Quote:
I too swear by Amsoils 0w-40 for ATV's and 4-stroke sleds. Cant beat the year round use.
As far as what MC oil for the guy who started this thread, definitly stick with MC specific oil. Dont even bother taking a chance with oils not labeled energy conserving. They wont do harm, but they arent fortified with additives to deal your wet clutch shearing effects and tranny gears sharing the motor oil.
First have to pick a weight. Determine that by your location and outside temps you often start the bike in. Here in Wisconsin and you in Michigan, you'd be nuts to run 20w-50 all year round, but people do. 10w-40 is a better for year round use, 5w-40 is even better.
Regarding 5w-40 Rotella T, its a great oil, but its not a true synthetic like Mobil and Amsoil and does not meet JASO specs. Here it is from the horses mouth...
http://rotella.com/qa/answerresult.php?rowid=239
We first need to understand what the horse is telling us when it speaks...
First off, picking a moto specific oil may well provide a less than learned consumer with a fluid that will be fine for use in their application.
But, those who actually take the time to read between the lines of marketing campaigns, and research things a bit more indepth than simply reading a magazine add, find that there are many oils on the shelf that, althought they may not be marketed towards a paricular niche in the industry, are fully capable of providing as good of, or even better in many cases, protection than what the higher-priced moto-specific fluids will.
I think you meant to warn
against using Energy Conserving oils, which is another typical warning that tends to be unfounded, as there is very little evidence to support there being any problems at all experienced by use in a mechanically sound wet clutch application.
And the reduction of ZDDP sure doesn't mean that the oil isn't fortified well enough to handle the rigors of the off-road vehicle.
It might well elude to that being the case, but evidence proves otherwise in many, many instances.
As far as Rotella not being a true synthetic...well it is a group III hydrocarbon, but it has been engineered to handle an increased amount of heat while exhibiting better handling of temp variations than group II oils.
Just because the oil isn't a PAO doesn't mean that it isn't up to task.
We should be changing out the fluids in an off-road vehicle much sooner than the oil competely degrades anyway. And unless your engine is seeing the very extremes of it's abilities for long periods, it probably doesn't benefit from the synthetic basestocks.
Extended OCI's shouldn't be a serious consideration with these types of performance engines.
You apparently misread what Shell is telling you on their website that you provided.
The language they are using makes it quite clear that the Rotella products are very good choices for 4t engines. They also state clearly that the formulation is not one that has been put on the
convention wisdom watchlist, that often gets unduely touted.
No, Rotella oils are fine to use in all off-road, wet clutch applications. Both the chemistry, and most all anecdotal evidence, supports it.
Only the less-than-learned, and those with alterior agenda's, can possibly have issue with these fluids in off-road performance applications of any flavor.
And I hadn't even mentioned economy yet....