The holy grail of OIL...

[Squily]

I use Motul 3100 semi-synth normally and service every 10kkm. if I know I'm gonna be doing a long trip of >10kkm between services and/or hard work, I switch to 5100 full synth. (both 10W40)

Works for me   

[jackyork]

I always used to use Valvoline but times change. I have been a Motul convert for some time now and since the advent of fully synthetic other contenders are are not to be dismissed.
I have heard good reports about Rockoil and of course our brave leader Bernard Two Plugs had an epiphany with Putoline, whilst on a visit to Wales.

Just what made you decide, Bernard?

JK

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[SilverD]

Guess I missed this thread earlier, but I'm astounded that some of you keep your oil in for up to two years.

Fresh oil is the cheapest insurance you can 'buy' for your bike. Don't forget your clutch wears and contaminates your oil, which does not happen in automotive engines, and transmission gears put a whole different load on oil not found in automotive engines either..

Personally I use Shell Rotella T6 synthetic and change it every 5 to 6000 Kms.

Rotella T is a diesel oil, but is JASCO MA certified and tons of folks this side of the pond use it with great success. It is as inexpensive as conventional oil with the smoother shifting and other benefits that come with synthetic oils.

But then I also run a stock Honda paper filter
Each to their own..

[jackyork]

Rotella is indeed an excellent oil but I don't think it's available in the UK any more. It was 'the' oil for the road transport fleet. It also, being for diesel engines is (or was) a 'flushing' oil designed for the older, not quite constant, loss type of diesel.
If you are changing at those intervals, it really hardly matters what quality you use as long as it meets viscosity requirements.
Modern oils are quite capable of staying in spec for 15-20,000 km but the contaminant build up, including acids, as you rightly point out, is the problem and two years is about the limit you should run to.
I like to change the oil in my engines as often as is 'healthy' and not run to the limits but fully synthetic modern lubricants are a different breed to what we grew up with.

JK

[Ironman.WP]

"Not sure how you could do a "filter only" change without making a bigger mess than often happens? It sits quite low on the motor."[/color]

.....I was also wondering about that..? I've heard of some guys changing the oil only every 5/6000km and keeping the filter on till the next interval, only then changing both oil and filter.  But saying that, also heard of people running oil for longer but changing the stock standard filter at 5/6000kms?? Is that even possible?! I would think one moer of a big puddle of oil on the floor by the time you fit the new filter.  😮

[Bønne]

Beacause when you dismantle the filter you only opens to the oil channels running from the
oil pump to the bearings etc. Of cause some oil will come out, but not much. And if you put
something under you won´t get oil on the floor 

Otherwise with the oil plug, here you opens directly to the oil sump, draining everything out.

But I don´t se why anyone should chance the filter alone. Honda recommend both oil and filter
change every 12000 km, so why not just do that?

[Ironman.WP]

Agreed.  I run on normal oil anyway,  so it only makes sense to to it likevyou said. I was considering the fully synthetic oils, due to my clutch/gears also not allowing downshifs while being static sometimes...  Wanted to explore the possibility of a quick fix, like mentioned by Bernard. Not an emergency or anything, just getting as much information as possible on the subject.

[Ironman.WP]

Question(s)!   ...I've seen fully synthetic car oils in our local dealers 10w 40. (Well I gather its car oil, because it is not stipulated) and the agent specs for the Dero's are also 10w 40...  The synthetic's used by you guys, are they bike oil and specified as such?  Could i simply use the "car" oil I saw and would a simple oil and filter change be sufficient to start using synthetic oil?

[Ironman.WP]

I also see 5w40 full synthetic oils. Know its something to do with the viscosity... is the 5w a thinner more runny composition than the 10w, or does that have do with the temperature tolerance range?  In my situation with a mk1 Dero, would it be suitable for synthetic?  Here in SA and more specifically around my region, we have hotter temperatures rather than cold.

[Two Plugs]

I have run 2 MK1's on full synthetic, Ironman and I would not do it otherways around again!
Familiar with your climate, I would go for the 5W10. But around the Cape 10W40 would be good as well.

[SilverD]

I also see 5w40 full synthetic oils. Know its something to do with the viscosity... is the 5w a thinner more runny composition than the 10w, or does that have do with the temperature tolerance range?  In my situation with a mk1 Dero, would it be suitable for synthetic?  Here in SA and more specifically around my region, we have hotter temperatures rather than cold.

This may help, scroll down to the Multi weight section if the beginning is too overwhelming.
Were I you, I'd stick with a 15- something rather than a 5- something as that will be a heavier base oil.

http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Auto_oils/oil_viscosity_explained.htm

[Ironman.WP]

Thank you! Now filled with my newly acquired knowledge of oil and the viscosity variables, I now have to go through my local variety in the attempt to find the most suitable one...  An American biker forum also discussed the oil issue.  They threw a spanner in the works by adding another interested point. They mentioned that the synthetic oils used in bikes should not have "energy saving" properties.  The remarks was made that it had negative effects on the wet clutches of bikes..?? 

[zebulon]

They mentioned that the synthetic oils used in bikes should not have "energy saving" properties.  The remarks was made that it had negative effects on the wet clutches of bikes..??

Not sure it is linked but in the US they have less octane indice

[SilverD]

.  An American biker forum also discussed the oil issue.  They threw a spanner in the works by adding another interested point. They mentioned that the synthetic oils used in bikes should not have "energy saving" properties.  The remarks was made that it had negative effects on the wet clutches of bikes..??

This is true, over here, Canada and the States, some oils are "energy conserving" and labeled as such. They are to be avoided as they have "friction modifiers" that will render a wet clutch useless in short order. I have no personal experience with that but so I'm told and it seems to make sense.

Both synthetic and conventional auto oils could be energy conserving.

[Jasper]

I've just done oil change with Shell Rotella T6 synthetic 5w40 (JASCO MA) & Hi-Flo filter (#204)
Weather is warming up today and the snow is melting ...so I can see myself getting the insurance sometime this week