Deisel oil in High Performance Motorcycles

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I see a lot of people on here reccomend Diesel oils like mobil and Rotella for motorcycles in the engine and transmissions, but most on here are also riding harley's. How would this oil stand up in high performance bikes. I have a 2007 Honda CRF450r and 2007 Suzuki GSXR600 and wouldnt mind saving some money on oil vs. "motorcycle oils." What are the benifits/drawbacks of using a heavy duty diesel oul in a motorcycle? Or maybe i should phrase it this way, what are the benifits of using a motorcycle specific oil? Would a HD Diesel oil stand up to the racing enviroment for my honda CRF450r? thanks guys!!
 
You don't need the crazy priced MC oil a HDEO 15w40 will hold up,do a search on our member sunruh,he has tested many oil's in his sport bike like yours and found some of the cheapest oil like walmart's 15w40 holds up well, do a search you'll be reading for days.
 
I have a 1800 Goldwing and a 1500 Valkyrie and I run Shell Rotella T synthetic 5W-40 in both. It works for me.

40ford
 
Motoman,
I have run Rotella T 15w40 in ALL my ATVS & Motorycles. Would you consider a modded Busa High performance? lol

ATVS:
Ozark 250
Brute Force 650 vtwin
Big Bear 400

Dirtbike:
XR650

Street:
04 Suzuki Bandit 1200
05 Suzuki Hayabusa 1300
05 RoadStar Warrior 1700

I got 2 friends at work running it. One guys in his Suzuki SV1000 and his RoadStar and another using the synthetic Rotella in is Goldwing.

The Bandit, Busa, and SV1000 I would consider high performance.
 
IF, and it's a big IF, you are talking actual race use, then I'd go with a proven race oil.
For most street use, even occasional hot Roding, the diesel oil should be fine.
Of course, warm the oil up first for 'strenuous use'.
 
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
I have never seen HD diesel oil in any motorcycle winning circle. For racing I would stick with motorcycle race oil.

Two quick points:
  • I suspect rider skills account for more of an appearance in the winner's circle than does the oil used; and
  • In racing it's more about sponsorship and promotion than it is oil engineering.
I'd be willing to bet Rotella or Delvac or Delo would prove itself quite capable of handling racing conditions.

I see that back in 2005 Shell sponsored a truck in the NASCAR truck series:

race_800.jpg


I'll grant that trucks and motorcycles are two different things. But ... it's still racing.
 
Works fine at 15,000rpm in my gsxr. Trackdays from Daytona to Jennings and 16k street miles. Same with the 02 gsxr 750 I ran it in. Lots of racers run Rotella and win.
 
Originally Posted By: TucsonDon

Two quick points:
  • I suspect rider skills account for more of an appearance in the winner's circle than does the oil used; and
  • In racing it's more about sponsorship and promotion than it is oil engineering.
I'd be willing to bet Rotella or Delvac or Delo would prove itself quite capable of handling racing conditions.



The bike is what win the race otherwise you would have the same winner race after race and year after year. Oil manufacturers work very close with bike builders to make sure the oil will survive and win the race, just ask Elf, Castrol, or Bardahl, etc. There is no Rotella or Delvac or Delo in any motorcycle winning circle. There are thousands and thousands of wannabe racers and race bikes but very few champions and race oils.

BTW, the topic at hand is motorcycle not pickup trucks nor tractors.
 
The original question sounds like he's looking for an oil that will hold up and protect his engine under severe use....Any HD oil should be fine...There doesn't have to be a profesional motorcycle team using rotella or delvac to prove that they will hold up well in severe applications...


The other misconception is that HD oils are "diesel oils"...HD stands for Heavy Duty not Heavy diesel...Heavier duty engine oils are simply oils that can withstand the rigors of Heavy Duty applications...They are just as much a gasoline oil as they are diesel..They are simply heavier duty gasoline engine oils...There are HD oils that are certified with several Diesel ratings, gasoline engine ratings, and JASO MA in one oil...Petro Canada sells such an oil...
 
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
The bike is what win the race otherwise you would have the same winner race after race and year after year.
Ah ... then using that logic I could climb on board the bike and win races.

I have no doubt the bike plays an important role. I'm just saying that in the grand scheme of racing, I don't believe the oil used is going to be the differential that wins or loses races.
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oil manufacturers work very close with bike builders to make sure the oil will survive and win the race, just ask Elf, Castrol, or Bardahl, etc.
"Survive" the race being the key word. "Win" the race is based on many, many other factors. That's my point. But I'll agree that surviving the race is a key engineering focus for oil manufacturers.

Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
There is no Rotella or Delvac or Delo in any motorcycle winning circle.
I doubt you can say that with the certainty you imply.

"Any" motorcycle winning circle? Over the whole wide world? Professional and amateur?
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
There are thousands and thousands of wannabe racers and race bikes but very few champions and race oils.
I'll agree with the very few champions part. There's more oils that claim to be racing oils. And my point about sponsorship comes into play here -- I'd be willing to bet any of those champions would swap out one oil for another if the sponsorship money was right.
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
BTW, the topic at hand is motorcycle not pickup trucks nor tractors.
I was very clear that I understood there's a difference between trucks and motorcycles. My point was that it's not as if Rotella is utterly foreign to racing.

Look, I can appreciate your point of view. I'm quite certain the motorcycle racing oil people do pay a lot of attention to how their oil holds up under racing conditions. My point is I do not believe the oil used is the *key* differentiator that wins races. My point was that a combination of rider skill and motorcycle is primary. Oil comes in further down the list.
 
Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
Ah ... then using that logic I could climb on board the bike and win races.


You, I don't think can win any professional race. Ducati won many world championships with so many different drivers, none of them from Tucson.

Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
There is no Rotella or Delvac or Delo in any motorcycle winning circle.
I doubt you can say that with the certainty you imply.

"Any" motorcycle winning circle? Over the whole wide world? Professional and amateur?


Do you seriously consider amateur racing worth following? Do you think oil manufacturers developed their race products for the amateur world? No wonder you think diesel oil is good enough for racing.

Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
My point was that it's not as if Rotella is utterly foreign to racing.


Rotella IS utterly foreign to motorcycle racing. Go to any professionally sanctioned motorcycle race and ask the engine builders what they are running. Rotella is not even on the list.

Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
My point is I do not believe the oil used is the *key* differentiator that wins races. My point was that a combination of rider skill and motorcycle is primary. Oil comes in further down the list.


Oil is a key factor otherwise there wouldn't be specific motorcycle racing oils out there from pretty much all major oil manufacturers. Most if not all of non motorcycle race oils are not tested at ultra high RPM, up to 20,000rpm.
 
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oil is a key factor...


No, its not.

Rider 1st, overall bike 2nd. Oil by itself IS far down the list. Most HD oils will hold up more than well enough for race conditions. Given that the oil is changed before each race day, the oil doesnt suffer repetitive day-to-day abuse. Rotella is pretty common in AFM and WERA racing classes. As for 'Professionally santcioned', you'll get a dozen different answers, and most will be typical off-the-shelf oils, including several auto oils.
 
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
You, I don't think can win any professional race. Ducati won many world championships with so many different drivers, none of them from Tucson.

Classy response.
smirk2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Keto
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oil is a key factor...


No, its not.

Rider 1st, overall bike 2nd.



I thought Rossi pretty much proved this when he jumped from Honda (RC211V) to Yamaha (YZR-M1)
LOL.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: Keto
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oil is a key factor...


No, its not.

Rider 1st, overall bike 2nd. Oil by itself IS far down the list. Most HD oils will hold up more than well enough for race conditions. Given that the oil is changed before each race day, the oil doesnt suffer repetitive day-to-day abuse. Rotella is pretty common in AFM and WERA racing classes. As for 'Professionally santcioned', you'll get a dozen different answers, and most will be typical off-the-shelf oils, including several auto oils.


Oh yes it is. If you are a racer then you are going to say that the rider is 1st, which is a myth. Professional engine builders will run several top of the line motorcycle oils to see which one will give them the most horsepower and they will stick with that oil pretty much forever. Riders come and go and some riders can only win on a certain bike. Bikes get faster every year but they still run on the same winning oil. Choosing the right oil for your bike is the key. Here is an example of why oil is more important. If you offer a race team between a choice of last year champion and diesel oil to run in their bike or last year second place winner and racing motorcycle oil to run in their bike, which do you think the race team will choose? You can also ask any professional race team and they will give you the same answer. Now you know why diesel oil is not going to cut it in the winning circle. Rotella being common in a racing class is not the same as winning, same with auto oils.
 
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Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oh yes it is. If you are a racer then you are going to say that the rider is 1st, which is a myth.


LMAO!!!!

Either you know nothing about motorcycle riding (let alone racing), or youre being intentionally disingenuous. In either case, its impossible to take you seriously at this point.

You sound like a Troll that works for a Motorcycle Oil company who doesnt want people using other oils....
 
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Originally Posted By: Keto
Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Oil is a key factor...


No, its not.

Rider 1st, overall bike 2nd. Oil by itself IS far down the list. Most HD oils will hold up more than well enough for race conditions. Given that the oil is changed before each race day, the oil doesnt suffer repetitive day-to-day abuse. Rotella is pretty common in AFM and WERA racing classes. As for 'Professionally santcioned', you'll get a dozen different answers, and most will be typical off-the-shelf oils, including several auto oils.


Oh yes it is. If you are a racer then you are going to say that the rider is 1st, which is a myth. Professional engine builders will run several top of the line motorcycle oils to see which one will give them the most horsepower and they will stick with that oil pretty much forever. Riders come and go and some riders can only win on a certain bike. Bikes get faster every year but they still run on the same winning oil. Choosing the right oil for your bike is the key. Here is an example of why oil is more important. If you offer a race team between a choice of last year champion and diesel oil to run in their bike or last year second place winner and racing motorcycle oil to run in their bike, which do you think the race team will choose? You can also ask any professional race team and they will give you the same answer. Now you know why diesel oil is not going to cut it in the winning circle. Rotella being common in a racing class is not the same as winning, same with auto oils.


ROFL. No engine builder is looking for an oil to increase hosepower but rather oil that will last the race, an inrease n HP from HP will be minute at best. And for the comment they stick to "they stick to the winning oil" no, they stick with the one that pays the most money to but on that little sticker that says the name brand. I used to race motocross and enduros and many guys run HDEO and run it well. The bike is far distant 2nd to driver skill. All of the factory works bike are all pretty on par. Look and the numerous #1 riders in various professional motorcycle racing whether it be on or off-road and the top riders win no mattter what brand they are riding.
Ignorance is bliss.
 
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How do you explain Rossi winning on a Honda and then going to Yamaha same old same old no matter what he is on he still wins.
 
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