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When do you switch to synthetic oil?


Wojo72

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Calling @2talltim. I'm sure he want's to talk about oil. I switch everything to synthetic, just make sure there aren't friction modifiers that could cause clutch issues. Usually a manual will say what certification oil they require (For warranty reasons). The "break in" oil is usually changed at 500-600 miles by book spec on most bikes. 

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Hey I resemblem that remark @JustinNck1:lol: I really don't really care what kind of earl people want to use. Just don't like seeing people over pay for crap they don't need. Why pay $12 a quart or more for these high dollar specialty oils when they sell a 5 quart jug of premium oil that will work in almost any vehicle and it's around  $5  a quart and available at Walmart or any local auto parts store.  Rotella T6 FTW! Put it in your Bike, Car, Truck,  diesel, lawn mower, or golfcart. It has the specification for them all. Your neighborhood @MidgetTodd will agree.

t6.jpg

Edited by 2talltim
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I tried the Rottella T6. Didn't like it much. Worked, but shifts felt "gritty". I now use it for winter storage since it's cheap. Impression was that some of the better mineral oils would work better, like Castrol for bikes. Would not use old school mineral with catalytic converter, can't remember why I think that. Starting to go with ester based Mobil 1 for everything....

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37 minutes ago, ReconRat said:

I tried the Rottella T6. Didn't like it much. Worked, but shifts felt "gritty". I now use it for winter storage since it's cheap. Impression was that some of the better mineral oils would work better, like Castrol for bikes. Would not use old school mineral with catalytic converter, can't remember why I think that. Starting to go with ester based Mobil 1 for everything....

I have had similar uses with T6 and it didn't last as long. The bike would start to miss shifts like mad until I would change it again. I know some have no issues with it but it's not worth my time to change it 3x as often.

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Royal Purple 10w40 for the FJR. I have seen gear drives on side by sides drop 20 degrees when switching to it. Cam chain tensioners warn out at 20k miles, switched to Royal Purple and at 70k miles they still looked new. I don't run the motorcycle oil though. Just regular Royal Purple HPS. $8 a quart. 

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1 hour ago, JustinNck1 said:

Royal Purple 10w40 for the FJR. I have seen gear drives on side by sides drop 20 degrees when switching to it. Cam chain tensioners warn out at 20k miles, switched to Royal Purple and at 70k miles they still looked new. I don't run the motorcycle oil though. Just regular Royal Purple HPS. $8 a quart. 

Wet or Dry clutch on an fjr?

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23 hours ago, zx3vfr said:

GN4 in the Honda because Honda calls for 5dub30. 

 

Still not an issue to run 5-40 T6 in it. If you look in the owners book it also calls for 10-40, its all temp based. 40 is the thickest the oil will get when its freezing, how often do you ride the Honda when its 20 degrees out? 

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On 11/5/2016 at 10:26 AM, ReconRat said:

I tried the Rottella T6. Didn't like it much. Worked, but shifts felt "gritty". 

 

23 hours ago, blue03636 said:

I have had similar uses with T6 and it didn't last as long. The bike would start to miss shifts like mad until I would change it again. I know some have no issues with it but it's not worth my time to change it 3x as often.

Noone is harder on a gear box  than I am,and I mean noone. I ride a shaft drive, 150HP, 700lb touring bike and I literally ride it like a freaking race bike. I almost never clutch when I shift(up or down) I love heavy throttle take offs, I use a ton of engine brake too. Also Kawi calls for 7500 mile  oil change intervals on my bike and I'll push it to that as often as I can and never a problem. She alway's shifts nice and smooth, never misses a shift  never had trouble getting in nuteral.even after I wait 7000ish miles for a oil change it comes out dark brown, never burnt and never broken down. But the one thing my bike has going for it though is she does take 5 quarts of oil. So there is a lot in there to cycle through and maybe that helps it.

Edited by 2talltim
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T6 is decent oil based on oil analysis, but I too did not like how quickly it effects shifting.  Good oil is all you need.  The difference between $5 vs $12 quart oil will not break the bank...run what feels the best and keeps your mind at ease.

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Now is a perfect time to switch to synthetic oil if that's the route you want to take. When I bought my first FZ1 new, I switched from conventional to Amsoil full synthetic, it was pricey, but worked well. I then switched to Mobil One full synthetic and ran that for many seasons due to it being better on the wallet and readily available at any Automotive store, until I noticed the bike stated burning it after so many miles into the oil change.  My research has concluded this is a common problem with Mobil One.  I have since switched back to Amsoil.  Never had any issues with the clutch or shifting and hardly burns any oil.  I have contemplated just running Yamalube conventional for a season to see if there is any noticeable difference and save some cash in the process.

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I was undecided so I just threw conventional oil in it yesterday. It didn't need it but I want fresh oil sitting in it during the winter. I have a jug of T6 for next time. I bought it for my FZ07 but sold the bike right before the next service.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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I read a lot of oil threads over the years and most of it is very subjective and even the "factual" parts can be biased depending on the test and who was performing it. There's things that synth oil does better and things that dino oil does better so I use a blend of the two. However, unless you flat out use the wrong oil, any difference in protection/performance won't manifest for many years and miles - likely long after you've moved on so don't sweat the small stuff.

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