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Sorry for another oil thread.

14K views 82 replies 18 participants last post by  DimitrisGR 
#1 ·
This year I ran Castrol GTX 10W-40 reg. motorcycle oil in my 2007 650R. Next year I was thinking of using Royal Purple because they claim from a 2-4% power increase. Then I thought about reg.
Kawasaki 10W-40 motorcycle oil if I stick with reg. oil?

Thank you for your comments and answers.
 
#2 ·
You can use any type and brand of oil you like as long as it conforms with the standards specified in the manual and according to your region's climate conditions.


For instance, I use Bel Ray Synthetic Ester Blend 15w -50 during the hot period and 10w -40 the rest of the time.


I wouldn't recommend fully synthetic oils as I 've had clutch slipping and valve noise issues.


It is however ok to use them if you prefer to, according to the manual.
 
#4 ·
Motul 7100 for a good synthetic. Motul 300V would probably net the most HP but it is meant for racing, not necessarily a regular use oil. I just use Rotella 15W-40.


That being said, you aren't going to gain much HP for a 650. I have seen an R1 gain 2HP but there is some margin of error there. It's unlikely that you would notice anything other than the usual butt dyno illusion of improvement.
 
#6 ·
I use Amsoil synthetic motorcycle oil SAE10w-40 High-Performance engine and transmission lubricant, wet-clutch compatible and had "tremendous" HP gains resulting in better acceleration, top speed, cooling and even less noise.



I can barely hold on when I turn the throttle...
Its incredible...
Its spectacular...
Its absolutely, positively, most definitely, the best and there is nothing better than "Amsoil"

IMO.

:D
 
#8 ·
Your not going to get increased performance from a motor oil......Increased compression and fuel air mixture and exhausting ie. "Breathing" Increases performance.......I've been riding 51 years.....And I've been using Castrol Dino 20-50W in all kind of bikes both Asian and Euro......And I have never had any kind engine failure due to wear or overheating....And I ride HARD.....Now with that being said.....From what I'm reading.....I think this summer I'll swap over to the Rotella 15-40W....I've been switching weights winter to summer for decades.......And I have a record of absolutely no engine/tranny failures to back it up.....
 
#11 ·
... "Breathing" Increases performance......
that is correct... don't hold your breathe... breathe slowly deeply, relax... feel the power increase...with proper breathing power does increase exponentially!

I also found that when my bike is cleaned and waxed it goes faster too. New tires and it really goes... even faster.

OMG - Then when I use 93oct fuel.in conjunction with proper breathing, (unicorn) oil, fresh wax, new tires and a clean air filter, then ride in a tshirt, shorts, Chuck Taylors and an Aria helmet... no one can keep up.
:headshake:
 
#9 ·
I've tried to keep using the same oil in all my vehicles.
I don't think switching back and forth will do any harm but if it works, stick with it.
I decided to also use Rotella T6 in my new 14.
No problems and priced right
Royal Purple 2-4% power increase
Sea foam = restored lost power
K&N= increased power and torque
E3 spark plugs = increased power output
All those should do the trick
Or just buy a 14.:grin2:
 
#10 ·
Unless you are racing, an extra 2 horsepower for a 50 horsepower plus engine is useless, and you will probably not be able to feel any difference while riding (butt dyno). Are you trying to lower a lap time or drag race time by 0.2 seconds? If the answer is yes, check out the oil sold by Brock Racing that needs to be changed very often for a little more power.


If you want to spend more, the Red Line and Motul oil brands might be the best.


If you want to spend less, I like the Valvoline and Rotella T brands. I found the Valvoline full synthetic shifts smoother than the Amsoil full synthetic, after using the Amsoil for 7 years in a row.


Some write that it is fine to mix oils, and others write you are crazy to mix oils, or that it will shorten the oil life. Some just like to bash anyone with a different opinion than theirs.


I have mixed half full synthetic motorcycle oil and half regular Rotella T 15w-40 diesel oil for the last 10 years with no problems noted and the best shifting and clutch feel I have found (a semi-synthetic mix). I change the oil once a year and with 3,500 miles or less on the oil, for normal street riding.


If you use the oil for long intervals, it probably is best to have the used oil sent to a lab for testing, or just change the oil when the shifting starts to get less smooth.


Not enough oil is a HUGE risk compared to what type and brand of oil is used. The main benefits from synthetic oil are smoother shifting but poorer clutch feel, they can last longer, and extra insurance just in case of a mechanical failure such as losing most of the coolant or most of the oil (You still should shut off the engine as soon as the red overheat warning light comes on).
 
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#14 ·
To be absolutely honest, 2% - 4% hp increasing oil is something new to me.


Mother nature gave me a really sensitive butt which can feel everything on a bike and believe me, I 've heard of +7hp air filters and +10hp slip-ons but by personal experience I can safely say that it's all rubbish.


Numbers like these are only achievable in racing applications or maybe very powerful car or bike engines where, eventually, the difference is much less tangible. 5 hp more feel very different on a Vespa than on an HP2.
 
#15 ·
Getting back to the start of my thread, I mentioned that if I stick
with regular oil I might try Kawasaki 10W-40 reg. motorcycle oil.
Nobody mentioned anything about the Kawa. oil if I recall
correctly? Wouldn't that oil be formulated perfectly for Kawa.
engines?
 
#19 ·
From a 2003 sportbike magazine article (later dated 2009):



“Some oil manufacturers and their representatives claim that using their product will result in more horsepower. These are special ultra-lightweight-viscosity racing synthetic oils that are said to reduce the parasitic drag that oil has on an engine's internal reciprocating components.


We decided to put these claims to the test-an actual dynamometer test. Two of the full synthetic oils in this test make these horsepower claims on their labels: Maxima Maxum Ultra (in 0W-30 and 5W-30) and Motul Factory Line 300V (in 5W-30).


We took two open-class sportbikes-a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and a Yamaha YZF-R1-and ran them with common off-the-shelf Valvoline 10W-40 automobile mineral oil to set a baseline dyno run. That oil was drained and replaced with the 0W-30 Maxum Ultra in the Suzuki, and the 5W-30 Motul 300V in the Yamaha. After about 15 miles of running to get the oil fully circulated through the engine, the bikes were then dynoed again.


Lo and behold, both the Suzuki and Yamaha posted horsepower gains. While not an earth-shattering boost in power, the gains were far beyond common run variations, and weren't restricted to the very top end.


The GSX-R1000 posted an increase of 3.3 horsepower on top, with some noticeable midrange gains as well; even more interesting was that the power steadily increased for several dyno runs (as the coolant temp increased).


The Yamaha responded nearly as well, with a 2.7 horsepower boost on top. It should also be noted that while riding both bikes, there was a noticeable ease in shifting with the synthetic oils compared to the automobile mineral oil. Pretty impressive for just changing oil, in our opinion.”


From:
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Oils Well That Ends Well, Part 2 | Sport Rider
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#20 ·
I just read another report about Royal Purple on line: Track Guys Royal Purple Performance Lubricant. A guy bought a brand new Mustang. They did a dyno
run with the stock oils in the car. Then they drained the stock oils and added Royal Purple and did another run. The increase with the Royal Purple was quite substantial in torque and horsepower, and
they showed the Dyno Report and graph. I've read other reports about motorcycles too. But how do I know if it's true or not? I
suppose I hope that people tell the truth.
 
#25 ·
I think everyone should try several oils- for me it is all about shifting smoothness and clutch feel.


An extreme anti-mixer for oil posted this on a Ferrari forum, if you really want to be "neurotic" about any oil mixing:


"For the first oil change in my 575 Maranello I drained the Shell and put in 0W-30 Mobil 1. This was at a few hundred miles on the odometer.

I drove the car home from work, put it on the lift and drained the transaxle and engine oils. I also opened and drained the oil cooler and took off every line that is in the oil system.

I wanted to get every speck of the Shell oil out of there. For optimal results you are not supposed to mix synthetic oils of different brands.

The system takes 12 quarts with a “normal” oil change but took 15 quarts for this change. It all took about an hour. I then started the engine to check for leaks. The multitude of mechanical engine noises that followed nearly broke my eardrums for about 10 long seconds.

Then it was suddenly very quiet. You could hear a pin drop. There was certainly the most possible amount of surface oil on all the internal parts as the engine was only off for an hour. But it was not until the oil circuit primed, filled, then sent flow into all the parts that any lubrication was occurring."

From:
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FerrariChat.com - FAQ: Motor Oil Articles by Dr. Ali E. Haas (AEHaas)
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#27 ·
I would like to see independent motorcycle oil testing (not published by Amsoil or some other company that wants certain results while hiding other results, such as leaving out Rotella and Red Line oils) that is newer than 2003. As far as I know, it does not exist.
 
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#29 ·
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#31 ·
I tried the Rotellas, without any mixing.


Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic: OK shifting, OK clutch feel, then the shifting got worse at about 1,500 miles for my 2002 Honda 4-speed transmission. It might be a very good choice for a better quality transmission (it really acts more like a semi-synthetic) , but I question its quality for lasting for many miles based on my experience with it. The calsi.com guy ranks it very high, along with Mike Guillory:

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Motorcycle Motor Oil
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Rotella T3 15W-40: Poor shifting smoothness from day 1, great clutch feel. I still use about half of this oil for its great clutch feel.


Time and trouble for oil mixing is almost none- for my ZZR600, I buy 2 quarts of Valvoline 20w-50 synthetic motorcycle oil and a gallon jug of Rotella T3 15w-40 at the local Walmart.


I add the quarts of synthetic to the crankcase first, then I add the Rotella and use the remaining Rotella for my other motorcycle (also mixed with one or two quarts of the same Valvoline Synthetic) and for my lawnmower.


The oil is mixed by the engine running after changing it. My 1988 design Honda cruiser only gets 1 quart of the synthetic and the rest the Rotella 15w-40 regular.
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#32 ·
Yeah, I was just playing around about mixing oil. I won't use Rotella T6 anymore for the same reasons you stated but many still swear by it. I just use the Rotella T Triple and call it a day. I haven't had it in the 650 for very long but the ZX seems to like it just fine.
 
#33 ·
I can't argue with the mixing of oil but I sure can't understand why anyone would take the time and money to try it
What if it's wrong?
What if it screws your bike up?
You're playing oil engineer and the outcome is really unknown.
If rotella T6 gets quircky with shifting after 1500 miles, it's cheap to just change it. We're talking 20 bucks for a gallon of full syn oil.
Why make it complicated?
 
#35 ·
"Why make it complicated?"

Because I was not happy with any of the oils that I tried- poor shifting, poor clutch feel, or too expensive.

I think I get the best of both worlds with my semi-synthetic mix, and if oil mixing was a problem, every time someone switched to a new oil, the remaining old oil in their engine would cause a problem.

I have used a mix the last 10 years, and I plan on using a mix for the next 40 years (I will be 96 then). I like that I can tell if the oil is just starting to fail by how the transmission shifts, for my motorcycles.

For my cars, I do not mix oil. I buy Valvoline MaxLife (a semi-synthetic), and my wife takes hers to the dealer for the recommended synthetic oil every 5,000 miles (for a 2013 Mazda still under warranty).
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#36 ·
that's really complicated
you mix oils for your bike but don't go by the Ferrari forum of mixing oil for your car and you use semi synthetic oil (complete waste of money) for one car and full syn for another car.
What type of cooking oil do you use or do you mix canola with olive oil?
 
#38 ·
Kawasaki 10w-40 dealer oil- probably good, but way overpriced.

The source of their oil could change from year to year, depending on which oil company Kawasaki gets a new contract with, then you are mixing oil from the previous supplier, and some think mixing oil might make your engine have a shorter life (highly unlikely in my opinion, but your choice).
 
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