Old Bikes And Old API

ZeeOSix said:
^^^ What's with the high lead counts ...
Click to expand...

It's possible the owner is a pilot and is running 100 Low Lead
aviation fuel... But our knowledge about gasolines hasn't made much
progress if we suggest our engines need lead because primary use of
tetraethyl lead was knock or detonation control but running leaded
fuel will not only drain your wallet needlessly but also add yellowish
lead deposits to your spark plugs and combustion chamber... besides
being a health risk lead is also a high maintenance additive...

plug-lead-fouled.jpg
 
Ride_Red said:
Use any motorcycle specific oil that has the JASO MA or MA2 rating on it. Any of the name brand motorcycle oils will work just fine. The motorcycle oils tend to have higher ZDDP than regular passenger car motor oils.

I've used Mobil 1 4T 10W-40, Valvoline 4T 10W-40 (conventional & synthetic), Castrol 4T 10W-30 & 10W-40, Honda GN4 10W-30. All worked just fine.

The Honda GN4 conventional motor oil is recommended by Honda for all Honda motorcycles, past and present. Seems to me that if this conventional motorcycle oil is fine, then any name brand synthetic motorcycle should also be just fine.
Click to expand...

Now that's helpful, I did not want to start a conflict, had enough of that with my 1992 Porsche on the forums and the dreaded "O" word, so the best way forward is to just use decent 4T oils with MA2 ratings, that works for me

Thanks guys and no falling out, times are hard enough as it is
 
Waylander said:
Hi Thanks for that, but its the part about don't use anything past SJ as they have friction modifiers in them, and all those JASO are much later than the manual for this old bike,

I don't really want to fry the clutch, and the gear change is currently horrid and stiff, and when cold crashes into first gear like a non syncromesh bus from 1955.

I really need to change the oil for the right stuff, god knows what the previous bodger I bought it off has put in there, some of the fixes he managed were life threatening
Click to expand...

You dont need to worry and these later Jaso's do not mean they are higher then SJ, SJ is the Jaso min standard. Its a no brainer if you really want to stick to the manufacturers rating.

I you do not want to give it another thought, simply buy 20w/50 Mobile 1 motorcycle oil and you are good.
For Example the Mobile 1 twin 20/50 = SJ rating.
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants.../our-products/products/mobil-1-v-twin-20w-50/

The 10/40 Mobile Motorcycle oil is SN but I am sure, I you REALLY want to stick to a SJ it wont be hard to find.
 
alarmguy said:
If you do not want to give it another thought, simply buy 20w/50 Mobile 1 motorcycle oil and you are good.
For Example the Mobile 1 twin 20/50 = SJ rating.
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants.../our-products/products/mobil-1-v-twin-20w-50/

The 10/40 Mobile Motorcycle oil is SN but I am sure, I you REALLY want to stick to a SJ it wont be hard to find.
Click to expand...

To me with that engine, and the history of folks saying there were issues with cams (however I wonder how much of it was oiling to the head), the more zinc the better. M1 V-Twin 20w50 will do that with 1750 ppm zinc, some moly and a good dose of boron. M1 10w40 4T has 1300 ppm zinc, not much moly but also a good dose of boron. However if you want a 10w40, Red Line 10w40 MC oil will give you 2260 ppm zinc along with 130 ppm moly.

My ZRX 1200 has known crappy cams, as did the ZZR 1200. Cam's are interchangeable, plug and play, and it's a common modification to put ZZR cams in the ZRX 1200 like I did for a performance boost. Since doing that swap and running M1 oils, either 10w40 or 20w50, for the past 15,000 mi, there is no visible increase in the small amount of cam pitting that existed on a few lobes of the used set of cams.
 
^^ Well said, note to the OP since he insists on something around SJ the Mobile 1 10/40 is an SN, only the 20/50 is the SJ. Im just posting this because I didnt explain why I didnt mention the 10/40.
 
alarmguy said:
^^ Well said, note to the OP since he insists on something around SJ the Mobile 1 10/40 is an SN, only the 20/50 is the SJ. Im just posting this because I didnt explain why I didnt mention the 10/40.
Click to expand...
I caught your good point there about the 4T 10w40, you did mention it at the end of the post. My reason for going where I did is the zinc and phosphorus content meets the SF standard of 1000-1400 ppm. Since the bike calls out SE or SF as fine, I feel M1 4T at 1300 ppm zinc and 1200 ppm phos would fill the bill. IMO, zinc is where the focus should be with respect to the main issues that bike faced with the cams. The fact M1 has a good dose of boron and is a known high-quality oil overall is only an added benefit compared to the oils back in the day.
 
Hi

I have been searching for the M1 V-Twin but its either seriously expensive or not available in the UK, and to clarify I did not say I wanted a SE or SF, I was just concerned about the chocolate cams issue and the removal of the ZDDP in later specs, I have exactly the same issue with my Porsche 968,

Finding decent Oils with ZDDP at about 1200PPM, even Porsche recommend the oil they use for Modern cars, not ideal

but i dont think using Car Oils in a wet clutch bike is good idea,

I have sort of decided to go with M1 4T Racing 15W50 as thats at 1200PPM

should be good enough I hope
 
Waylander said:
Hi

I have been searching for the M1 V-Twin but its either seriously expensive or not available in the UK, and to clarify I did not say I wanted a SE or SF, I was just concerned about the chocolate cams issue and the removal of the ZDDP in later specs, I have exactly the same issue with my Porsche 968,

Finding decent Oils with ZDDP at about 1200PPM, even Porsche recommend the oil they use for Modern cars, not ideal

but i dont think using Car Oils in a wet clutch bike is good idea,

I have sort of decided to go with M1 4T Racing 15W50 as thats at 1200PPM

should be good enough I hope
Click to expand...
I have yet to see any material defect that is rectified by any oil, regardless of the composition. BMW certainly tried but in the end they failed just like everyone else.
 
Waylander said:
Hi

I have been searching for the M1 V-Twin but its either seriously expensive or not available in the UK, and to clarify I did not say I wanted a SE or SF, I was just concerned about the chocolate cams issue and the removal of the ZDDP in later specs, I have exactly the same issue with my Porsche 968,

Finding decent Oils with ZDDP at about 1200PPM, even Porsche recommend the oil they use for Modern cars, not ideal
Click to expand...

www.opieoils.co.uk

Silkolene V-TWIN 20W-50 High Performance Motorcycle Oil (Fuchs) 1 Litre

The UK's largest independent supplier of automotive oils, fluid and parts. We've products to suit any vehicle, from full blown Race / Track weapons, to Daily Drivers looking to save money. Plus FREE expert advice & recommendations - OPIE KNOW OILS
www.opieoils.co.uk
 
kschachn said:
I have yet to see any material defect that is rectified by any oil, regardless of the composition. BMW certainly tried but in the end they failed just like everyone else.
Click to expand...
not trying to fix a defect, just dont want to make it any more of a risk, at 36 years old parts are hard to come by and expensive
 
Kamele0N said:
www.opieoils.co.uk

Silkolene V-TWIN 20W-50 High Performance Motorcycle Oil (Fuchs) 1 Litre

The UK's largest independent supplier of automotive oils, fluid and parts. We've products to suit any vehicle, from full blown Race / Track weapons, to Daily Drivers looking to save money. Plus FREE expert advice & recommendations - OPIE KNOW OILS
www.opieoils.co.uk
Click to expand...

thats handy, I found it quite a bit cheaper, seems an obvious choice

www.demon-tweeks.com

Silkolene V-Twin

Silkolene V-Twin has been developed by Silkolene as part of their range specific to high performance V-Twin motorcycles.Cutting edge corrosion, oxidation and wear protectionDesigned for Harley Davidsons, European and Japanese V-TwinsProvides high level of engine cleanlinessSilkolene V-Twin has...
www.demon-tweeks.com www.demon-tweeks.com
 
Find the best oil you can meaning with a good zinc content in 10w40 or 20w50 and go for it. A valve train will never have an issue with more zinc as opposed to less.
 
+1 the M1 4T 10-40 for that bike @$10/Qt. Alternative would be M1 15-50 with 1200 ppm ZDDP at half the cost a 5Qt jug is $23 at walmart.

Ive run M1 15-50 for 40K miles in a ZX-14, 38K in a C-14 and 8K in a 2015 supercharged H2 with Zero clutch issues. It shears down to about 4k Max OCI. Bikers Ive met that havent run one of these M1 oils in the past are always surprised by the buttery smooth transmission shifts after trying them.
 
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