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Motorcycle oil vs. automotive oil? |
I have used automotive oil in previous motorcycles, dirt bikes and ATV's. I understand how and what oil does in an internal combustion engine. Do motorcycles really need "motorcycle oil" that is almost 300% the price of qutomotive oil. I "buy into" the hype about cycle oils being better for friction since I have researched this issue to a certain extent. I guess my question would have to be narrowed down to this: Does motorcycle oil really attribute to better operation and wear charactoristics of the "wet clutch" that motorcycles of today use? The difference between a motorcycle specific oil and an automotive oil is the additive package. Each one being specific to the oil company or manufacturers guidelines. The pricing difference is just plain old supply and demand. The total output and sales of all motorcycle specific oils is probably less than any one line of automotive oil, you know? Automotive oils will work, but will break down sooner. Energy conserving oils contain friction modifiers and aren't good for a wet clutch. The majority of non-motorcycle specific oils that don't contain friction modifiers are mostly diesel engine oils. None of the motorcycle manufacturers 'produce' their own oil, but it is formulated to their exact specifications. For example, Honda doesn't offer a fully synthetic oil, only petroleum based and semi-synthetics. The additive package was formulated by a company in Jacksonville, Fla named "Apollo Engineering" but to Honda's specifications. Mobil oil is the 'distributor' for all of Honda's oil products, so the base stock is Mobil's with the Apollo additive package. Kawasaki's pure synthetic oil is nothing more than Motul E-Tech 100 with a different label. Clear as mud now isn't it? ;) 20w50 is all you need. Yamalube, Hondalube etc is just Pennzoil 20w50 or Castrol GTX. I have rode for years and never had a clutch or mechanical problem Motorcycle oil has to do double duty. In the engine, and the transmission, and that causes different problems than just engine oil. The action of the gears mashing the oil actually cuts the oil molecules apart causing viscosity loss. Special additives are needed to combat this, though modern automobile oils are much better than they were years ago. I use both depending on what I'm doing. If you have a wet clutch, the oil is designed to avoid slip. Yes you need to use the correct oil... if anything to not void the warranty. Yes motorcycle oil does have it's benefits if you are using a synthetic. A regular automotive synthetic will cause your clutch to slip. If you are using regular standard oil than all oils will work. In my oil cooled 85 Nighthawk I ran 20W-50 Valvoline. In my 2004 Honda Shadow Sabre I use 10W-40 Honda Synthetic oil. Where I buy my oil for my bike it is the same price as Mobile 1 synthetic so perhaps you should find a different supplier of your motorcycle oil. we use 20/50 Castrol in most of the bikes & atv's we work on at our ATV shop. There are a few that call for "special brand oil". I think polaris and Harley. Short answer-NO, it does not matter that much. Long answer- Specifically designed motorcycle oils, like AMSoil, or Golden Spectro have additives which reduce oil evaporation and carbon buildup. So if you want to eat off your motor, or are racing it, or rebuild it often, then a formulated oil will leave your valves cleaner, and cylinder walls less abraded. |
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