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Informative video on motorcycle oil

LAB3

LAB3

Forum Sage
Past Site Supporter
A day or two ago I posted a video about debunking tire myths and here's one from the same source on motorcycle oil. In this video he mentions that around the time Suzuki was building the GS model that there was no difference between car and motorcycle oil. It turns out I DID learn something about the difference and the old tried and trusty Rotella T4 15W40 meets the challenge with the MA2 rating mentioned in this video.

I'm quite sure we'll be hearing from those that insist on having phynol-butylene-zircon encrusted molecules in their oil at $15 a quart even though they have zero idea on what that actually means. Hey, if the cute girl on the Sunday morning motorhead infomercials disguised as TV shows says you need it chances are it won't change your mind.

https://youtu.be/aPN6InDHE4k
 
Thanks for posting that. Good video, well presented. You want oil to deal with gearbox, clutch and pistons, it has to be special.
My new ride has a dry clutch and separate gearbox. This opens up a whole range of traditional oils doing traditional jobs
Might the debate about this be clearer if the oils weren't called motorcycle or car oils but referred to the design of the motor?
This offers an interesting, but twenty year old, perspective.
https://www.vfrworld.com/tex_vfr/tech/oil.htm
I can understand people feeling ripped off by overpriced motorcycle oil but that should be tempered by an understanding of the demands that the ever evolving modern motorcycle is making of it's oil.
 
Hum, that VFRWorld article refutes the need for "motorcycle" oil. It states that as long as the oil being used isn't "EC (energy conserving)" it's fine to use. The writer also likes HD diesel oils. I think this hits closer to the truth than the video.

BTW, there is at least one guy that hangs out on Bob is the Oil Guy that has a large Goldwing with more than 100,000 miles on it, and he uses EC car oil and laughs when people warn against them. He almost takes it as a challenge.
 
OK oil men - I have an oil question - I put a quart of some Lucas break in oil I bought for my Norton 750 (almost ready to start!) in a Honda ST90. Can this oil do harm over the long term? I sort of doubt the bike had ever had an oil change by the looks of it. It has no real filter. It's a '75 with about 1K miles. Running great now that I gave it some attention. I doubt the bike will do a lot of miles. What harm can 'too much' zinc do? Anyone?
 
I don't know but I do know that the number of opinions will exceed the number of contributors :)
 
It's not the too much zinc, it's the lack of viscosity stabilizers that is the problem. Break in oil is designed to last an hour.
Regular motorcycle oil has lots of ZDDP, about 12-1300PPM... and viscosity stabilizers, and anti foam and ....
 
bitzz said:
Regular motorcycle oil has lots of ZDDP, about 12-1300PPM... and viscosity stabilizers, and anti foam and ....
Click to expand...

ZDDP levels in many motorcycle oils is dropping, particularly in the thinner versions. Reason being, motorcycles are using cats now, and ZDDP damages them. I was just reading some oil analysis reports over on Bob is the Oil guy, and levels are below 1000, and some below 800, on many motorcycle oils these days.
 
Nessism said:
ZDDP levels in many motorcycle oils is dropping, particularly in the thinner versions. Reason being, motorcycles are using cats now, and ZDDP damages them. I was just reading some oil analysis reports over on Bob is the Oil guy, and levels are below 1000, and some below 800, on many motorcycle oils these days.
Click to expand...

Yes. It's one thing to be happy with twenty year old opinion about forty year old machines but quite another to drag that forward into a rapidly changing environment of engine design and fuel composition.
 
Whatever kind of new stuff comes along certainly won't be all bad nor all good. To do away with the confusion, I'll probably just stay the oil recommended by the Mfg. for our particular bike, it seems much easier. I deviated once and put in some Slick 50. Terrible idea, took a ppx. a week and 3 oil changes to get things straightened back out.
 
Nessism said:
ZDDP levels in many motorcycle oils is dropping, particularly in the thinner versions. Reason being, motorcycles are using cats now, and ZDDP damages them. I was just reading some oil analysis reports over on Bob is the Oil guy, and levels are below 1000, and some below 800, on many motorcycle oils these days.
Click to expand...

Yeah. That's MA2, MA is still 12-1300ppm ZDDP
 
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