Motor cycle oil quesitons and applications

N

nbpt100

Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
212
Location
MA, USA
I acquired a gallon of Castrol Activo Xtra 4T. JASO MA-2 API SG. It says part synthetic Motorcycle oil on the label.

20w - 50

Why is this better to use in a motorcycle than your typical semi syn automotive oil of the same viscosity range? What is the feature that makes it better for a motorcycle?

Is this better for air cooled Engines like a Lawn Tractor or any air cooled small engine that would need this viscosity?

I was thinking of using it in small engines that are a bit tired.
 
It will work fine. No worries.

Motorcycle oils often have an additive that helps smooth transmission shifting, other than that its just a high quality oil no differant than car oils.
 
nbpt100 said:
I acquired a gallon of Castrol Activo Xtra 4T. JASO MA-2 API SG. It says part synthetic Motorcycle oil on the label.

20w - 50

Why is this better to use in a motorcycle than your typical semi syn automotive oil of the same viscosity range? What is the feature that makes it better for a motorcycle?

Is this better for air cooled Engines like a Lawn Tractor or any air cooled small engine that would need this viscosity?

I was thinking of using it in small engines that are a bit tired.
Click to expand...

Motorcycle oils can be used in anything gas engined.

Where it differs with PCMO is that it was tested to work with wet clutches, and if they did their job well the oil would be very shear stable.
 
Cujet said:
Often motorcycle oils have a higher level of ZDDP anti wear additive. Does it help? Not sure, as I believe it's pretty much proven that levels beyond 1100 or 1200 PPM do not provide additional protection.
Click to expand...

They don't all have it, but you did say often and it is definitely worth mentioning. an obsolete api spec like SG is very likely to have higher zddp levels
 
I never owned a motorcycle, so this may seem like a dumb question, but is this oil intended to be used in both the crank case and the transmission?
 
nbpt100 said:
I never owned a motorcycle, so this may seem like a dumb question, but is this oil intended to be used in both the crank case and the transmission?
Click to expand...
Many motorcycles share the engine oil with the transmission, most do. Some auto oils are not compatible with the motorcycles clutch which is in the oil, aka a wet clutch. No issues using it in small engines.
 
JASO (MA) approval is the main difference. It is to help the clutch discs as they are lubed by the motor oil in most (almost all) motorcycles.

It basically means it helps prevent the clutch from slipping.
 
The JASO MA2 standard is not very stringent at all. Its only real value is the friction test for wet clutches. API SG is also a very outdated standard.

I'd sooner use a 10W-30 or 15W-40 HDEO that meets a modern standard like API CK-4.
 
Given the low market share of Motorcycle oil the manufactures work with a reformulation of their Auto oil which will still meet and exceed your mileage expectations...

Note how similar the additives are when comparing Amsoil Metric motorcycle oil with Mobil1 Auto and Mobil1 Motorcycle 4T... Technically speaking they are all good for wet clutches...

asmoil10w40v10w40m1-jpg.195421
 
From BRP Canada ..... LOOKS LIKE 5w40 API SN more than enough

EMAIL #1

Good day Richard,

I hope you are doing well.

I just received a response to your question from the appropriate team:

For the oil, we recommend XPS 4T 5W40 synthetic oil. If XPS is not available, you can use SAE 5W40 synthetic 4-stroke motor oil, meeting or exceeding the following lubricant industry specifications: API Service Classification: SJ, SL, SM or SN. Always check the API Service Label certification on the oil container. It should contain at least one of the standards listed.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reply to this email or call us at 1-888-272-9222.

Kind regards,
Amal
Customer Service Representative

I did everything possible to persuade him to acknowledge that we would also require JASO MA2.

EMAIL #2

Good day Richard,

You do not need the JASO MA or JASO MA2 specification and/or mention. The information I provided in my previous email is what you need. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reply to this email or call us at 1-888-272-9222.

Sincerely,AmalCustomer Service Representative

QS Euro 5w40 SP is going in my spyder then
 
GRUMPYDUDE2 said:
It will work fine. No worries.

Motorcycle oils often have an additive that helps smooth transmission shifting, other than that its just a high quality oil no differant than car oils.
Click to expand...
Can you name that additive?

Motorcycle oils have nothing "specific" to the motorcycles. JASO is a simple clutch slip test. If you could get vegetable cooking oil to pass it, you would get the approval.
 
twX said:
The JASO MA2 standard is not very stringent at all. Its only real value is the friction test for wet clutches. API SG is also a very outdated standard.

I'd sooner use a 10W-30 or 15W-40 HDEO that meets a modern standard like API CK-4.
Click to expand...
OK. I will not disagree. But what if the mfg calls for 20w-50 on a particular model? I would and I think most would stay with the viscosity range recomended. 30 seems very light for a transmission gear oil. I assume there are some motocycles out there that call for it.
 
BusyLittleShop said:
Given the low market share of Motorcycle oil the manufactures work with a reformulation of their Auto oil which will still meet and exceed your mileage expectations...

Note how similar the additives are when comparing Amsoil Metric motorcycle oil with Mobil1 Auto and Mobil1 Motorcycle 4T... Technically speaking they are all good for wet clutches...

asmoil10w40v10w40m1-jpg.195421
Click to expand...
Good samples to share data from BLS. However, there is a different font on the Z and P for the M1 4T. Those look to be advertised numbers cut and pasted in there when the rest of the numbers look to be from an actual analysis. What are the dates of those samples, with respect to being current formulations on all three oils?

I know from experience and analysis how well the 4T holds up for 5,000 mile OCI's. Be interested how the 10w40 car oil holds up over 5,000 mile shared sump OCI's.
 
nbpt100 said:
OK. I will not disagree. But what if the mfg calls for 20w-50 on a particular model? I would and I think most would stay with the viscosity range recomended. 30 seems very light for a transmission gear oil. I assume there are some motocycles out there that call for it.
Click to expand...

have a look at the viscosity tables:

standard-conversion.jpg


an SAE 30 crankcase oil is the same viscosity as a thick 80W or a thin 85W gear oil. Nobody would say those are very light weight gear oil, the norm these days is 75W.

The reason to call out for a 20W-50 is in my opinion as that is the most shear stable grade out there regardless of the base oils used
 
If the mfgr has that SPEC in it's manual, then it should be fine. If you look thru all the oils mentioned here in the MC section, at some point every brand of bike has had every brand of oil out there used in them. Motorcycle specific and automotive. The biggest complaints have been, more engine noise with Synthetic oils. Some say the shifting gets notchy with some brands, mostly when some brands of Diesel oil is used. Consumption of oil goes up in areas where the temperature is really hot, like in Texas or Vegas. But most owner's manuals say to bump the oil up a grade in higher temps. Most guys don't want to experiment with extended oci's with their bikes, but like knowing that if out on a ride and they hit the number, the oil can go past what the manual say. Blackstone labs will say pretty much on every sample sent to them that they can go longer between changes. There's an old saying that goes, any oil is better than no oil.,,
 
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