What engine oil do you use?

Tenoq · Post by **Tenoq** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:00 pm

Just wondering what preference/recommendations you lot have for engine oils (particularly for my 02 ZX9R). I've done a little bit of reading and found a few people using 10W40 Mobil 1, but that doesn't seem to exist in Australia (at least according to the Mobil product guide I was checking out today).

Is there a big difference between the various weights? I don't have the service manual for my bike, but the older one hosted here suggests 10W-40, 20W-40 and 20W-50 are ok for the B model 9R. Not too sure which synth one I want to use.

EDIT: ok, so I found 10W-40 Mobil 1 is actually "Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40". So where the hell (south of Melb) do you get this stuff? My locals don't seem to have it.

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:08 pm

I use 10-40w motul 5100

depending on how many km's your bike has depends on weight oil you should use

Tenoq · Post by **Tenoq** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:08 pm

tanyathecheeky wrote:I use 10-40w motul 5100

depending on how many km's your bike has depends on weight oil you should use

Ah, well if that's the case I'd better mention it's coming up on 24,000kms.

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:27 pm

10-40 is fine

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:38 pm

tanyathecheeky wrote:I use 10-40w motul 5100

depending on how many km's your bike has depends on weight oil you should use

BINGO

we did this question a few months back, and theres a lot of members here who use & love Motul 5100....im one of em...

Tenoq · Post by **Tenoq** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:39 pm

Neka79 wrote:
tanyathecheeky wrote:I use 10-40w motul 5100

depending on how many km's your bike has depends on weight oil you should use
BINGO

we did this question a few months back, and theres a lot of members here who use & love Motul 5100....im one of em...

Fair enuff. Next question - who knows a good place to buy in Melbourne?

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:41 pm

Engine oil viscosity should be selected on temperature ranges that the bike will be subjected to and recommended viscosities by the manufacturer. I can't see how kms affect the viscosity, except in the case where someone runs the bike in on mineral oil and changes to synthetic later....which is probably unrelated to viscosity anyway.

Some people do run straight 50 oil if their engines are worn- is that what you are getting at Tanya?

SocialSecurity · Post by **SocialSecurity** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:41 pm

cant beat motul 5100

i use 10w-40 in colder months and 15w-50 in hotter months... my bike runs pretty hot in summer.... my radiator is pretty munted

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:44 pm

Engine oil viscosity should be selected on temperature ranges that the bike will be subjected to and recommended viscosities by the manufacturer. I can't see how kms affect the viscosity, except in the case where someone runs the bike in on mineral oil and changes to synthetic later....which is probably unrelated to viscosity anyway.

Some people do run straight 50 oil if their engines are worn- is that what you are getting at Tanya?

SocialSecurity · Post by **SocialSecurity** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:49 pm

Tenoq wrote: Fair enuff. Next question - who knows a good place to buy in Melbourne?

where do you live?

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:51 pm

what oil you run depends on a couple of things

the type of bike
the km's

I've had two training nights with the motul rep, he explained how/what/why ( i don't remember everything though)

Newer bike with low km's 10-40/50
older bike lots of km's start going towards the 15/20w (tolerances are larger)
They're looking at (or starting to produce) 0/5w oils, designed for the way the manufacturers are making the bikes now
He didn't recommend 50w for anything but harleys

Also if you use your bike at the track frequently you should use either the 300v or 7100, they both have higher levels of Esther and other goodies

SocialSecurity · Post by **SocialSecurity** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:56 pm

a 'nights training' with the rep hey... and you dont remember much? wake up regretting anything?

look in the service manaul, it will definately say that the viscosity thats right for you depends on ambient temperatures

he may be right to an extent..... but the thing about sales reps is that they know even less than sales persons

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:58 pm

not quite, this guy actually works for motul

and he drummed it into me twice

Your bike manual is fine, but probably out of date to what oils are now available.

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:59 pm

Yep sounds like BS to me- once past the run in period, it would take ages for tolerances to change enough for a viscosity change. Temperature range would be far more important.

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:02 pm

Next time the motul guy is around, ask him what the differences are between car oils and bike oils, and why the large difference in price (apart from profiteering by oil companies) and see how much he knows.