castrol syntec 20w50

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anyone have any thoughts or opinions about castrol oil products?
I've been a castrol fan for a long time. I use it for both my cars and bikes.
I'm using castrol sytec 20w50 for both the engine and trans on my bourget that has a 113 s@s. About 1000k on this oil so far and no issues Bad idea or not?
 
I think Castrol Syntec is very good oil, I use 0W-30 GC in my wife's car and it works very well. However, from what I understand you need to use an oil formulated for (motorcycle) engine & trans use. I'd use a 20W-50 motorcycle oil like Royal Purple MaxCycle or Red Line, I don't know what the equivalent Castrol 20W-50 would be.

BTW, nice bike! Can you post a pic of your Bourget?
 
My Virago calls for 20W-40 oil (I've never even seen that) so I'm currently using Castrol Syntec 10W-40. No issues so far. Seems to shift as well as with Mobil 1 15W-50.

I stopped paying exorbitant prices for boutique motorcycle oils. It's made no difference to this bike so far.
 
Originally Posted By: ViragoBry
My Virago calls for 20W-40 oil (I've never even seen that) so I'm currently using Castrol Syntec 10W-40. No issues so far.

The only 20W-40 I'm aware of is the Yamalube brand. I would imagine any 10W-40 would work just as well, though theoretically there might be a greater tendency to shear with the higher level of viscosity improvers. How much shear one might see is open to discussion.
 
[/quote]
The only 20W-40 I'm aware of is the Yamalube brand. I would imagine any 10W-40 would work just as well, though theoretically there might be a greater tendency to shear with the higher level of viscosity improvers. How much shear one might see is open to discussion. [/quote]

Yea, most the Yammaha manuals seem to recommend the 20w40 so that people will buy that [censored]. VOA's are unimpressive and at least in my motorcycle and one ATV that stuff foamed up so bad it looked like a can of Coke exploded in my oil tank. Not to mention the premium price this, less that average oil cost.

10w40's motorcycle oils have sheared more than 15w40 HDEO's for me.
 
I used Rotella 15w-40 in my '87 Yamaha FJ1200. It called for the 20w-40 yamalube, but I am confident that Rotella is a better lube.

I also used it in my 2004 Triumph Sprint ST, and am now using it in my BMW K1200S. I think it's pretty much the ideal motorcycle oil.
 
SynPower 20W-50 is another option: I mix mine 50/50 with MaxLife in one of the the 420SEL's.

Even the dino 20W-50's are very good oils now-a-days!
 
20w-50 GTX has IIRC only 800 ppm zinc. I don't buy any Castrol oils anymore. I use to run GTX in the Corvettes, the Camaro and the Alfa. I run Delo 400 now in all of them. The Harley takes 2 1/2 (I think) qts. I spring for the Mobil 1 V Twin 20w-50 and change it once a year. With my riding season, that's well within the capabilities of the oil.
 
Originally Posted By: retrofit
anyone have any thoughts or opinions about castrol oil products?
I've been a castrol fan for a long time. I use it for both my cars and bikes.
I'm using castrol sytec 20w50 for both the engine and trans on my bourget that has a 113 s@s. About 1000k on this oil so far and no issues Bad idea or not?


Castrol reduced Zinc and Phos in their 20W50s (according to their own tech support staff) and their SM rated oils are questionable in my book for this application. They were supposed to come out with two new offerings, Syntech 20W50 Classic and 20W50 Vtwin that had 1200 ppm ZDDP but I have yet to ever see it hit the shelves even though it was on their web site. Maybe they spent all the new product $$ on the new Castrol Edge. M1 Vtwin is S&S's recommended fill. Red Line 20W50 and Amsoil 20W50 MCS are also excellent choices. You could do a oil analysis on the Syntech and see what is in the additive package what the wear numbers are and how well it held grade. I pretty much concluded a year or two ago that Castrol abbandoned the muscle car and air cooled engine community with thier new SM oils. They list appropriate oils on the web site but it is not in the stores.
 
Castrol 4T in 20w-50 has a decent level of phos/zinc. Cost=$5/qt

I can get Valvoline 4T for $1 less per quart (AutoZone) so no need for Castrol.
 
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