Who Uses Synthetic

[graybird78]

When i first got my bike it had 20-50 gtx in it. had trans shift problems.my local dealer talked me into yamalube. big improvement in shift quality but very pricey. switched to bel-ray synthetic trans shift quality even better. used bel-ray for 2 yrs. got cheap went back to castrol.trans shifted harder and motor noisey. tried many other oils with not much luck. then discovered this site and the wealth of info. switched to rottela15-40 was happy with performance.then i found lucas oil additive. I'm happy to report after 15k with rottela and lucas additive no problems at all. but these are only my personal experiences.

[tab1324]

Valvoline 20w-50 motorcyle oil

I use the Valvoline stuff that's formulated for motorcycles and atv's... It's 20W-50. So far I haven't really noticed any problems but then again, I haven't tried it with anything else. It's reletively cheap and readily available to me at the Fleet Farm about 5 miles from my home.

Tom B.

[bobaluey]

manmade oil

I did some research last summer and found oil that is labeled "energy conserving" contains friction modifiers that will always cause clutch slippage. Conversely, oils that do not contain those modifiers are ok to use witha wet clutch. I first used Rotella T Synthetic in a VFR750S with no problems. It seemed to smooth the engine out a little. I next changed the oil in my "77 Chev 4X4 and it really smoothed out the motor. It also went from burning a quart every 3 weeks to every 4 months. Many syn producers state it is ok to extend the mileage between changes for two reason 1. syn oil doesn't break down and lose viscosity as easy as mineral oil, and 2. It is not affected by the carbon created by combustion.

Based on oil information I mined out of this site I now use Mobil 1 syn with out friction modifiers. It is car oil that can be purchased for $24.95 (5 qts) at Walmart. Thats about $15 cheaper than useing Mobil 1 for motorcycles. If you think there is a difference then please read the scientific oil reasearch relating to oil on this site.

I also run Mobil 1 syn gear oil in all the boxes.

I am not as mechanically inclined as many of you clearly are but that's my 2 cents.

[garyrc]

i use a mobile 50 50 mix. plus i add just a tad bit of lucas oil treatment. as far as my bike goes it seems to be fine. i have done some mods to my moter so i thought the more protection the better.

[fabriqueprecis]

Synth..

Hey Bobaluey, what is your riding style and how is your gas mileage? Synthetics could be a good deal if the claimed mileage improvements were true. Very interresting about the "friction modifiers" - anyone else had a similar experience? I never gave this any thought when I started this XS project, but there are so many more oil options available now than there were in '85 - it's worth coming up to speed!

[bobaluey]

manmadeoil pt2

To fabriqueprecis
When I rode the Sabre I rode it pretty hard. Raced 2 guys on sport bikes one time Yuba City CA to Woodland CA (35 miles) at speeds of 95 -105. (Showed those little whipper snappers) I got around 46-47 mpg with that one.

The XS I have now I ride in a much more gentle style. When I first got it the mpg was 32. After adjusting the cam chain tensioner and timing, and tire psi, I get 42mpg with 2 up.

Please hold the racing lecture, my wife already left a mark....ouch.

[fabriqueprecis]

Synth mileage

That is pretty good mileage for an XS from what I've read here. So did it improve with the synthetic oil, or was it the other adjustments that made the difference?

[bobaluey]

My personal opiinion is the mileage is due to the adjustments combined with drivering technique and proper tire pressure.

When I switched to synthetic oil I never had mpg in mind. My intent was to lengthen the mileale life of the drive train. My goal is to reach 100,000 miles without an overhaul. Currently my XS is about ready turn 36,000. It doesn't leak or use any oil.

[Buckb]

I had a lot of help from the folks here when I first got my bike and Randy in TExas referred to an article comparing lubs for motorcycles. Bottom line in the article was Rotella (or any diesal formulation) was equal to or surpassed teh special lubs manufactured for motorcycles. AND cost was significantly lower.

I started usind Syntec Mobile 1 year before last and agree the engine is noiser. I'll be changing back to Rotella next oil change.

For whats its worth....Buck

[MAXIMAN]

bobaluey

You don't have to go the synth route to get that kind of longevity.

I know three guys (personally) that have pushed their 1100 in XS of 100,000 miles. Everyone one of them had purchased the bike new...so they knew the history. But every one of them used a natural - mineral based oil.

I've a question. English can be very ambigous. Are you saying you got 46 mpg racing your 11 at 95-105 mph?

And even if you're not saying that...how fast were you riding when you got 46 mpg? My XJ has gotten 49 mpg before....but I was cruising at 55 mph on the highway. I have never even approached that figure at my normal speed (80 mph).

Last: For anyone wondering...I have never seen an appreciable increase in mpg from using synthetic (Mobil 1).

[fabriqueprecis]

Rotella

Rotella is a brand that keeps popping up on this site. I'd never heard of it before, but I'm inclined to use it after what I've read here. Any negative experiences with Rotella?

[MAXIMAN]

Unless you drive a diesel you proably wouldn't have heard of it.

However I know some people that run it in their gasoline trucks and love it. One guy told me his truck was burning a quart every 1500 miles. After Rotella it stopped.

I don't know anyone personally using it in a bike...but I've read of several that have and like it.

[fabriqueprecis]

Oil

One of my concerns is that here in the desert it gets up over a hundred degrees quite often in the summer, so I'm sure that this puts a strain on the oil. I'd like to add an oil cooler, but I haven't found an adapter and I don't really feel confident trying the other plumbing suggestions I've read. I'm guessing the adapters were not that widely used?

[7911special]

the adpaters were used on every bike that had a cooler or at least 99%, its just the bikes are getting older and parts are harder to find, just like anything else.


I don't even want to get started about the mileage, i get almost 35mpg ridin the easiest i can, with 87-93 octane, new cam chain, valve adjustment just done, it even runs slightly lean though......But i can't compalin about motor issues, i just rolled over 50,000 miles today.....i don't think i can wait much longer for a 1198cc's and a turbo setup

[fabriqueprecis]

1200cc's

I've read that several people here have these big-bore kits installed. I think I'm still OK with my stock parts but I guess that when they wear out one has no choice but to go big-bore? What kind of tuning has to be done to the system after installation of one of these?