shatzbot10 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 OK, its a thrashed-over topic, but I haven't read any reviews more recent than 2 yrs ago. I called Castrol this morning. Unless I misunderstood, the rep said that the company is not recommending Syntex for m/c. They have "upgraded" to a more specific oil for bikes. Discounting that, is mixing, say a 5-50w with a 20-50w, not a good idea? Feedback is appreciated. Thank you, R1200RT in Houston Link to comment
JayW Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 I wouldn't, especially in Houston. I would stick with 20W-50 year-round, unless you ride up North too. As far as which brand, I use the BMW oil, but many on this forum seem to use other name-brand oils with good results. You're going to get opinions all over the map on the brand question, but you can't go wrong with the 20W-50 weight in southern TX. Thinner oils may not offer the protection you need in hot weather. Jay Link to comment
Dave_in_TX Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 The Castrol rep was probably thinking of a wet clutch bike. IIRC, Syntec meets BMW's specs for use in the RT. Link to comment
shatzbot10 Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 Yes. She DID mention interference with the clutch! I'm sure that's what what she was refering to (wet v. dry). Thank you. Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 FWIW, I did use Syntec in my Honda Blackbird, not the full synthetic but the semi and experienced no problems with the clutch. That was early in the bike's tenure in my hands and I was still hammerin' it pretty good. Given the bike's HP and weight, if I was gonna experience problems, I would have. Ran that oil for the normal 8K service interval and then switched to Shell Rotella T, which I have been using ever since. That was about 40K miles ago, I have 56K on the bike now and nothing seems to be wearing out. Hard to say for sure cause I haven't had a single cover off the bike in that time. Link to comment
stubblejumper Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I will just stick with AMS oil once my ST is broken in.It's a better oil for less money than the syntech synthetic. Link to comment
hopz Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 NO.... not another oil thread... I lived and rode in Houston for seven years. I is really hot. I used Mobil 1 15W50 all the time and even in Parade and Escort duty felt it provided the protection I needed. Link to comment
Jon_M Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Castrol now has a motorcycle-specific synthetic oil, but I can't find anybody near me (Southern California) who sells it. Same with Amsoil: Hard as the dickens to buy! Link to comment
RFW Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Clutch problems are caused by oils that have friction reducing additives in them, and are identified by the words "Energy Saving" in the lower half of the API Donut on the label. If these words are not on the API Donut, then the oil will not give wet clutch problems. Simple as that! Castrol Syntec, by the way, is not really "synthetic"; it is made mainly from Group III hydrocracked Dino stock. Not that it really matters a damn! It makes no sense to play around with ordinarly "automotive" oils, anyway. Diesel rated oils like Shell Rotella, or Rotella-T, or Chevron Delo400 contain more of the extreme pressure lubricant ZDDP, and are made from better feed stock than automotove oils (so-called synthetic or not). Considering that these oils are far more robust than ordinary automotive oils, and contain a more expensive and much higher quality additive package than "ordinary" oils, AND they are reasonably priced, it is a mystery to me why people are so fixated on car oils! Link to comment
Jon_M Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Castrol Syntec, by the way, is not really "synthetic"But what about Castrol Act-Evo, which they are now pushing for motorcycles? The mechanic who worked on my vintage bike recommended it to me. Link to comment
markgoodrich Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Clutch problems are caused by oils that have friction reducing additives in them, and are identified by the words "Energy Saving" in the lower half of the API Donut on the label. If these words are not on the API Donut, then the oil will not give wet clutch problems. Simple as that! Castrol Syntec, by the way, is not really "synthetic"; it is made mainly from Group III hydrocracked Dino stock. Not that it really matters a damn! It makes no sense to play around with ordinarly "automotive" oils, anyway. Diesel rated oils like Shell Rotella, or Rotella-T, or Chevron Delo400 contain more of the extreme pressure lubricant ZDDP, and are made from better feed stock than automotove oils (so-called synthetic or not). Considering that these oils are far more robust than ordinary automotive oils, and contain a more expensive and much higher quality additive package than "ordinary" oils, AND they are reasonably priced, it is a mystery to me why people are so fixated on car oils! Interesting information about the Rotella, but I have a deeper mystery to ask about: whatEVER oil, which meets the BMW engineering department's minimum specifications, should work, right? So, using one of the deluxe oils like Amsoil, Rotella, pick any you like, is going to do what, exactly regarding extending the life of moving parts? I'm not being a smartass here, I'm serious. How many more miles will my engine last using something which exceeds the OEM specifications? As a corollary, if one or more brand actually DOES extend the life of the engine, how many among us will keep the bike long enough to enjoy the fruits of our (expensive) oil's effects? If I thought I'd really get a SIGNIFICANT life extension (i.e. a payback) from fancy oil, I'd switch in a heartbeat. I've never read anything which led me to that conclusion. Yet. Read a lot of oil threads on a lot of forums, not just motorcycles, read a lot of technical papers which I either barely or poorly understood, and mainly read a lot of marketing stuff about the benefits of a brand, but never anything that said "Use this oil and your motor which is going to last 150,000 miles using the OEM recommendation will last 300,000 miles." So the mystery is, why do we all spend a penny more than necessary on oil, absent proof that what we're doing is based on something more than simple faith? I mean no insult to anyone regarding their personoil behaviors. Finally, for those of us who GOTTA have the very best, regardless of my cogent, sensible, informed, objective comments, Royal Purple is worthy of consideration. Link to comment
RFW Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Interesting information about the Rotella, but I have a deeper mystery to ask about: whatEVER oil, which meets the BMW engineering department's minimum specifications, should work, right? So, using one of the deluxe oils like Amsoil, Rotella, pick any you like, is going to do what, exactly regarding extending the life of moving parts? BMW's problem with newer "car oils" that are rated later than SH, is that these car-rated oils have seen coninuous reductions in their ZDDP content over the years. This stuff is a zinc-phosphorous organometallic compound that is the last ditch stand against metal-to-metal contact in bearings, piston skirts, cams and so on, when these parts undergo abnormally high loading. I spoke at length to the head BMW tech some years ago at BMW Canada, and he stated that BMW was concerned that under extreme conditions (including the first few seconds after starting, before full oil flow is established), newer car oils would not offer the amount of metal-to-metal protection that was needed. So called "diesel" oils, being intended for operation in big diesel rigs that go up tp 100,000 miles between changes, and being intended to cope with the higher pressures encountered in a diesel motor, are not only formlated from better feedstock, they contain a better additive package that has enhanced levels of ZDDP. I have used either Delo400 or Rotella-T in my K100RT for years, and it burns absolutely no oil between changes in spite of nearly 200,000km on the clock. Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Jon M, Just go to a Kawasaki dealer and by their oil, it is made by Castrol. Link to comment
maxscycle Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Sorry, but....a good friend of mine will be glad to drop ship you any "case" of amsoil you want. He would even set you up as a "preferred customer" if you preferred. Then you buy directly from amsoil, at wholesale prices. max Link to comment
Jon_M Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Sorry, but....a good friend of mine will be glad to drop ship you any "case" of amsoil you want. He would even set you up as a "preferred customer" if you preferred. Then you buy directly from amsoil, at wholesale prices. max Interesting, but how much do I have to buy to get the preferred buyer discount? Will it offset the cost of shipping to California? Link to comment
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