I have been using Rotella Synth (car oil) on my street bikes for 200,000+ miles. When I read a post on a Concours 14 forum claiming that an oil analysis showed that the Rotella Synth provided inadequate wear protection for the Concours 14 engine I did my own tests using Blackstone labs. Rotella T 5w40 at $18 per gallon .vs Motul V300 15w50 motorcycle oil at $55 per gallon. Both run for about 6000 miles in similar use and weather. The Rotella was the winner with slightly lower levels of wear metals. Blackstone even suggested I could extend the interval with the Rotella.

I also did not notice any difference in engine or transmission performance between the two. Needless to say I am back to using Rotella.

 

OMG an oil thread....

 

There isn't as much difference between most of today's "synthetics" and a good base oil, because MOST "synthetics" are simply severely hydrocracked Group III petroleum oil bases. This is thanks to Castrol, who beat Mobil 1 in a lawsuit a generation ago. Now, even Mobil 1 uses Group III severely hydrocracked petroleums and labels it as "synthetic".

Also, since the better oils tend to hold viscosity a little bit better (but, not a WHOLE LOT better than a good base oil), your fuel efficiency may be WORSE with the better oil!

I kept detailed mileage records of all my vehicles for about 15 years. I never could understand why my vehicles almost always showed a very slight decrease in mpg after I put in new oil. It never occured to me that the oil was thicker when new, and maximum fuel efficiency occurred after some shearing to lower a viscosity.

That said, I don't know if I've EVER been able to see an increase in fuel efficiency with a "synthetic" of the same viscosity as a "non-synthetic". There just isn't that much difference in "slipperiness", no matter what the "synthetic" marketing literature wants you to believe. Sure, there are some true synthetics that could be significantly more slippery than some other oils, but, they cost a bundle....certainly more than the extra fuel you'd have to burn by not using the expensive oil.

Rotella has been used by a bunch of us old guys for decades, even without the JASO-MA sticker. We had enough evidence to tell us it was good for shared-sump motorcycles, and now the JASO-MA sticker indicates we were correct. Of course, many of us spent the money to have Used Oil Analysis done, so, it wasn't like we were just crossing our fingers and hoping!

 

I figure it's easier to run through a pool filled with water than a pool filled with oil. A lighter oil may be better for MPG it may not be better for the motor. Just a thought.

 

Someone up thread mentioned high mileage oils, FWIW many of them are a a little higher in viscosity range them their standard counterparts of the same grade And usually have a stouter addditive package because the car is presumed off waraenty so cat and o2 sensor warranty isn't a concern. Valvoline maxlife semi uses PAO synthetic (grp4) and is the real deal. Don't know too much about the others brands but for the most part the high mileage oil are formulated a little stouter.

 

Did you actually READ the article? I'd bet you could run saw dust and WD40 in the cases for 800 and 1500 miles without failure and the viscosity would be tremendous (take it for the joke it is, just like the mileage testing of the article's source).

If you want REAL testing, take a look at the mileage test Consumer's Report did for car oil change interval. They went to a serious source - taxi cab use. They actually MEASURED the wear in the engines. THAT is a true scientific test. Not fully valid for our use, but still points that when the oil is run at full operating temperature, the actual engine damage is neglegible between the lower and higher mileage oil change vehicles. That most people are throwing out oil that is still quite servicable.

Realize too, that there is no benchmark for how much breakdown can occur before there is any risk of issue. Consider that the original Mobil1 ad campaign was for the fact that they laid claim to 15,000 mile oil life. That in a time when most were changing oil way more frequent than that. Fact is I ran Mobil1 in my old GoldWing, it smoothed out the shifting and when starting cold, the clutch broke loose with far less jarring than with petroleum oil. It might have done something for mileage, but the biggest thing that did good for my mileage (50 mpg on an 1100) was listening to Honda and keeping the rpm between 3000 and 4000 - the most efficient operating range - regardless of what gear it had to be in.

Unless there is some real testing to show wear or one that sets the benchmark for viscosity breakdown, below which is the actual risk of engine damage, along with some realistic mileage use intervals and wear measurement for testing, the results are of little value, that article is useless blather. Absolutely blah, blah, blah, blah... It has to have some validity to what is being researched and enough data to make it of value. It just didn't meet the criteria.

Like I said, I'd just stay with any oil that has a JASO MA (motorcycle grade) approval stamp on the label. That obviously includes most, if not all motorcycle blend oils and some of the diesel oils, Rotella being one i believe - and plenty cheap enough for the tight wads when it comes to the oil they buy, but then dump it out long before it should really need to be changed. I run Honda oil, probably paying a buck a quart more than if I looked for something cheaper, but then I run it around 5000 miles before changing. I buy the filter and oil at the same time at the dealership where friends are employed. It's worth the extra.

 

Yeah, that's true, but your bike will get rustier faster if you keep running through the water! But it's a trade off, running through the oil will ruin your clothes.

 

Just proves you never owned an 1100 Gold Wing. When cold the bike will lurch about 3 feet when put in gear using regular oil. With the old (1987 era) Mobil1 it would barely lurch before the clutch broke loose. Then there was the very noticeable change in the sound and ease of gear shifting. Things you notice on those old Wings.

Of course that doesn't mean you need it in every bike. I ran Honda synthetic for a while in the KLX, but haven't for the past 30,000. I didn't really notice any performance difference. I still seem to hit 60 mpg regardless of how or where I ride the bike with whatever oil I run. I just run the dead dyno stuff from Honda... again, friends work at the shop, so why not support friends.

 

The "high mileage" oils tend to have slightly higher levels of ZDDP and seal conditioners. The level of Zinc is still low enough that it doesn't foul the O2 sensors. That's why I add some extra, for the friction points; particularly flat tappet engines. Lucas and others, make some "engine break-in lube" which is very high in zinc. They recommend it not be used as an everyday oil for the sensor issue. Do a Google for zinc additives.

 

No it doesn't. However, your limited experience (with one oil and one bike)suggests your choice of oil may have had a detrimental effect on your clutch performance.

My statement is valid: just because an oil is a "synthetic", it does NOT mean it is more slippery than a non-synthetic. In case you didn't know, there are many truly lab-produced synthetic oils that are much LESS slippery than most non-synthetics...actually, many were designed as such in order to meet a certain set of criteron requested by the engineer that ordered the oil.

It reminds me of the Premium vs Regular Unleaded gas mis-information. These are NOT grades of quality. These are relative Octane measurements. You can buy poor quality "Premium" gas, and excellent quality "Regular Unleaded" gas.

Again, not all "synthetics" are superior to all "non-synthetics". There are good synthetics and not-so-good ones. Same as non-synthetics. There are more-slippery synthetics, and not-as-slippery synthetics. Same as non-synthetics.

Oh, and the only reason I spend any time at all on oil threads is that not enough people are informed as to the actual science of Tribology. These threads tend to be more like a religious discussion, with opinions held dearly, and any information to the contrary to be regarded with disdain, or simply ignored.