Mobile 1 15W/50 SN, 2006 KLR650, 2500 miles

[LimitedSlip]

Oil has sheared to a grade 30! Previous run of oil was also Mobile 1 15W/50 as well so I don't think that accounts for the low viscosity.

Usage was about 1000 miles of fairly aggressive logging road riding, about 1000 miles of back road cruising with the tach at 4-6K RPM, and about 500 miles of gentle commuting. Except for commuting I ride the wheels off this bike.

 

[hal2626]

Since this bike is liquid cooled,I am wondering if the tranny is beating this oil up. seems like KLR's have been doing quite well with Rotella HDEO...

 

[beanoil]

M1 15w50 has never held up well in shared sump bikes. Does fine in BMW, Duc, and Goose's though with the dry clutch. Looks like pretty normal performance to me. Either change every 2k, or switch to something more shear stable. Try one of the 15w40's next time. The smaller viscosity spread will help.

 

[sunruh]

415 flash shows its not fuel. you mixmastered it good!

welcome to a very expensive 30wt in just 2500 miles.

you can probably pick an oil that costs 1/3rd and get the same results......or better

steve

srt or vr1

 

[LimitedSlip]

I usually run SRT but wanted to test out the M1. I like the way it shifts (when fresh) better than the SRT but by 1500 miles the shift quality had degraded and oil consumption was going up. The report shows 9 oz of makeup oil and all of that was after 1500 miles. At the oil change the bike needed another 4-5 ounces.

I'll be going back to SRT except for my winter fill when I like the easy starting of a 5W40. Perhaps next summer I'll try a 20W50.

 

[sunruh]

you dont see enough heat in oregon to need a 20w50.

and unless you are riding in below 32 you dont need a 5w either.

steve

 

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted By: sunruh
you dont see enough heat in oregon to need a 20w50.

and unless you are riding in below 32 you dont need a 5w either.

steve


Perhaps not for the engine but I like the way the gearbox feels with grade 50.

True enough about needing a 5W but the way the bike turns over and idles when cold is definitely better with a 5W versus 15W. Not sure if the actual viscosity difference between 5W and 15W at 40F backs up my empirical evidence but the cost delta between SRT and M1 TDT is small enough for me not to care.

 

[alarmguy]

Im AMAZED how much that oil has sheared but just more proof that synthetic is not the cure all of everything.
I guess safe to say that your gearbox is really rough on oil, my personal thoughts are whatever you put in there you would want a base of 20W and nothing lower unless you are forced too for cold weather. IN reality, that means a 20/50 and a 10 or 15/40 for cold weather.
Im not concerned with the 40 or 50 part but its being proven time and again, as companies figure out to further cheapen synthetic oil for max profit and to the point it behaves a lot like conventional you need that higher lower number 20w so at least you know you are starting off with a higher base number oil and less vis improver.
Its early, drinking coffee and just rambling ... but I wonder how the cheap $4.00 per quart Valvoline Conv. MotorCycle oil I posted a UOA on would have held up in your bike. (a few posts down 20/50 Valvoline) I had 2,600 miles on it and it was still in spec.
Remember just because companies put the words synthetic doesnt mean as much as it used to mean.

 

[sunruh]

LS,
if you like the shift feel of the 20w50 by all means use it!!!
nothing at all wrong with that thinking! nothing at all!

AG,
he just re-proved what i did about 8 years ago. m1 15w50 just doesnt seem to hold up in a shared sump.
actually when you get down to it, not much about this oil seems impressive. even the flash of 415 doesnt seem to hold up to the old skillet sludge test they used to advertise.
i dont know about the valvo mc 20w50 but the 10w40 was a waste of my money and test time. it is NOT VR1!!!

steve

 

[ABerns]

Thanks to LS for posting this, and to others for commenting (as always, excellent feedback from sunruh). I was actually debating the M1 15w50, but after seeing these shear numbers, I will pass. Gonna keep sticking with the SRT. Pretty stable, and at least if I have to change it every 1000 miles, I'm only out at most $4 a quart!

And I would not have pegged the KLR and your riding style as being terribly abusive to oil, FWIW. I don't know much about KLRs, but certainly thought the M1 would have held up better.

 

[sunruh]

i've owned a klr. but it was the baby brother 250. on a really steep hill (going down it) and with a really good tail wind, i could hit almost 80mph. and off the road it was....heavy and slow.
but on the day that my university was closed for snow it seemed to do just fine. that was really fun. riding around campus on my bike in the snow and watching cars crash, but me on my bike nope.
had to sit a while a at a stop light because it would not trip it. campus police came up behind me and waited and waited...finally he told me to go on through the red. it was fun watching him slide on the hills and i just kept going. put put put.

m1 15w50 is a good motor oil. it doesnt appear to be a very good transmission oil. if you know what i mean. wink wink

with SRT you can get it anywhere anytime and yes not out much money at all. pick it or chevron delo or mobil delvac. all are very close. let price (or sales) be your guide.

 

[LimitedSlip]

You nailed the personality of the klr250. Put 4K miles on an 05 before getting the 650. Had a lot of fun on that bike learning to ride again. Had a problem with deer as the bike was so quiet I startled many of them. The 650 with an FMF solved that problem

Really like my crf250r for the separate engine and trans oils. Get the right lube for the job in the trans.

 

[beanoil]

You may decide to stick with that M1 15w50 and change it early. K-Mart is closing it out for 2.50 a quart. I'm up to 25 quarts. Time for a little experimenting... I wonder if it will hold up better at a 50/50 blend with some 25 cent Mobil conventional 20w50?? ;-)

 

[sunruh]

i wonder if a 50/50 mix of "red cap" and say the High Mileage would be a good combo?

or even some of the 5000 (is 7500 even made any more?).

heck you could go with a nice sae40 as well

steve

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted By: sunruh
LS,

AG,
he just re-proved what i did about 8 years ago. m1 15w50 just doesnt seem to hold up in a shared sump.
actually when you get down to it, not much about this oil seems impressive. even the flash of 415 doesnt seem to hold up to the old skillet sludge test they used to advertise.
i dont know about the valvo mc 20w50 but the 10w40 was a waste of my money and test time. it is NOT VR1!!!
steve


I lost ALL respect for Mobile 1 products. Its really hit of miss though my impression is their MC oil is still a good product. I know some of them are good but some are not.

As far as the Valvoline MC 20/50 I have a UOA posted in here. It came out looking pretty darn good to me, I never tried the 10/40, never would use 10/40 in a bike with a shared sump anyway.

Cooler weather driving I go over to a 15/40 HDEO, not sure what I am going to throw in this winter.
I have new Delo LE and new Valvoline Blue too in the garage ... yet might buy and throw in Rotella 15/40
I havent havent used it in a long time and I will be doing a UOA on whatever HEDO I use, after the winter.
The others I will then use in the boat and lawnmower.