Although I believe that synthetic is better, I read somewhere that an older engine that never saw synthetic before should be kept on dino for the following reason: the synthetic is thinner, and may find leaks that the dino wouldn't. Any thoughts on that?
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1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red
2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after. -
Synth is NOT thinner. 10w-40 is 10w-40.
Any leaks that it "causes" already existed, but were plugged. The higher detergent content in most synth oils will wash away the plug.
One of the forum favorites is Rotella. If you prefer dino, get the white jug of 15w-40. If you want synth, get the bule jug of 5w-40.
Pass the popcorn, this might get interesting.
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mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
#1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
#2 son: 1980 GS1000G
Family Portrait
Siblings and Spouses
Mom's first ride
Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
(Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.) -
Ha, I was chided for asking an oil question last year....a commonly asked and well documented subject. I switched to synthetic with no problems.....sigpic
When consulting the magic 8 ball for advice, one must first ask it "will your answers be accurate?"
Glen
-85 1150 es - Plus size supermodel.
-Rusty old scooter.
Other things I like to photograph.....instagram.com/gs_junkie
https://www.instagram.com/glen_brenner/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/152267...7713345317771/Comment
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Oh gosh, another oil thread. Here we go...Comment
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I don't like dino oil.
I prefer my oil to come from trilobites for two valve per cylinder engines. For the four valve engines, woolly mammoth oil seems to work best.GS450E GS650E GS700ES GS1000E GS1000G GS1100G GS1100E
KZ550A KZ700A GPZ750
CB400T CB900F
XJ750RComment
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I prefer Canadian tar sands oil. The sand really shines things up.......Comment
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mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
#1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
#2 son: 1980 GS1000G
Family Portrait
Siblings and Spouses
Mom's first ride
Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
(Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)Comment
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Synthetic VS Dino Oil... An old debate in the motorcycle world in my opinion...
Here is what I think I know...
Synthetic has better 'Flow' properties and will present the leaks that you didn't know you had.
Synthetic also has better shear properties meaning that it breaks down much less slowly so you can go further on the oil and still retain the lubricating properties.
For Synthetic I prefer Rotella T6 (blue jug)
For Dino oil (I like to use this in my older bikes 30+ years) I buy DELO 400 (Diesel Engine Lubricating Oil 400) .
At Wal*mart you can get a gallon for about $13. It is a great motorcycle oil and fabulous for wet clutches as it has nearly zero additives that are friction modifiers (bad news for wet clutches)
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Synthetic has better 'Flow' properties and will present the leaks that you didn't know you had.
That's what I'm concerned about. A 32-year-old engine that already has enough wet spots.1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red
2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.Comment
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As Steve pointed out in the 2nd post of this thread, oils with the same viscosity (10w-40, etc.) have identical "flow" and cannot be more likely to get through a passage.Dogma
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O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you! - David
Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense. - Carl Sagan
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'80 GS850 GLT
'80 GS1000 GT
'01 ZRX1200R
How to get a "What's New" feed without the Vortex, and without permanently quitting the VortexComment
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" ...Synthetic base oils give enhanced performance because they are manufactured using advanced chemical processes, so their molecular structure and hence, their properties, can be closely controlled. For example, fully synthetic oils like Shell Helix Ultra are designed to flow more easily at start-up temperatures.."
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I use Canola , lolComment
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2 trains
There seems to be two schools of thought here. See why I'm confused?1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red
2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.Comment
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Flip a coin
I use synthetic because valvetrains and bearings are pricier than the value of the oil used.
I especially like the flow rate when its -30 C in January.Comment
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