Engine Oil, What Do You Use?

I would love to have some comments back on engine oil preferences for the motorcycle.  My mechanic, whom I trust, recommended changing to an oil/synthetic mix, so I did.  I originally thought I would go with full synthetic until he talked me out of it.

Synthetic vs. Crude Oil – While synthetic oils cost more, they typically last 3 times longer than crude oil before they have to be replaced.  Synthetics lose from 4% to 10% of their mass in high-heat conditions compared to petroleum based oils that lose up to 20%.

The more I look into this, the more I think I should have gone with my original plan of changing to a full synthetic.  Next time.

Meanwhile, there is another, supposedly better product out there called SynLube. The claim is that it will last up to 50  times longer than conventional oil, which basically means, no oil changes over the life of the motorcycle.  It is very pricey at $20. to $35. per quart, but much cheaper than crude or synthetics over the life of the motorcycle, if you keep it long enough.

One piece of advice is  be careful about using car oils in a motorcycle.  Friction modifiers are found in SJ/SL rated oils, so these would not be advisable for bikes with high friction/wet clutches.  This may of course exclude those bikes such as Harley’s, that have dry clutches, but still, any oil that contains “friction modifiers” should be avoided for motorcycles.

Hint:  Look for the starburst on the oil container.  If it doesn’t have one, it doesn’t have friction modifiers.  This is good for motorcycle use.

Help me out here.  Who is using what? Answer in the comment field.

• Crude Oil
• Synthetic
• Synthetic Blend
• SynLube

I  would like to know your thoughts on this topic.

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