What oil do you use?

windychris · Post by **windychris** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:03 am

It has dawned on me that while I'm sure it's fine to put "motorcycle" oil in the BM, this stuff is always designed with a wet clutch in mind, which clearly isn't the case here. Is this very expensive oil therefore overkill on the old protection front?

What do you use, and what is recommended?

madman · Post by **madman** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:44 am

You may have stirred up a hornets nest here. Everybody has their own ideas about oil.
I use fully synthetic 5W50 car oil in my 9000 mile 2004 model and the same in my wifes 2000 model (28000 miles). The only reason we don't use a 5W40 or a mineral is that the 40 tends to thin here in southern France when the bikes are hot. The mineral can suffer the same problem as mineral cannot suffer high temperatures without breaking down, (it may not get hot enough to break down but there is a wider margin with synthetic).
Besides, at £13 for 5 liters, it is not expensive.
There is no need at all to use a bike oil as you say there is no wet clutch and the bike has seperate garbox oil so it would be a waste of money.

winger · Post by **winger** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:49 am

Last bit of Madmans reply is the decideing factor,use what you can get your hands on cheapest,if you do use cheap oil just don't be daft and exspect the same mileage before changes,it's an air cooled twin for heavens sake,i ran my FJ 1200 on Morris diesel oil.

I run both my Tiger and BM on Shell,but thats another story.

boxerpan · Post by **boxerpan** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:00 am

winger wrote:

I run both my Tiger and BM on Shell,but thats another story.

Only coz it's free, you tightwad

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:47 pm

I run mine (5800-mile '04 bike) on Harley-Davidson 20w50 mineral. Designed for hot-running air-cooled motors, the BM seems very happy with it. The heavier 20w50 has eased the oil usage a tad too. I've always changed the oil every 3k on the BM's I've owned (ie half-way between services).

Costs approx 4 quid a litre btw.

Blackal · Post by **Blackal** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:12 pm

Gromit wrote:I run mine (5800-mile '04 bike) on Harley-Davidson 20w50 mineral. Designed for hot-running air-cooled motors, the BM seems very happy with it. The heavier 20w50 has eased the oil usage a tad too. I've always changed the oil every 3k on the BM's I've owned (ie half-way between services).

Costs approx 4 quid a litre btw.

Is it not a bit thick (well, it is American) for winter? I would have thought the cranking load would be a bit high?

(mind you - I've seen your bikes, they're that bloody clean - I suspect you keep them in the living room)

I've been using straight mineral oil, and the consumption is next to nothing.

Just got the bike back from Motorrad Central East from a 12,000/annual and I can't see the bloody level at all - Will be heading out there tomorrow if it doesn't appear bloody soon

Al

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:02 pm

Al - you're right, the 20w50 may be a bit thick for the colder months but judging by the oil manufacturers' temperature tables etc, this grade should be reasonably ok.

Then again, if you live north of Watford...

Castrol GP mineral comes in a 10w40 I think (as does the Harley stuff, if you can get hold of it).

As to not being able to see the level, I've also never had a BM back from service that hasn't been overfilled, which is why I tend to do my own oil change these days, then if the bike's under warranty, get the stealer to do the bare minimum to stamp the book.

Blackal · Post by **Blackal** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:07 pm

Gromit wrote:

Then again, if you live north of Watford...

It's not like we want to fry chips in it, though - even though we come from "Oop North" or "in the Heilands"

Mind you - I can just see the Harley boys doing their chips in Harley Oil

Al

sandbar · Post by **sandbar** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:27 pm

Blackal wrote: I would have thought the cranking load would be a bit high?

IMHO If your battery can't crank the engine with a 20-50 in it, I would suggest that there are other problems to be dealt with!!!

I did say IMHO

sandbar

Archie · Post by **Archie** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:36 pm

winger wrote:i ran my FJ 1200 on Morris diesel oil.

I always used to look to winger as the voice of experience, but I tried me gixxer on diesel and it went all smokey and wouldn't go over 75mph.

Watch him, he could be dodgy.

winger · Post by **winger** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:51 pm

Should that be 175!!! free oil!! no such thing as a free lunch it's called the barter system.

Which reminds me! while away, came across Shell Super V 100 octane fuel, ran well in the Tiger gods knows what it would do in the S.

Blackal · Post by **Blackal** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:03 pm

sandbar wrote:
Blackal wrote: I would have thought the cranking load would be a bit high?
IMHO If your battery can't crank the engine with a 20-50 in it, I would suggest that there are other problems to be dealt with!!!

I did say IMHO

sandbar

Didn't say that the motor/battery wouldn't do it - just hinting that, in the winter, it's just another increased load, that you could do without.

I could say that if my engine can't haul an R1100s without fitting carbon fibre bits, there are other problems to be dealt with??

IMHO

(just pulling yer pi55er now)

Al

boxerpan · Post by **boxerpan** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:56 pm

winger wrote:free oil!! no such thing as a free lunch it's called the barter system.

Yes there is such a thing as a free lunch. Some dodgy Brummie Geezer gave me some freebies at the end of last season - just don't ask any questions was all he said

madman · Post by **madman** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:10 am

Running an oil with a 20W50 grade may not be a problem with cranking speed when cold, but against a 5W50 it would take about three times as long for the oil to reach all the bearing surfaces on startup.
Many years ago I read a report on oil thickness where a 250 OHC Honda engine was used. The report said that a 20W50 oil took almost twice as long to reach the camshaft bearings ad a 15W40 did. In that case the camshaft was grinding itself away running dry for twice as long!
When our oil level check method is to leave the bike on its side stand to drain back to the sump before checking, there must be a significant volume of oil to fill up again on start up. Think I'll stick to 5W40 or 5W50.
Should any member be coming this way for a trip, feel free to contact me and I can get fully synthetic oil for 20 euro for 5W50 and 16 euro for 5W40. Bring a filter with you and you are welcome to use my garage and tools to change it.

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:43 pm

i use castrol magnatec