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type of oil

36K views 22 replies 18 participants last post by  Doo1100 
#1 ·
Hi everyone I'm a newbie on this site. I have a question about brands of oil to use on my v-star 650 and 1100's. I've been using yamaha brand oil all this time. but my brother says to save money and use regular automotive oil. just don't use the ones that has the energy conserving label. he says that he's been using it in his bike ( kawasaki concours) the past several years without any problems. but his bike isn't air cooled. does anyone have any suggestions about this. Thanks:)
 
#2 ·
I've been riding for a lot of years and have been told, and do believe, don't skrimp on the quality of your oil. It's the engines life blood. For the first time, I changes over to synthetic. Just rode my 1100 classic from Seattle to the Laughlin River Run and the bike has never run better.
 
#3 ·
I have switched every bike I've owned for the past 10 years over to an off the shelf fully synthetic automotive oil and have never once had a problem. Yamalube full synthetic is 15 bucks a qrt :eek:but a 5qrt jug of mobile 1 from walmart is 29 bucks, you do the math. For the most part putting a label on a jug of oil that says "motorcycle" is a marketing ploy. The bottom line is that there is oil and there is better oil, just because it says motorcycle doesn't make it better. save yourself the money and get your oil from walmart and depending what filter your bike takes walmart also carries a limited selection of fram motorcycle filters at half the price of your local bike shop.
 
#4 ·
Stay with motorcycle oil. The few cents more you spend on it is
worth every penny. I just had my first 600 mile oil change and went
with Yamalube conventional oil, and will stay with that for as long as I own the bike. Love the way it smells when the motor is warm.
In my opinion I don't need the synthetic.
My bike runs strong and proud.
Not too quiet and not too loud.
 
#5 ·
Oil

I swear, gentlemen. Talkin the "best" oil is like talkin religion and politics. Use a good quailty oil, and always a good filter each change, and be sure if you are runnin a wet clutch, steer way clear of anything saying "energy conserving", I run Castrol 20/50, like that stuff, has served me well, but that's just me, others have their hearts in their favorite.Good luck with your choice.
 
#7 ·
The bottom line is that you have to use whatever you are comfortable with and lets you sleep at night. I just happen to be fine with plain old automotive synthetic oil and have never had any issues. If you are not comfortable with that then buy some that says motorcycle on the jug.
 
#10 ·
Well I switched to Valvoline motor cycle oil from mobile 1 motor cycle oil. I dont like it. When it did my good run up the highway the bike seems better from the weight difference since I switched 10w 40 to 20w 50 but this dino juice foams bad where the m1 did not foam at all.
 
#12 ·
Synthetic oil doesn't break down as quickly as conventional oil. It's engineered, at the molecular level to hold up better against heat and friction. It's cleaner and contains additives that conventional oil doesn't have.

I use Mobile 1 20-50 synthetic. It's a bit more expensive than conventional oil but I believe it offers more protection for motorcycle engines and in the Florida summer, my bike runs better with Mobile 1 synthetic.
 
#14 ·
I used Mobil 1 V twin 20w50 the last time. I THINKI saw it in Wal Mart too. I bought mine at Advanced Auto. They give me a military discount. I ALWAYS ask everywhere. You'd be surprised at where I get it.

I would say the difference between the car M1 20W50 and M1 V-Twin 20W50 synthetic is the additives. The V-Twin M1 is engineered specifically for V-Twin Engines.

I'd wager that there aren't many better oils than Mobile 1 synthetic.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I use Royal Purple full synthetic because I saw its benefits in industrial applications when I was a Maintenance Engineer at a chemical plant a few years ago. I use it in my 4Runner and CubCadet lawnmower too. It's becoming more available; I can usually get it at O'Reilly's or Advance Auto for about $7-$8 / quart.

Synthetic oils have a greater film strength which results in greater lubricity - it keeps metals parts from actually rubbing as much as conventional oil which results in fewer wear particles and less friction (heat) which increases the oil's life, not to mention the life of the mechanical components.
 
#16 · (Edited)
LOL All this talk about Dino versus Synth. Dig a little deeper and you find Synth is just oil made from the Esthers of Dino oil. The hydrocarbon molecules are just cracked under higher pressures and temps.

Synthetic engine oil

In the early 1960s, Chevron U.S.A integrated the first commercial utilization of hydrocracking technology at its Richmond California refinery [1]. By 1993 the company introduced lubricant Isodewaxing [2] technology making Chevron one of the worlds largest manufacturers of API (category II and III) base oils. Today, API (category III) base oils are marketed to the general public as fully synthetic motor oil
 
#17 ·
Fulltilt1, I dont think this discussion is so much about dino versus synthetic as much as "motorcycle oil" versus "oil" . Personally even before I started using synthetic oil in my bikes I was using just regular automotive oil in my bikes. I have never remotely had any kind of wear or clutch issues with any of my bikes in the last 16 years. I get a 5qrt jug of mobile1 20-50 synthetic from walmart for 30 bucks and the same amount of yamalube 20-50 synthetic is 75. Now I'm not one to worry about a couple of bucks here and there, but a $45 dollar difference is a another oil change plus K&N chrome filter difference. For $45 I could ride my bike 500 miles or more and get lunch and probably a frosty beverage.
 
#19 ·
I never thought about some of this stuff. If you use the Synthetic do you change the oil less frequently? How often do you change your oil?
 
#21 ·
I have always been of the school of thought that regardless of what type or weight of oil you use. You should always stick with the same manufacturer. I use Mobil 1 vtwin 20w-50 and change it every 4000 miles, since some of the oil bypasses the filter on its way to lube the engine.
 
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