and other contaminants from the oil! But it's your money, keep that economy stimulus going!

T.C.

[tomcos67]

From what I've read here. I am going with 5w-50 Mobil 1 in my 79 F. I do ride all year, so I went with 5, instead of the 15. Anyone else using this weight?

Hello There.! Seems many here prefer Dino oil rather then synthetic.! Many use 20w 50.
Myself included.

[motoman]

Hey there,

Doubt you're going to get any replies about folks using SYNTH and in the weight range you have stated. It's your wallet, but if you've read some of the other oil threads about synth, you should have seen that due to the poor wide clearances/tolerances of the pistons/rings the oil gets contaminated/dirty fairly quickly. And so trying to get the benefit of long duration/miles/time between oil changes is a waste of $$ because you'll soon learn that you'll need to change the oil about every 2-3k miles to remove the unburnt fuel residue and other contaminants from the oil! But it's your money, keep that economy stimulus going!

T.C.

....+1 to what T.C stated, and many hundreds more. Those clutch disc are not meant for synthetic nor semi-synthetic lubricants. But as T.C. stated, it your money to waste as you see fit....and expect clutch slippage under heavy load accelleration.

[mn2346]

I have been using Mobil 1 but I do agree that clutch will not have best performance with it. Heat tolerance and other properties are good for our aircooled stuff.

I don't think problem comes from being synthetic but the friction modifiers that are included, automotive engine oil is supposed to be slick and prevent sticking. This would be perfect but for the wet clutch.

Clutch slippage (for me) is noticeable only in full throttle accelerations while changing gears. No problems while running normally or never slipping without changing gears. This most likely only gets worse not better as I'm also getting older by the day...

[motoman]

I have been using Mobil 1 but I do agree that clutch will not have best performance with it. Heat tolerance and other properties are good for our aircooled stuff.

I don't think problem comes from being synthetic but the friction modifiers that are included, automotive engine oil is supposed to be slick and prevent sticking. This would be perfect but for the wet clutch.

Clutch slippage (for me) is noticeable only in full throttle accelerations while changing gears. No problems while running normally or never slipping without changing gears. This most likely only gets worse not better as I'm also getting older by the day...

Hmmm....another one more interested in' economy stimulus'

[2manybikes]

Synthetic oil

I based my decision on the maintenance section of this forum. The quote below is from that section.

"What Oil to Use?

Third, oil tends to be a religious issue. There are those who swear by motorcycle-specific oils, those who swear by synthetic, and those who swear they get by fine with generic 10w40.

Most among us have switched to a synthetic oil. Yamaha recommends 20w40 for the XS11. Many of our riders are running Mobil1 15w50 with good results. Mobil1 is highly rated and fits well with the viscosity recommended by Yamaha. Others have used 5w50 synthetic as well. Since synthetics typically have better flow when cold and resist heat better than conventional oils, the viscosity range can be a little wider than with conventional oils. Good old conventional 10w40 is not a recommended oil, however.

Running a heavier weight oil in the XS11 (e.g., 20w50), especially early in the riding season with cool weather, can make the bike difficult to start. Some owners have reported apparent starting problems early in the season that were solved by switching to a lighter weight oil or a synthetic."

Perhaps a review of the maintenance section, as well as the recommendations is in order. I'm just glad I mentioned what I was going to do, before I did it! Thanks for everyone's input.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey again,

Thanks for the heads up! Wow...someone that actually read the tech tips before asking! Seriously, many of those tips were written when the site first went online in 2002! Folks have come and gone, and we have learned a lot since then. I'll look into it and make some edits!

[MindWebs]

egghead.....?

OPINION...

everyone has one...

here's my 2cents worth.

full synthetic oil is great, i love using royal puple 75/140 in the middle drive and the Final Drive.

2 reasons

#1 better cold weather performance, spins easier in the cold.

#2 IF the middle drive starts leaking, it usually leaks into the transmission, where you don't see it go, then one day hot day at 70mph on the interstate you MD locks up and you go sliding down the pavement.

BUT with the royal purple full synthetic oil. it starts leaking into your tranny and within 150 miles you have NO clutch left.

hmm, ? replace clutch or slide pavement? clutches are cheap.

ok..
now lets see if you were paying attention, full synth spins over easy in cold.
why do you think that is?

physical viscosity.

i'm not taking about the ratings on the side of the jug.

take 20w50 dino oil, and 20w50 full syth and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes, now pull them out and pop the tops and pour them out.

the dino is like cold molasses
the full syth pours slightly slower then at room temp.

that is a difference in physical viscosity.

what the "%^*#%" does any of this have to do with our 30+ year old bike you ask?

piston ring end gap
piston to cylinder bore tolerance

our old bikes are designed "loose" due to rapid changes in air temp, or riding in rain/creeks,snow.. you get the idea.

if your cruising along at 60mph on a 90 degree day, what is you engine temp? ("$&*%" hot)

now (5 minutes later) oops you just got caught in a rain storm and you and you bike get drenched, to 70 degrees, and water cools better the air.

so.. your engine temp probibly just dropped 100 degrees instantly.

if you change today's tight tolerance motors by 100 degrees instantly you will lock up the motor, the cylinders will shrink and the pistons won't = seizure.

again, you say ^(&$^(&)(%$%# get to the point you rambling lunatic, i am bored to death by all of this...

new tight tolerance motors are sealed very tightly and liquid cooling keeps the temp controlled. so these engines work well with an oil that has a low physical viscosity (full synth)

our old loose bikes are to loose for low physical viscosity oils, it will not seal the rings.
they rely on the thick viscus oil to seal the rings to the cylinders.
what do you do when the lawnmower engine is worn out? you dump thicker oil in it, to seal the rings.

the oil ratings only tell you what the oil is rated to handle.
not the physical viscosity.

make sense?

No?

Tough... i already said more then i know. someone else can finish explaining.

[BA80]

Pretty damn long winded aren't you Pete?

[MindWebs]

sorry, worked today and gary's theory of relativity (good bourbon) are setting in.

[mn2346]

Hmmm....another one more interested in' economy stimulus'

Hey I live in Europe, have you seen our economy lately?

[motoman]

Hey I live in Europe, have you seen our economy lately?

lol.....that's called getting' short-changed' for use of millimeters, liters, kilometers, etc. instead of inches, quarts/gallons, miles per hour(mph), etc. The last metric measurement mentioned means it just takes longer to get from point A to point B than MPH do.

[Brak]

Hey again,

Thanks for the heads up! Wow...someone that actually read the tech tips before asking! Seriously, many of those tips were written when the site first went online in 2002! Folks have come and gone, and we have learned a lot since then. I'll look into it and make some edits!

yep. i read the same thing before changing my oil last weekend, which prompted me to throw down on 4 quarts of 15/50 Mobile one...

luckily it's cheaper, and easier to find than 20/40...

[Roncoach70]

2 I learned the hard way. Thought I was doing the right thing using Mobil 1 but my clutch started slipping a lot. Listen to the guys here. Go to Walmart or Kmart get cheap 20w 50. Change it 3000 miles. Slip goes away. Runs like a top.