WHAT IS THE BEST OIL TO USE ???

[ConductorX]

I have nothing to offer in the oil controversy. To be safe I think I wll run the Hondaline oil in my Wing.

I do run Shell Rotella in all of my VWs. It is a high pressure oil and it contains zinc that helps the babbit bearings used in VW horizontal push rod engines.

PS I work for Shell so I am biased.

"G"

[Whiskerfish]

I do run Shell Rotella in all of my VWs.
"G"

I use it in all my wings. Cheap and if you do regular changes it is just fine. If you don't do regular changes no matter what you run then you are asking for trouble. I think that is far more important than the oil selection.

[ElPiloto]

Mobil 1 motorcycle oil. Better than all the others.

[sodbuster]

Best thing to do is reference your owners/shop manual. I believe the correct rating is API SF. Also, check out these websites:

http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products ... product=76

[ElPiloto]

I wouldn't believe anything that Valvoline says. In the early 70s, they marketted a Valvoline Racing Oil. After several tests by independent labs, it was proven that the racing oil was no different from their regular oil. Valvoline admitted to it and pulled the "Racing Oil" from the shelves.

Since then, I have never used anything made by Valvoline.

[Cookie]

If Rotella protects $14,000 truck engines running cross country it will probably get me tto the grocery store.

[Sidecar Bob]

Read these:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/school-SectionEight.htm

http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm
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I used Penzoil in my bikes for years because I could get it by the case locally & it was decent quality.
When I couldn't get the Penzoil anymore I switched to GTX - I couldn't get it by the case, but the price was good & it was available everywhere.
A couple of years ago Canadian Tire dropped the price of their 4 stroke motorcycle oil (made by Shell) to about the same as the GTX. It is often on sale for even less.
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P. 29 of the '81 GL1100 manual also says:
"USE HONDA 4-STROKE OIL OR AN EQUIVALENT"
Use only high detergent, premium quality motor oil certified to meet or exceed U.S. automobile manufacturer's requirements for Service Classification SE. Motor oils intended for service SE will show this designation on the container. The use of special oil additives is unnecessary and will only increase operating expenses."
They go on to recommend SAE 10W40, but provide a graph that indicates that it is OK to use:
20W40 or 20W50 at temperatures over -10c/14f
10W40 at temperatures over -20c/-4f
10W30 between -20c/-4f and 30c/86f

This information is repeated exactly in many Honda manuals. I have used 10W40 at temperatures from -40c/-40f to 35c/95f.

Synthetic oils were not on the market when our bikes were made. If they were Honda's recommendations probably would have been the same, but I'm sure they would have included synthetics as acceptable.

[AC/DC]

Man is this one all over the place.
That why this web site so good.
You get all this input from everybody.
Personally, I have been using Castrol.
I have not had a problem.
I like the idea of the Shell Rottela, because I use that other vehicles.
Some of the motorcycle shops sells top quailty oil for these bikes are about $8.00-10.00 a quart. You have spent $40.00 and you haven't bought a filter yet.

[Sidecar Bob]

Some of the motorcycle shops sells top quailty oil for these bikes are about $8.00-10.00 a quart. You have spent $40.00 and you haven't bought a filter yet.

Is it really top quality or merely high priced?

If you didn't already, read the links I posted above...

[CYBORG]

i believe that the progress in oil additive packages from the manufactures in the 20 years since the honda manual was written, especially anti- friction adatives, may make the information in the manual obsolete. also 20 years ago there were not a lot of motorcycle specific oils on the market. that being said, i agree that regular changes, in my case every 2500 miles, is the best preventive measure. i have used a lot of different motorcycle specific oil over the years, and the gauge i use for how good it is is how they effect the shifting. as far as the engine goes, oil is oil, as long as its a quality name. but as to the shifting, i have found mobil semi- synth. for motorcycles to be the best, so far. and well over 250,000 miles and counting.....still smooth as glass. just my 2cents

[sodbuster]

well said cyborg .......

[Sidecar Bob]

A friend of mine bought a new '83 Seca 650 in '85, mounted his sidecar on it & drove it year round. In 3 years he had put about 90,000 Km on it Maybe more - the speedo cable broke in the middle of winter and he waited for warmer weather to fix it. Any time he was doing any other work on it he changed the oil.
He always used Nugold. For those who don't know, Nugold is Canadian Tire's house brand re-manufactured oil.

Just when the engine needed some work he came across an engine at a wrecker with only a few hundred Km on it for a good price, so he decided to change the engine.

The work needed?

Well, it was oil related....


Sort of...







The oil seal at the output shaft had failed.

[toolman]

Cycleman (and others),
I am not an expert, but, I am old and I think that there's been a high degree of confusion concerning "friction modifiers" and clutch slippage.
In the early days in the development of "synthetic oils", some oil company added 'molybdenum dysulfide' to their regular oil as a "friction modifier", in order to compete with the new synthetics. Later, another company added Teflon (read: Slick 50) for the same purpose. Both quickly caused wet clutches to slip. Indeed, the "Slick 50" additive contains a warning concerning it's use in a wet clutch! The 'moly' caused oil leaks as the 'o' rings and gaskets used at the time were not compatible with the it! The oil company that used the 'moly' quickly abandoned it, but the damage was done. I don't remember the name of the oil, but, it was a major player! This was in the early to mid 70's, and synthetic oils got a bad reputation because of that incident.
However, the oil companies got their act together, and I have not heard of any credible instances where any synthetic oil has caused any clutch problems. Please read my earlier post concerning my use of synthetic oil.
There is one other point to add. A very close riding friend of 35 years does not use synthetic oil because of the cost. He strictly uses 'dead dino juice'. However, he does admit that he has had to replace several clutches due to excessive 'glazing', caused by the high temperatures generated when he pulls his camper trailer on longer trips! He now switches to synthetic before a camping trip.
This is my story, and I'm sticking with it.

[sodbuster]

Well said toolman .......... You're experience with high mileage bikes and choice of oil should speak for it self. I use Mobil 1 in my two Jeeps and I guess now I should start with my '83 1100.

[peteybug]

toolman in (my opinion) your correct I wae the oilier at our local papermill for years. They sent me to oil classes. Molies were used in some oils Shaffer for one it was a semi snthetic. Oils have improved a lot! I use Rotella and change every 2500 miles with a new filter.