Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40, Suzuki V-Strom 650, 1315 Miles

[RiverRat]

Suzuki V-Strom 650cc. Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40 and Suzuki OEM filter. First UOA on this bike.

Testing done by Blackstone Labs on 11/29/05
Mileage on bike - 5,595
Miles on oil - 1,315

INSOLUBLES: .1%
WATER: 0.0%
ANTIFREEZE: 0.0%
FUEL: FLASHPOINT IN F: 380
SUS VISCOSITY @ 210 F: 69.5

ALUMINUM 8
CHROMIUM 0
IRON 12
COPPER 1
LEAD 0
TIN 0
MOLYBDENUM 70
NICKEL 0
MANGANESE 0
SILVER 0
TITANIUM 0
POTASSIUM 2
BORON 166
SILICON 14
SODIUM 2
CALCIUM 1982
MAGNESIUM 11
PHOSPHORUS 1224
ZINC 1432
BARIUM 0

 

[sunruh]

barely stayed in grade.
iron seems a little high as does silicon.
what kind of riding does this bike normally see?

thanks for doing a uoa on a bike. we need more of these.

 

[sunruh]

use this chart:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/visc.html

as you can see, you were on the bottom edge of 40wt.

 

[RiverRat]

Thanks sun...

So should I not let this oil go any longer than 1500 miles?

This is expensive oil to change that often. I would switch to a 20W or 15W year round but my bike doesn't like the 20W on cold starts....very noisy, sluggish, and sometimes will even stall out. The bike was ridden fairly gently with a lot of open highway riding.

 

[sunruh]

rr,
according to what blake has posted, you do NOT want that oil in there past 1500 miles.

does your manual make ANY suggestions as to viscosity ratings you should use for various ambient temps? if so, please post it.
yeah, i can imagine the temps in idaho and your bike is not gonna like a 20w50 anytime when it is cold.

as you have just proven, m1 isn't worth the price, just like i did.

give us an ambient temp range to work within and i'll gladly help you pick an oil that will last and not break the bank. (does under $2qt sound ok?)

oh, how much oil does your bike hold?

 

[Titan]

I'm going to try the Delo 15-40 in mine (1500 V Twin), it's recommendation is 10-40. I found two oil changes of the older Delo that isn't C4i+ (as if that really makes a difference...I have a wet clutch). I have Valvoline 10-40 in there now, but, don't plan on running it more 7-800 miles. I THINK heavy duty diesel oils will hold up better, but, I certainly don't know that for a fact. I understand the Shell Rotella is well liked for these motorcycle applications...I'll probably move to it after my old Delo is used up. OR, if the Rotella is C4i+ rated (like the new Delo) and the old Delo seems to do well, I'll just switch to the new Delo when the old runs out.

 

[RiverRat]

I'm really new to this UOA stuff so how can I tell what the grade is? Blackstone said the viscosity was still in the 10W-40 range with no excess shearing and to try 2500 miles next. The main reason I had this oil tested was to see how quickly it would shear down in my Suzuki V-Strom because I know motorcycles tend to chew oil up. I'm just trying to gauge what my oil change interval should be and see if the oil is doing its job.

I would have taken this to 2,000 miles but I did an oil change right before putting it away for the winter.

 

[RiverRat]

"rr,
does your manual make ANY suggestions as to viscosity ratings you should use for various ambient temps? if so, please post it.
yeah, i can imagine the temps in idaho and your bike is not gonna like a 20w50 anytime when it is cold.


oh, how much oil does your bike hold?"

My Suzuki manual suggests using a 10W-40. If a 10W40 is not available then like other motorcycle manuals you can pick a different viscosity from the chart. The problem is, according to the chart, you could use a 20W-50 almost year round in Idaho but in actual use I see a different result. I have tried both 15W-50 and 20W-50 with unfavorable results at lower temperatures.

The bike holds 2.9 quarts.

 

[sunruh]

RR,
3 suggestions come to my mind very quickly:

1) Shell Rotella T 15w40, it's the one in the white jug (SRT) UOA's prove it is a very good oil.

2) Exxon Superflow 10w40, i have tested the 20w50 and it was outstanding for the price. 10w40 will be tested soon enough.

3) Texaco Havoline 10w40, i am testing it right now.

a 4th potential option would be the blue jug Shell Rotella T synthetic 5w40, i've not tested this and the cost is substantially more (2x - 3x) than the 3 above.

if you use superflow or havoline, you can afford a uoa from the savings from mx4t in 2 changes.

 

[Blake Sobiloff]

RiverRat, I think sunruh was accurate in his initial analysis--your Si looks a little high and may be responsible for the higher Fe. Check your air filter and make sure it is well sealed and not too dirty.

If you really like the M1 you could go 2K miles next time around and see if it shears any further. Many oils will shear rapidly during their initial use, but then stabilize. If the M1 stabilizes at a very thin 40-weight or very thick 30-weight it should still protect your gearbox and provide good lubrication for your engine as well. I don't think we know what the shear slopes (mileage vs. viscosity) are for any motorcycle oils.

Otherwise, sunruh's suggestions for inexpensive conventional oils are good ones.

 

[satterfi]

I wouldn’t worry too much about the oil shearing. The manufacturer knows that the oil is going to shear.

I’d run the oil a few thousand miles without a problem.

 

[RiverRat]

I will check the air filter but the bike only has 5500 miles so it's not due to be replaced until 11k.

I put fresh MX4T in there when I changed the oil for storage, and I have some more quarts sitting on the shelf, so I guess I will change the oil at 2k intervals until it's gone. I would like to fine a shear stable 10W-40 because it seems to be the viscosity that works best in my Suzuki at all temperatures, but it sounds like all the 10W-40s will become 10W-30s before the 3k OCI is reached.

Are there any UOA on BITOG that show a 10W-40 in a motorcycle that went 3k and didn't shear down to a 10W-30?

 

[RiverRat]

"RR,
the more important question is this:

is there a uoa of 10w40 with a motor like *yours* that went 3k and didn't shear?"

This is for a 650 V-Twin that doesn't see higher rpms than 6-7k on most occasions. Do you know of any 10w-40s that are closer to a 50wt in viscosity? I have used the Mobil 1 SS 20W-50 V-Twin in summer months but it's a very thick 50w. Thanks.

 

[Blake Sobiloff]

RiverRat, I'm currently running Redline 10W40 in my thumper so I'll eventually have a UOA to show for it. It should be quite shear resistant since it's a Group V oil.

I'd encourage you to get a UOA at the conclusion of your 2K mile OCI on your MX4T. sunruh's right (again!) that each motorcycle abuses the oil in different ways, so the results from FuelTankerMan's Harley (for example) aren't going to be directly comparable to what you see in your V-Strom. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results, or not, but you'll be establishing that important wear metals baseline and you'll be fully informed about the performance of the most important engine in the world--yours!

 

[Mackelroy]

so I guess I will change the oil at 2k intervals until it's gone. I would like to fine a shear stable 10W-40 because it seems to be the viscosity that works best in my Suzuki at all temperatures)))))))))))))))))))))))))

I have a bike with 38,000 miles , been subjected to sustained high rpm for thousands of hours still does not burn oil on 1500 to 2000 mile changes with high grade syns.

There's not too many I haven't ran, R4, M1, motul,rotella syn,Belray EXS,valvoline syn Amsoil ,.redline

 

[steelervenom]

Sunruh,
Not to get off topic and I'm not trying to be a correcting jerk, just thought I would mention the 2006 R6 redlines at a blistering 17,500 rpm. Its rumored that the 07-08 R1 project manager is attempting to reach that as well...insane numbers.

 

[satterfi]

The rated rpm of a V twin doesn’t mean it’s easy on oil..

The piston speed of a V-Strom at 7K isn’t much different than a CBR at 11K. The transmission is what’s shearing the oil.

It’s not a big deal to shear the oil. Read the JASO MA requirements.

 

[sunruh]

RR,
the more important question is this:

is there a uoa of 10w40 with a motor like *yours* that went 3k and didn't shear?

big v-twins are a LOT easier on oil than the inline4 screamers and their related mx single brothers. this is mostly due to the rpm differences between them. not even a V&H screaming eagle is gonna see 13k rpm where the gsx/yzf/cbr/zx lines easily will do that all day long. the 06yzf-r6 has a redline of 15,500.

you also need to look at VOA's and see if an oil starts thick enough to last that long. a 10w40 that starts mid grade or lower doesn't really have a chance of lasting. you are wanting a 10w40 that is a hair away from 50wt.

 

[Ethan]

You could also mix a quart of 20w50 mobil 1 bike oil in with the 10w40 to get the viscosity you want.

Ethan

 

[Mickey_M]

The Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40 starts out on the low end of SAE 40. All the Mobil 1 oils are at the thin end of their respective SAE grades.

This provides better performance and gas mileage and the extra viscosity isn't needed since the synthetic base and additive package protect better than mineral oils.

The only indication of a problem that I see is that both silicon and iron are higher than optimum, and someone has already pointed out the probable cause - either a dirty air filter or some leakage around the filter.

I wouldn't become a viscosity freak - most people mistakenly use an oil that's too heavy. The 20W-50 is completely compatible with the 10W-40, so if viscosity is what you want, you can mix them.

The MX4T additive and blend package is optimized for the kind of motorcycle you're using it in. It's more polar than the automotive Mobil 1 and any of the mineral oils, which means it sticks to the metal better when the engine isn't being used.

.