What is the best Oil.

When to change oil and filter?

  • 600, like the manual says

    Votes: 33 52.4%
  • 100, 600 and then follow the manual

    Votes: 6 9.5%
  • 100, 600, 1200 and then follow the manual

    Votes: 12 19.0%
  • 500, 1000, and then follow the manual

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • Something else... please explain

    Votes: 8 12.7%

  • Total voters
    63
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Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

Geesh, some of the synthetics sound so good mabye I should start drinking some. Well, I'm going to pour either Rotella or Mobil One next change. And, I going to use the Purolator M/C filter. And all of this, I can find at a local auto/mc parts store..or Walmart?
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

Not walmart. Advance auto parts stocks them.
Not just the plain purolator but the purolator pure one fliter.

Also do not put lucas oil additive or any oil additives in your engine. Its really a horrible thing to do.

Your transmission is lubricated by the oil.
This is what lucas does.

What about Additives?

Oil foam is bad.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

Actually I believe Mobil 1 now is a grpIII basestock. The old TriSyn Forumula was a PAO. I had a Dyson VOA done and it came back as mostly group III (hydrocracked crude oil). The nice thing about PAO is that you have little flexible alkyl branches on every other carbon chain. These alkyl groups prevent the chains from being able to line up, so to speak, keeping the fluid viscous. Not that there is anything wrong with a hydrocracked basestock, some excellent UOA's have been seen on these oils. Rotella T syn is an excellent oil with a very strong add pack and is shear stable, perfect for motorcycle gearboxes. Run what works for you, and honestly, unless you are doing extended drain intervals (or racing), you are not going to use the full advantage of any synthetic oil.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

Actually I believe Mobil 1 now is a grpIII basestock. The old TriSyn Forumula was a PAO. I had a Dyson VOA done and it came back as mostly group III (hydrocracked crude oil). The nice thing about PAO is that you have little flexible alkyl branches on every other carbon chain. These alkyl groups prevent the chains from being able to line up, so to speak, keeping the fluid viscous. Not that there is anything wrong with a hydrocracked basestock, some excellent UOA's have been seen on these oils. Rotella T syn is an excellent oil with a very strong add pack and is shear stable, perfect for motorcycle gearboxes. Run what works for you, and honestly, unless you are doing extended drain intervals (or racing), you are not going to use the full advantage of any synthetic oil.

i think you passed the IQ test for this thread...
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I am not pushing amsoil by any means, simply because I do not like the way they market their oil.

I am not supporting any oil over the other, just simply bringing up something that I just learned. I had to share....lol.

As long as we aren't running any of the SA or SB stuff we should be more than good, lol. From there its just what ever you like.

-bryan
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I'm running Yamalube 20-40, I get it at the dealer.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I wrote Mobil last night. They responded in a email today saying that Mobil one uses PAO and additives to make its oil.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I wrote Mobil last night. They responded in a email today saying that Mobil one uses PAO and additives to make its oil.

Yes, they say that, but, by law any PAO in the basestock gives them claim to call it a PAO oil. In the Dyson VOA I had done, there was olefins in the oil, just not a full base of PAO. So legally Mobil can say they have a PAO oil, even though the amount of PAO may vary. I am not bashing Mobil, it is a very good oil (the 0w-40 meets so many requirements of manufactures) in certain situations. I have done some UOA's on Mobil 1 and found that the 0w-40 shears dow to a low 30 wt (9.5 cSt) pretty quickly. A 30 wt oil is usually around 9.3 to 12.5 cSt (@100C). A 40 wt will be between 12.5 and 16.3 cSt (@100C). These kinematic viscosity measurements are per SAE J300 viscosity classification.

And the Castrol issue is not actually a lawsuit, just a marketing truthfullness dispute. And since the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, any oil with a hydrocraked basestock can be labled as a full synthetic, which most on the shelf are.

Oh and back to Mobil 1, I think the more heavy duty the oils is ( 15w50 or the truck and suv 5w-40) seem to have more PAO in the basestock, as these oils are much more shear stable than the 5w-30, 0w-40 et cetera.

Sorry for the long post, but there seems to be many misconceptions about synthetic motor oils. And I in no way am bashing ANY brand of oil, any thing you buy off the shelf (in a close viscosity range) will work just fine, really. Run what works for you and lets you sleep at night, I do not want to sound like I am picking on Mobil 1, I have used (and continue to use) Mobil 1 in many vehicles, and it has always worked extremly well, and produced some nice UOA's.

And the Yamalube is fine too, just that for the price, there are many better alternatives out there that will offer better engine protection.
 
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Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

Yes, they say that, but, by law any PAO in the basestock gives them claim to call it a PAO oil. In the Dyson VOA I had done, there was olefins in the oil, just not a full base of PAO. So legally Mobil can say they have a PAO oil, even though the amount of PAO may vary. I am not bashing Mobil, it is a very good oil (the 0w-40 meets so many requirements of manufactures) in certain situations. I have done some UOA's on Mobil 1 and found that the 0w-40 shears dow to a low 30 wt (9.5 cSt) pretty quickly. A 30 wt oil is usually around 9.3 to 12.5 cSt (@100C). A 40 wt will be between 12.5 and 16.3 cSt (@100C). These kinematic viscosity measurements are per SAE J300 viscosity classification.

And the Castrol issue is not actually a lawsuit, just a marketing truthfullness dispute. And since the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, any oil with a hydrocraked basestock can be labled as a full synthetic, which most on the shelf are.

Oh and back to Mobil 1, I think the more heavy duty the oils is ( 15w50 or the truck and suv 5w-40) seem to have more PAO in the basestock, as these oils are much more shear stable than the 5w-30, 0w-40 et cetera.

Sorry for the long post, but there seems to be many misconceptions about synthetic motor oils. And I in no way am bashing ANY brand of oil, any thing you buy off the shelf (in a close viscosity range) will work just fine, really. Run what works for you and lets you sleep at night, I do not want to sound like I am picking on Mobil 1, I have used (and continue to use) Mobil 1 in many vehicles, and it has always worked extremly well, and produced some nice UOA's.

And the Yamalube is fine too, just that for the price, there are many better alternatives out there that will offer better engine protection.

I did not even know there were so many things to know about oil lol

since you seem to be an expert, what oil gave you the best experience on the FZ6? what do you use?

Thanks :)
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I have started doing a little more indepth oil research after a guy from Amsoil came in and gave us a hour long sales pitch on how good it was. He had some good points here and there but it got my currosity up.

Turns out that most shelf oils are all Base III stock which isn't really synthetic. Even though they say synthetic, which all started when Castrol claimed there Base III a synthetic. After a huge lawsuit they allowed that and everyone went along with it. Mostly though this is only in the states. The only Castrol that is Base IV is some stuff from Germany.

Pensoil Platnium is as Base III, there is talk that Mobil 1 has gone to a base III and there are some other large names that have droped their "synthetics" to base III oils.

Motul is a combo of base IV and base V and in some cases strickly base V.

Not sure if this base stock has been talked about much. But its worth looking into if not.

-bryan

Thanks to the Lexus folks:

Group I Solvent Freezing Group I base oils are the least refined of all of the groups. They are usually a mix of different hydrocarbon chains with little or no uniformity. While some automotive oils on the market use Group I stocks, they are generally used in less demanding applications.

Group II Hydroprocessing and Refining Group II base oils are common in mineral-based motor oils currently available on the market. They have fair to good performance in lubricating properties such as volatility, oxidative stability and flash/fire points. They have only fair performance in areas such as pour point, cold crank viscosity and extreme pressure wear.

Group III Hydroprocessing and Refining Group III base oils are subjected to the highest level of mineral oil refining of the base oil groups. Although they are not chemically engineered, they offer good performance in a wide range of attributes as well as good molecular uniformity and stability. They are commonly mixed with additives and marketed as synthetic or semi-synthetic products. Group III base oil products have become more common in America during the past decade.

Group IV Chemical Reactions Group IV base oils are chemically engineered synthetic base stocks. Polyalphaolefins (PAOs) are a common example of a synthetic base stock. Synthetics, when combined with additives, offer excellent performance over a wide range of lubricating properties. They have very stable chemical compositions and highly uniform molecular chains. Group IV base oils are becoming more common in synthetic and synthetic-blend products for automotive and industrial applications.

Group V As Indicated Group V base oils are used primarily in the creation of oil additives. Esters and polyolesters are both common Group V base oils used in the formulation of oil additives. Group V oils exhibit a wide variety of properties specific to each individual oil's formulation. Group V base oils are generally not used as base oils themselves, but add beneficial properties to other base oils.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I did not even know there were so many things to know about oil lol

since you seem to be an expert, what oil gave you the best experience on the FZ6? what do you use?

Thanks :)

Um, right now I only have 240 miles on the FZ6. On my other bikes I have used Mobil 1, Rotella T (both syn and conventional), Motul and Total (Elf). And just regular automotive oils too (fine until you have a higher powered machine, then I noticed the clutch slippage). Of all the ones I have used, Rotella T (both) seem to work the best. Readily available, and seems to offer the best protection on my UOA's. On the FZ I plan on putting in regular Rotella T at 4-500 miles and run that till 1000 miles. Then I will run the Repsol I bought at the motorcycle show, got a good price on it, and people seem to swear by it. I got it for ~$7 per liter. Once that is gone (I have enough for two oil changes) I will most likely run Rotella T synthetic. I will probably use the Purolator pl14610 filter too.

I have no idea what the dealer put in the crankcase (I would think Yamalube), but I do not like it. The oil is like honey below 50 F, and the bike makes awful noises until things warm up a bit. That is the main reason for the low miles, I fear starting it in this cold horrible weather we have been having these past week and a half.

As for your specific bike, do you want synthetic or conventional? What temperature ranges do you get during the riding season? How much time are you stuck in traffic or visit a race track? Does your bike burn oil? What do consider reasonable ($) to pay for engine protection? Do you want to do extended drain intervals? I know you live in Cali, but I have no idea of what your climate is exactly like. With out knowing anything further, I would run Rotella T 15w-40 (conventional) oil with a good filter for 2-3k miles. Rotella T 5w-40 (synthetic) will be a nice upgrade and could handle 4-5k OCI's fairly easily. Granted this is optimum conditions, track days, canyon chasing, lots of idling will shorten your drain interval.
 
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Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I didnt think you were knocking mobil, I just wanted to ask them. I did ask about the 15w50, so maybe thats why I got the answer I did.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

I didnt think you were knocking mobil, I just wanted to ask them. I did ask about the 15w50, so maybe thats why I got the answer I did.

Ok, good.:thumbup: Sometimes when posting technical info, I can kind of seem like I'm picking on a company/product when using them as an example. I have learned from other forum experiences that what I meant to say and how others interpreted it may be two totally different things.

I am surprised by the answer Mobil sent you, though. Every time I have tried to contact them about the "formulation change", TriSyn Formula to SuperSyn formula, I get the typical "We are constantly testing and trying to find ways to improve our product" line.
 
Re: Where do you get 20W-40 oil???

After seeing a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts using Rotella Full Synthetic 5W-40 all year long, I went to Wallmart (first time in my life at Wallmart :p) to pick up a couple of gallons... did my oil change this past wkd and I am really happy, as I can feel quite a big diff when switching gears.

I used Castrol Synthec before and had not felt such a diff between oil changes.... I think I am going to stick with Rotella 5/40 from now on:thumbup:

Oh, I completely forgot about this post. There is nothing wrong with this choice of oil. It will work absolutely fine under almost every condition except severe track abuse.

There, I think i have posted enough to feel like I'm taking over the thread:Sport:
 
First oil change

Ok, i know i am cheaping out on this but i am looking to do my 600 mile service myself. I got the oil filter but am thinking of using Supertech synthetic oil for this service,

now before the flames fly, i am planning on doing another change in another couple hundred miles and would like to know if the Supertech Synthetic is going to be the wrong kind for the bike transmission.

any knowledge on that oil? I tried the search and there are a few using the filter but nobody using the oil, whats the reasoning?
 
Re: First oil change

Ok, i know i am cheaping out on this but i am looking to do my 600 mile service myself. I got the oil filter but am thinking of using Supertech synthetic oil for this service,

now before the flames fly, i am planning on doing another change in another couple hundred miles and would like to know if the Supertech Synthetic is going to be the wrong kind for the bike transmission.

any knowledge on that oil? I tried the search and there are a few using the filter but nobody using the oil, whats the reasoning?

I've posted this in another thread but here it is again. Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

In a nutshell, you don't want to use any synthetic until you're engine is thoroughly broken in (about 1500 street miles). You'll be doing more damage than good. I have 75 miles on my bike and will be doing and oil/filter tomorrow. I've used the racer's methods of engine breakin for years and have never had a failure. This article is just about dead-on. Please don't switch yet! :D

You're not cheaping out, you're saving yourself VALUABLE dollars! They aren't going to do much more than the oil, filter and check all possible bolts, nuts and bearings for correct torque specs. You can do this all yourself for nothing more than time.
 
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Re: First oil change

I've posted this in another thread but here it is again. Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

In a nutshell, you don't want to use any synthetic until you're engine is thoroughly broken in. You'll be doing more damage than good. I have 75 miles on my bike and will be doing and oil/filter tomorrow. I've used the racer's methods of engine breakin for years and have never had a failure. This article is just about dead-on. Please don't switch yet! :D

well i am easily swayed at this point, if i put this jug in the closet until next change or so, is it even the correct oil, what am i looking to avoid as opposed to typical Car oils, i might just head back out and get normal oil, but once again, i know that some oils can and cannot be used in bikes,
 
Re: First oil change

I've been currently taking a scythe to the newest quest: OIL.

I learned a very interesting point from a couple of WHITE BEARDED people. They said your first oil changes are very important on a new engine.

Here's what you should do.

Grab your OWNER'S MANUAL and look at the ENGINE BREAK-IN PERIOD. It'll say you shouldn't have high RPM's for a long period of time. The reason for this has something to do with the WELDING.

I was like: What do you mean by WELDING?

They were like: Japanese people designed the engine to have tighter points than required.

I was like: You mean like girls?

They were like: Yes. Virgin points are really enclosed...

I was like: ...and after they get impacted for a prolonged time...

They were like: ...they get looser.

-Okay! So a virgin engine has tighter points, causing more friction, generating more HEAT!

(At this point, I thought the subject was getting very immature. I LOVED IT!!)

After a time, the engine will BREAK-IN, causing connecting points to loosen, causing less friction, generating less HEAT!

--Claud said it wasn't funny. I thought different...

REGULAR OIL is grainy and allows BREAK-IN to happen properly.
SYNTHETIC OIL is smooth and DOESN'T allow BREAK-IN to happen.

---What happens if I use Synthetic Oil?
Your engine won't BREAK-IN, but it will generate MORE HEAT.

---What's the best solution?
Use REGULAR OIL during the initital BREAK-IN period, then switch to SYNTHETIC after that!!
 
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