[GR rider]

The Repsol Racing was very similar to the Castrol Power 1 I tried at the time (3 years ago or so) I used to run the Repsol in my R125, so it didn't really matter, it was just really cheap and had fancy colours on it, back then I didn't really know much about oils. That said the Repsol always seemed really thin compared to equivalent grade oils from Motul, motuls are very thick generally, and the repsol would regularly need refilling both in my a small top up in my 125. In the ER6 it only started going near the end of life, but to the degree, where up to 4k miles, it was perfectly on the dot every time, after 4k mile you'd need to put almost 300ml every 500 miles. Castrol did the same, but none of the motuls i've had, except the very low grade 5000 one, but i'm willing to give that the slip because it's semi-synthetic and was used during the winter and it was still lesser degree. The worst example of the Repsol Rider 20W50 though is in my 2003 XT600E, big thumping single cyl, probably nice and loose, with 40k miles on it, that thing was CHUGGING the repsol. Blue smoke on startup, and good thing it has oil stored in the frame because, damn it needed it lol. Repsol was going at like half a liter/ 500 miles from the very start. The repsol only stayed in for about 1500 miles before I ran out of leftovers from the bottles and decided to F it, and went for Motul 7100 20W50. No smoking since then and doesn't drink oil anywhere near as much.

About the Shell, as I said they make BMW's recommended oil and their own version is very close, to it. I've always thought of Shell in the back of my mind as a cheap oil company, kind of like Tesco own brand oils or stuff like that when in reality I know they aren't, it's just a perception thing, so i've been reluctant to try them yet, but I also only hear praise for the Advance Ultra and the Rotella in the car industry. In all fairness I used their Advance 2T in my old RG80 2 stroke but that thing is probably even less representative than the XT600 lol

As for fuel economy, I've not noticed any changes in fuel economy on my ER but i think I also have bigger factors affecting it already. In comparison with the XR the average consumption is about the same, on the ER6: I used to get 45mpg (6.2L/100km) as I used to do 150 miles to the tank and then put in 14.8-15L at the pump. The best I got out of a single tank was 189 miles and only 14.5 went in so that was 59mpg or 4.8L/100km, the absolute worst was 118 miles for 14L, so 38mpg, 7.3L/100km.

The XR on the other hand is a lot more sensitive the type of riding you do, but overall has the same averages and consumptions, I haven't really bothered calculating MPG for it because it has an onboard fuel economy calculator and it's pretty much perfectly accurate, the worst I've seen was 37mpg (7.6L/100km), the best I've seen was 53mpg (5.3L/100km), average over 5000 miles according to the Navi was 44.4mpg (6.4L/100km) So I don't know if my ER was pretty bad, or my XR is amazing lol. From what I hear people struggle to get their R1s, MT10s, ZX10Rs, CB1000Rs above 35mpg so this seems extremely good to me. On the other hand ER riders all report around 55mpg and 160-170 miles out of a tank. I think back when I joined this forum I even made a post about my fuel economy lol.
So about the same.

Thanks for the info my friend, I've heard the same more or less identical, rare, but always negative impressions about Repsol lubricants

In Greece Shell is not viewed as cheap but more as a "car" brand and the same goes with Michelin when it comes to tires.

If a 160hp four-cylinder literbike is anywhere near as economical as an Er6 then BMW deserves many congratulations! To my mind and experience, this is very hard to achieve even under ideal conditions but I guess modern technology works wonders.

I am not into calculations either but my best ever "performance" was 312km with at least a couple of liters left in the tank, so around 360km of projected max range and running on fumes. That was during a trip, riding mostly on country roads and with the bike loaded, so under similar conditions and without the bags maybe even 10 - 20km more theoretically.

 

[Kawisurrey]

After many years of using and recommending the BelRay 10W – 40 Synthetic Ester Blend oil, last summer I decided to try again a fully synthetic oil.

My choice was the Amsoil Metric 10W - 40 variety with suspiciously many good reviews and online recommendations.

So after a quick oil filter and oil change, I noticed an immediate drop in Kawi noise levels! I wish I had a dB meter to verify that but my mechanic also noticed it and so I set off to test the cooler operation claims.

I followed my everyday route knowing that the radiator fan starts working at a specific point and time. When I reached that point, nothing happened. I was quite impressed and decided to stop at the side of the road with the engine running and it took two more minutes for the fan to start doing its job! Same route, same ambient temperature, same engine load, cooler engine!

During low speed and city riding, I couldn’t feel much difference in comparison to the previous oil, the gearbox felt the same, positive with the occasional thump, and the running, in general, was as good as with the BelRay oil.

When the new oil got up to temperature though, and the revs began to rise, it was a different story. On the highway, with a steady 90mph, the bike felt smoother and the running effortless, a very nice running feeling markedly better than before. I arrived at my summer house about 90kms away with a big smile on my face!

Sport riding was also very much improved as the engine seemed smoother and way more eager to be revved. I usually don’t enjoy revving my engine to the sky but with this oil I caught myself flirting with the upper rev limit just for the hell of it! With the oil at optimum temperature, the gearbox was also transformed, making clutchless up shifting a joy as the next ratio would click in place with the slightest of touches on the gear lever! During October’s lockdown I managed to escape again and enjoyed more than a thousand miles of empty, country roads, and the oil’s performance was identically good no matter the ambient temperature.

During my recent long road trip to Italy and Malta, the oil also performed excellently, the same effortless running and peace of mind even during long highway stints and a lot of climbing up and down the Sicilian mountains with the bike fully loaded. Both engine and gearbox still in top form after almost 3500 km and eight days on the road.

And last but not least, ZERO clutch slipping – ZERO leaks or oil burning (as per usual)! I had a pretty bad experience with a fully synthetic Castrol oil a few years ago and vowed not to use one ever again, but thankfully my curiosity got the better of me

Where I live this oil is about two Euros more expensive per liter in comparison to the BelRay and I also needed to buy three bottles of the stuff as the US quarts do not exactly correspond to liters and I had to add a few more ml to meet the exact 1.9-liter amount for the oil change. I bought two more bottles back in February and the already opened one will serve as the “Joker”.

In a nutshell, I am pretty impressed by the Amsoil 10W – 40 fully synthetic oil as it performed extremely well against the excellent, previous BelRay 10W – 40 Synthetic Ester Blend and it fully justified its higher price with tangible improvements, stability and longevity:

Quieter, smoother and cooler engine operation

Effortless engine operation under high load

Livelier throttle response and high-speed revving

Quick shifter feeling gearbox with the oil warmed up

P.S. As always, impressions can be subjective so naturally don’t expect an oil change to suddenly turn your engine into a 1.6 liter straight-six.

The bottom line is that I saw a great improvement in comparison to a very high-quality oil so I bet that the difference in comparison to a cheap, run-of-the-mill oil will be massive.

You seem overly enthusiastic but I am still hesitant when it comes to fully synthetic oils. Your various product reviews have been absolutely on the spot though so you've definitely given me food for thought

 

[GR rider]

You seem overly enthusiastic but I am still hesitant when it comes to fully synthetic oils. Your various product reviews have been absolutely on the spot though so you've definitely given me food for thought

I always give credit to a product when I see real, tangible results.

Don't forget that I've waited a whole year before posting the Amsoil review so no premature enthusiasm and placebo effect at all.

The Amsoil performed better than the already tried and tested BelRay with no side effects whatsoever so it gets my full recommendation, simple as that!

 

[GR rider]

Valve clearance adjustment, throttle body service, oil (Amsoil Metric) and oil filter change and air filter cleaning yesterday, and the bike feels awesome despite the very high ambient temperatures

The usual suspect exhaust valve was once again way off, all the other inside the proposed limits.

For the first-gen Er, I wouldn't recommend adjusting the valves at 42k km as suggested by the manual even with normal use.

Above the 36k mark, the top right exhaust valve gets dangerously out of tune so re-adjust at least at 36 or even 32k km and it should be fine.

My kind of riding probably goes above and beyond normal use, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

 

[Antares]

Valve clearance adjustment, throttle body service, oil (Amsoil Metric) and oil filter change and air filter cleaning yesterday, and the bike feels awesome despite the very high ambient temperatures

The usual suspect exhaust valve was once again way off, all the other inside the proposed limits.

For the first-gen Er, I wouldn't recommend adjusting the valves at 42k km as suggested by the manual even with normal use.

Above the 36k mark, the top right exhaust valve gets dangerously out of tune so re-adjust at least at 36 or even 32k km and it should be fine.

My kind of riding probably goes above and beyond normal use, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

I done mine at 40k MILES and looking at the clearances that it had, I'd tend to agree with you 😂

 

[GR rider]

I done mine at 40k MILES and looking at the clearances that it had, I'd tend to agree with you 😂

From my experience, it gets worst with time, the exhaust valve "issue" nevertheless was there from the first adjustment albeit less pronounced. To my eyes, it is a matter of cylinder head design and heat dissipation.

The longest interval I allowed throughout the life of the bike was 37k km and the situation with that exhaust valve gradually worsens the more the engine nears 100k km.

Now I am convinced that the ideal, zero risk interval for valve adjustment is the 32k mark

 

[Antares]

From my experience, it gets worst with time, the exhaust valve "issue" nevertheless was there from the first adjustment albeit less pronounced. To my eyes, it is a matter of cylinder head design and heat dissipation.

The longest interval I allowed throughout the life of the bike was 37k km and the situation with that exhaust valve gradually worsens the more the engine nears 100k km.

Now I am convinced that the ideal, zero risk interval for valve adjustment is the 32k mark

True, the right side exhausts were the ones out for me by far the most too (0.13 and 0.11). I put my horrible clearances down to running the bike relatively lean all it's life (Pair delete, air filter, full system with no tune). Now that the bike is mostly out of hands, I doubt I'll ever get around to doing another adjustment on it.

 

[GR rider]

True, the right side exhausts were the ones out for me by far the most too (0.13 and 0.11). I put my horrible clearances down to running the bike relatively lean all it's life (Pair delete, air filter, full system with no tune). Now that the bike is mostly out of hands, I doubt I'll ever get around to doing another adjustment on it.

For some reason, the situation is even worst with the milder profile cam of the Versys.

It took Kawasaki more than ten years and a switch to Euro 5 regs to redesign the cylinder head and it would be interesting to hear from post-2017 model owners on the subject!

 

[DimitrisGR]

So guys, another oil change is near!
I've been using the Motul 5100 for the last 15k+ miles. I'm pretty happy with it , as it works fine. But the usage of the bike is only small (60 miles) or big (250 miles) motorides, and big weekly trips full loaded. The passenger is also on, almost in every ride. 0% of city use, as i have a 20 yesrs old, 50 cc Piaggio to deal with that!
So this kind of usage leading me to wonder if a Full Synthetic Oil will perform better than a Synthetic Blend Oil, in terms of engine protection as priority.
Both my mechanics one in Athens the other in my hometown(Larisa), had propose me Synthetic Blend Oils for ER6n. We didn't discuss about usage and details.
So what is your opinion?

I'm between those oils.

Full Synth (10w-40 or 15w-50) : AMSOIL METRIC (GR Rider proposition)
MOTUL 7100

Syn Blend (10w-40): Motul 5100
Bel Ray Exp (GR Rider pr.)
Maxima syn blend (50/50 esters/dino)
Silkolene Comp 4 XP

Also one more question.
Is there any meaning to change to full syn but with bigger viscosity(15w-50)?
As i'm thinking it may be a win/win situation.
A fully synth but a little bit thicker, is that works?

All i mentioned above(numbers, viscosities, etc) allowed by Motorcycles Manual.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Antares]

So guys, another oil change is near!
I've been using the Motul 5100 for the last 15k+ miles. I'm pretty happy with it , as it works fine. But the usage of the bike is only small (60 miles) or big (250 miles) motorides, and big weekly trips full loaded. The passenger is also on, almost in every ride. 0% of city use, as i have a 20 yesrs old, 50 cc Piaggio to deal with that!
So this kind of usage leading me to wonder if a Full Synthetic Oil will perform better than a Synthetic Blend Oil, in terms of engine protection as priority.
Both my mechanics one in Athens the other in my hometown(Larisa), had propose me Synthetic Blend Oils for ER6n. We didn't discuss about usage and details.
So what is your opinion?

I'm between those oils.

Full Synth (10w-40 or 15w-50) : AMSOIL METRIC (GR Rider proposition)
MOTUL 7100

Syn Blend (10w-40): Motul 5100
Bel Ray Exp (GR Rider pr.)
Maxima syn blend (50/50 esters/dino)
Silkolene Comp 4 XP

Also one more question.
Is there any meaning to change to full syn but with bigger viscosity(15w-50)?
As i'm thinking it may be a win/win situation.
A fully synth but a little bit thicker, is that works?

All i mentioned above(numbers, viscosities, etc) allowed by Motorcycles Manual.
Thanks in advance.

I can't comment on all of those but I know for a fact that almost all of those will be an upgrade from the 5100, I touched on that specific oil in my comment a few posts back

 

[GR rider]

So guys, another oil change is near!
I've been using the Motul 5100 for the last 15k+ miles. I'm pretty happy with it , as it works fine. But the usage of the bike is only small (60 miles) or big (250 miles) motorides, and big weekly trips full loaded. The passenger is also on, almost in every ride. 0% of city use, as i have a 20 yesrs old, 50 cc Piaggio to deal with that!
So this kind of usage leading me to wonder if a Full Synthetic Oil will perform better than a Synthetic Blend Oil, in terms of engine protection as priority.
Both my mechanics one in Athens the other in my hometown(Larisa), had propose me Synthetic Blend Oils for ER6n. We didn't discuss about usage and details.
So what is your opinion?

I'm between those oils.

Full Synth (10w-40 or 15w-50) : AMSOIL METRIC (GR Rider proposition)
MOTUL 7100

Syn Blend (10w-40): Motul 5100
Bel Ray Exp (GR Rider pr.)
Maxima syn blend (50/50 esters/dino)
Silkolene Comp 4 XP

Also one more question.
Is there any meaning to change to full syn but with bigger viscosity(15w-50)?
As i'm thinking it may be a win/win situation.
A fully synth but a little bit thicker, is that works?

All i mentioned above(numbers, viscosities, etc) allowed by Motorcycles Manual.
Thanks in advance.

I'd love to read impressions about the Silkolene Comp 4 XP should you choose to stick with semi synthetic.

 

[DimitrisGR]

I can't comment on all of those but I know for a fact that almost all of those will be an upgrade from the 5100, I touched on that specific oil in my comment a few posts back

Yes i've read your post...and i agree. 5100 is average on everything, its doing the job!

 

[DimitrisGR]

I'd love to read impressions about the Silkolene Comp 4 XP should you choose to stick with semi synthetic.

Of course, if i choose it i'll let you know my impressions.

 

[DimitrisGR]

Guys look what i found, a spider chart from Maxima oils. Very helpful and useful from me.
Mineral one has the top transmission protection...but Pro Plus+ seems to be the better overall!

 

[DimitrisGR]

So...the oil research is over.
I just ordered the Amsoil Metric 10w-40, and also add to the order their synthetic Chain Lube.
Waiting for the results now...a lot of promises from reviews worldwide!

 

[GR rider]

So...the oil research is over.
I just ordered the Amsoil Metric 10w-40, and also add to the order their synthetic Chain Lube.
Waiting for the results now...a lot of promises from reviews worldwide!

Couldn't agree more

Don't forget to buy three bottles because you will need a few ml more for the standard oil - oil filter change.

Take your time and tell us what you think of both products

 

[DimitrisGR]

Couldn't agree more

Don't forget to buy three bottles because you will need a few ml more for the standard oil - oil filter change.

Take your time and tell us what you think of both products

Yes, i noticed that from your previous posts.
I submit to the order 3 bottles 😁🤘😉

 

[Wabbit1961]

If you change your oil every 3,000-4,000 miles it really doesn't matter what the hell you use. That goes for car or motorcycle oil brands. For years I used Castrol GTX 10W-40. Never had any problems, and I put high miles on all my bikes. If you're so concerned about using a full synthetic, I stared using Valvoline Motorcycle full synthetic. It's cheap and my 2020 Ninja 650 loves it. You don't need to put more than 2 quarts in even if you change the filter... The oil level is right in the middle....

Speaking of filters...

Same goes for oil filters. People will try and tell you one is better than the other, or, look at the construction....blah, blah, blah ad nauseum. I used Framm oil filters on all my bikes, and again, with never an issue. For ease of use on the Ninja I use HighFlo Filtro HF 303 RC. They're cheap and they have a nut like the K&N filters. Buy them all day long on Amazon.

Same people that try and tell you you're gonna damage your bike are the ones that tell you you should only use non-ethanol gas. They can shove it. Your not going to damage your gaskets, etc. Let them prove it. Most of the bikes reported have high mileage 50-60k miles. At that point ANY small block motorcycle should go through a rebuild, if only minor. Most bike owners these days don't keep their bike for half that mileage and trade in for another bike. Such is the nature of riding - the pursuit of a better bike always comes into play.

I have 12,000+ miles on my 2020 Ninja 650 and it's only 8 months old... Sheesh.

 

[Antares]

If you change your oil every 3,000-4,000 miles it really doesn't matter what the hell you use. That goes for car or motorcycle oil brands. For years I used Castrol GTX 10W-40. Never had any problems, and I put high miles on all my bikes. If you're so concerned about using a full synthetic, I stared using Valvoline Motorcycle full synthetic. It's cheap and my 2020 Ninja 650 loves it. You don't need to put more than 2 quarts in even if you change the filter... The oil level is right in the middle....

Speaking of filters...

Same goes for oil filters. People will try and tell you one is better than the other, or, look at the construction....blah, blah, blah ad nauseum. I used Framm oil filters on all my bikes, and again, with never an issue. For ease of use on the Ninja I use HighFlo Filtro HF 303 RC. They're cheap and they have a nut like the K&N filters. Buy them all day long on Amazon.

Same people that try and tell you you're gonna damage your bike are the ones that tell you you should only use non-ethanol gas. They can shove it. Your not going to damage your gaskets, etc. Let them prove it. Most of the bikes reported have high mileage 50-60k miles. At that point ANY small block motorcycle should go through a rebuild, if only minor. Most bike owners these days don't keep their bike for half that mileage and trade in for another bike. Such is the nature of riding - the pursuit of a better bike always comes into play.

I have 12,000+ miles on my 2020 Ninja 650 and it's only 8 months old... Sheesh.

Agree with the filters, Hiflo is good brand with cheap filters, have been using them for years on all bikes.

For engine oils I'd say meh to that. They definitely have differences that can be felt sometimes. Often though more expensive oils do actually outlast their cheaper counterparts (see Motul 5000 vs 5100 vs 7100, 7100 lasts waaayy longer)

I'd always go fully synthetic too simply because the price gap pretty much doesn't exist anymore, it's such a small cost per mile anyway, might as well put the good stuff in, it makes a difference. (10 GBP between 7100 and 5100 for a 5000 mile interval, in those same 5000 miles you'll use 500 litres of fuel at 1.30 GBP/litre working out to 650 GBP for the same 5000 miles. Engine oil price is really trivial at that point.

As for fuel, use non ethanol if you store your bike for long periods of time between rides, it'll do it good, if you go through a tank of petrol per week it's inconsequential.

 

[mjahelka]

Any time someone starts an oil thread, I like to post this article. I don't think it matters what oil you use as long as it meets the manufacturers requirements.

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