Silkolene or Motul

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LTD

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Which oil do you guys recommend? Silkolene Pro 4 or Motul 300V? or something else?

Currently using Amsoil but would like to try a different oil this time for my 2012 CBR1000RR
 
Out of those two I would go with the Silkolene. The Motul has given us some lack of shifting smoothness on the Bandit.

But if you're going to spend that much on an oil, I would second what olas said and go with Redline. Best off the shelf oil out there in my opinion.
 
I am running Silkolene Pro 4 15W50 as we speak (see sig). Engine seems to love it, but the gearbox is clankier on it than it was on Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W40. Strangely, clutch engagement is smoother (easier to feather) than it was on the Mobil 1 4T. Odd. Seems a contradiction.

You can get a 4 liter jug of the Silkolene Pro 4 for about $50 w/ free shipping on Amazon.
 
Are the motul, silkolene and redline ok for 3000 OCI?

Honda recommends 10w30 and im currently using 10w40.

Should I stick to 10w40 or get something else? I live in San Diego
 
My bike seems to prefer the Motul 300V 4T, over pretty much every other oil I've tried over the years, including Silkolene Pro 4.

I generally run the oil 3-4k, depending on how bored I am to do something. The shifting stays silky smooth at that interval

Redline is a close second to the Motul 300V 4T, in my experience.
 
If 10w40 is working for you I'd try Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W40. It's the only oil that never showed surface bubbles riding on top of the oil in the sight glass after high rpm runs with my Ducati. Amsoil MCT showed bubbles, and the Silkolene does too. Not foam (that would be bad), just clusters of bubbles riding the surface in the sight glass, M1 Racing 4T never showed bubble 1.
 
Originally Posted By: LTD
Which oil do you guys recommend? Silkolene Pro 4 or Motul 300V? or something else?

Currently using Amsoil but would like to try a different oil this time for my 2012 CBR1000RR


I vote something else...

I tested 10W30 Amsoil motorcycle specific oil in Mr.RC45 and it did no
better or no worst that 0 30 Mobil 1... not surprising since Amsoil
explains in a video how oil viscosity are tested and that Mobil 0W30
is good enough for Amsoil to buy for their base stock... Amsoil
believes that Mobil 0W30 is a premium PAO...

I recommend Mobil 1 0-30
MrRC45MobilOne0w30.jpg
 
Have you done a UOA on that Mobil 1? Energy conserving PCMO additive packs are generally on the weak side versus versus most bike oils in the anti wear additive departments. I would want higher concentrations of anti wear additives especially in a shared sump system to better protect the transmission. Just because the oil base is good for a bike does not mean the additves are right for it.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Have you done a UOA on that Mobil 1? Energy conserving PCMO additive packs are generally on the weak side versus versus most bike oils in the anti wear additive departments. I would want higher concentrations of anti wear additives especially in a shared sump system to better protect the transmission. Just because the oil base is good for a bike does not mean the additves are right for it.


Yes I've done a UOA on both oils I mentioned... Higher concentrations of anti wear
additives don't equal more protection between the gears... higher concentrations equals
longer intervals the anti wear additive will last between the gears... but longer lasting
anti wear package (higher concentrations) is not a worry when we routinely short the
manufactures recommended oil change interval... you have riders running 30wt car oils and
riders running 30wt motorcycle oils and yet no one is complaining about wearing out their
gear boxes... biggest complaint I hear is when a owner wants more power or just grows
tired of the bike and wants to trade up...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bike
Shell Rotella 15w40.....every 4000-5000 miles....repeat.


Probably fine in a Harley Davidson but too long in a shared sump bike where the engine and transmission share the same oil. Wouldn't go beyond 3000 if it were me. Gear shear.
 
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Originally Posted By: bike
Shell Rotella 15w40.....every 4000-5000 miles....repeat.


Probably fine in a Harley Davidson but too long in a shared sump bike where the engine and transmission share the same oil. Wouldn't go beyond 3000 if it were me. Gear shear.



I thought we already went through this ? Our bikes are designed to live long lives on sheared oil.

Don't fear the shear http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3516813/1/Concours_14_has_crazy_long_oil
 
No they're not. Consider this scenario: The manual for a bike has the following chart for oil weight acceptability:

Fig203_zps2301d2b0.jpg

Based on the chart, say you run 10W40 for the widest temp range coverage. As miles accumulate the 10W40 shears down to a 30 weight-- not an uncommon result in a shared sump motorcycle. This happens to occur during the summer months, where temps in your region routinely exceed 33 C. You're now riding around with 30 weight in temps beyond the range spelled out in the manual. Violating the manufacturer's published limits for oil weight vs. ambient temperature does not foster the bike "living a long life." By your logic, it's fine to continue running the sheared oil (now a 30 weight) against guidelines in the manual. I submit that it's not fine and running sheared oil may shorten engine life.
 
It has nothing to do with my logic.

In my manual it list the range of oils and no where on the chart does it say take into account how the oil shears. It states the temp range (Where I live 10W-40 covers it) and that 10W-40 is the recommended oil for 7,500 miles or 1 yr. which ever comes first. Kawasaki knows that the 10W-40 will be sheared down to 30W (maybe high 20W) long before 7,500 miles. The ZX14 motor is not one of Kawasaki's throw away motors, it's their platform base used in the high end sport bike ZX14/14R & Concours 14. The C14 combines performance with long range mile crunching ability and I'm sure the ZX's can crunch miles as well. I doubt Kawasaki's list 7,500 oil change so we can wear out bikes faster....I could be wrong ?

Now

Two things could come into play with Kawasaki's thinking 1. Most people won't put 7,500 miles on their bike in 1 yr. and the oil will be changed before damage. or 2. The ZX14 motor is designed to run just fine on sheared oil for 7,500 miles without damage.

I would think (my logic) Kawasaki knows most owners aren't BOB IS THE OIL GUY members doing UOA's all the time. Maybe, just maybe the motor might run better with less wear during the latter part of the 7,5000 OCI, after the oil shears...
 
I see many used oil analysis here at bitog and there are examples of sheared/fuel diluted oil.
I haven't seen any abnormal wear pattern nor abnormal wear metal levels in those used oil analysis,so I think the whole shear deal is overblown.
Yes it is certainly possible that viscosity loss may contribute to extra wear but in practice I'm not seeing it.
 
Based on what the UOA'S here on the site say, and what all the members state as the oil they use, how many miles they go between changes, it seems clear to me it doesn't matter what brand or weight oil you use, they all do the job just fine. And when you look around and see 20 year old + bikes that run just fine, I have a hard time believing one oil actually works better then another. All the obsessing over what one doesn't shear as much as another, seems to worry the owners more then the bikes motor. My manual says to use an SG rated oil in my motor so I do. Not the most expensive oil there is, but oils that meet that rating. I ride next to guys using Amsoil, mobil 1, and a few other high priced boutique oils and never had any motor problems. How can that be?. Can anyone say with provable logic that using $16 a qt oil will get you any better results in the long run, than using $6 a qt oil?.,,
 
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