Synthetic Oil

[Bonz]

Ditto, good plan!

[3Phase]

Good plan!

I thought so but it was, "Curses! Foiled again!"

To bring this back sort of on-topic: Oil. Yes, use oil.

It doesn't matter what kind you use as long as you keep the level somewhere between the two marks in the oil level window these engines will keep going and going and....

Oh, and make sure you check the oil level when you fill up with gas, especially if you've been running hard.

[Bonz]

Good plan!

[3Phase]

Yeah fuel contamination would have thinned that down to a 20wt.

Something like that, yes. I was actually trying to get the engine to blow up and cadge a ride home with the bike in the bed of my buddy's air-conditioned truck but noooo! The stupid thing ran happily and noisily all the way home.

[Bonz]

Yeah fuel contamination would have thinned that down to a 20wt.

[3Phase]

So what were your speeds on that run? Or more importantly what was your sustained RPM? I'm just curious out of curiosity sake because that's the kind of thing I'm always curious about, curiously.

A hanging RPM that doesn't come down kills an engine and its oil for sure. That's in a sense like doing a 300 mile Daytona 200 with your XS1100.

Speeds were high, 'nuff said.

The main problem was wear. That was on the original factory engine before the first rebuild and a couple of pistons were knocking loud and hard in their cylinders.

Blow-by was insane and so was fuel contamination. It ran faster than stink but loved oil.
Yum! (slurp!)

[Bonz]

So what were your speeds on that run? Or more importantly what was your sustained RPM? I'm just curious out of curiosity sake because that's the kind of thing I'm always curious about, curiously.

A hanging RPM that doesn't come down kills an engine and its oil for sure. That's in a sense like doing a 300 mile Daytona 200 with your XS1100.

[3Phase]

Indubitably.

To mix a couple of metaphors: I took that expensive V-Twin synthetic oil out behind the woodshed and beat it like a redheaded step-child.

[Bonz]

Your bike pummelled that M1 20w50 V-Twin oil. I ran it 5,086 miles in the ZRX last summer followed with a Blackstone analysis. Stayed in the middle of grade for a 20w50 (no shear which is your shift quality indicator) and had a TBN (total base number, indicative of remaining additive package) of 6.4 (very strong, as 1.0 or less it's time for a change regardless). Ran M1 10w40 4T for 4,680 miles the oil change interval before that and had similar stellar results with respect to what a 10w40 oil should do and how it should hold up against shear.

Switched back to M1 10w40 4T this current oil change. It will be what I have in the crankcase come the Rally.

I totally realize a liquid cooled engine vs an air cooled lump are different beasts altogether. Just goes to show how heat and contamination contribute to an oils demise as much or more as shearing by the gears in the transmission.

[3Phase]

Some oils last a little longer, some less. I change the oil whenever my left foot tells me the shifting is getting rough and notchy because that means the oil isn't lubricating the engine and transmission.

I destroyed a fresh batch of Mobile 1 20W-50 motorcycle synthetic oil in about 300 miles with a high speed run from Yuma, AZ to Lost Wages, NV at 110F/42C and I was not happy about that.

I've also had some SuperTech 15W-40 dino juice last almost 3,500 miles of mostly laid back, low speed and freeway riding and I changed it because I was getting scared by the number of miles, not because it was bad.

[Bonz]

Dang guys, somebody should have invited me to the party.

I ran synthetic in my SG a number of times and never had an issue. I run it in my ZRX 1200 because shift quality falls off with dino oil much sooner and therefore I recover the savings in longer oil change intervals. As well it doesn't put as much waste oil back into the system through recycling it.

What is the difference in the clutch plate composition now? What material are they using that resists slipping in every modern bike? Or how it works so well in my SG the few times I ran it? Did mine get sprinkled with pixie dust? Does Scott's get sprinkled with pixie dust? How about jetmechmarty?

What I am hearing is clutches with a hundred thousand miles on them somehow are in as good a shape as a brand new clutch and I just can't believe that. New Springs don't make up for worn plates. I love you guys, but the age of the clutch plates regardless of springs is absolutely at play here. Put new plates in with those new springs and it won't slip will synthetic oil.

But why go do that? Like Scott has said and I believe fully, you're going to change the oil every 2,500 miles so synthetic make zero sense regardless of how well the clutch does or doesn't perform.

I put together a group purchase from Webcam for them to make the ZZR 1200 cam profile onto pitted ZRX 1200 and ZZR 1200 cam cores. There's an issue with pitting and guys are just taking the old cores they've already replaced and having spare cams made. Got 10 guys to do it on the ZRX forum a couple of years ago. Webcam absolutely recommends running conventional oil with a good zinc content and changing it every 3000 miles. Fresh oil with a good additive package is better than old oil with a good additive package.

Probably part of why the xs1100 is are so bomb-proof. The oil change interval is short enough that there's always relatively fresh oil running through its veins.

[Rasputin]

I agree with Greg. Dino oil all the way. Never had an issue (oil caused) and that is what was recommended when these were built.

[3Phase]

Whatever is on sale at Wally-World from squeezed and cracked paraffin candle wax drippings to mighty-fine molecular synthetics.

Synthetic has never given me any problems at all, it just worked but it's way too expensive for the short oil change intervals.

If I'm going to be somewhere that I'll be doing a lot of very cold engine starts in the morning or long rides in the desert at max weight then I put in some synthetic, then change it back over to the usual retextured herring substitute afterward.

[motoman]

Totally agree with Greg pertaining to the engine oil. 20-50w dino(Valvoline) has worked just fine in my Venturer for 39yrs. Even has worked just fine at the drag strip with speed shifts and 12.50e.t. at 104m.p.h. some 12yrs. back.

[steve scott]

Stay original

I’m with you Greg, these bikes are like tanks. Just good Dino oil and they will carry you anywhere.