The confusion on the MC oils . Question.

[WarDawg]

I see where Shell R T oil 15W 40 & 5W 40 synthetic is widely used . There ( Shell ) own website states they are not a JASO ( japan ) certified . They state they have there ash level higher than JASO permitts. Is that a concern running the Shell in MC motors ??? It just states that ash can lead to buildup of carbon on the piston/cyclinder and spark pug .

Is any of the other oil labels 10w 40 just as good as the Shell ? Say Havoline , pennzoil , Mobile 1 .All being in the 10W 40 class . I have used Havoline 10W 40 in my 4 wheeler over the years and seems to be good to go . No real research has taken place other than it cranks and runs great. Not much I realise.
Im about to buy a new MC ( Honda 919 ) and was just doing the research and it got my head a spinning. Shell R T synthetic 5W 40 keeps comeing up as good to go oil but it isn't JASO certified. Thanks guys ... WD

 

[Gilitar]

Yeah i'm on the fence about which oil to use in my new GSX-R600 and I think i'm going to spend a little more and use Amsoil's MC 10w40. It's not like the bike holds much oil so the difference in price won't really be felt.

 

[swjohnsey]

Most folks do ride their motorcycle enough to make the price of oil much of a consideration. The oils designed for diesels such a the Rotella a Delo work well in motorcycles. I have never heard of high ash being a consideration. I have used Shell Rotella T 15w40 in my ZX10R as well as Mobil 1 15w50 and Mobil 1 MX4T 10w40. Oils with moly seem to make a little more horsepower. Diesel oils don't have it. The Mobil 1 15w50 and MX4T do.

 

[KBFXDLI]

I would only consider using M1Vtwin, Amsoil or Redline in my motorcycle. A Harley TC88 takes 2.5 qts on a change...how much are you saving? Especially if you have an aircooled bike. I know at least 5 guys who use Amsoil and ride the #@$%! out of their bikes...never an oil problem.

 

[rayray22]

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Most folks do ride their motorcycle enough to make the price of oil much of a consideration. The oils designed for diesels such a the Rotella a Delo work well in motorcycles. I have never heard of high ash being a consideration. I have used Shell Rotella T 15w40 in my ZX10R as well as Mobil 1 15w50 and Mobil 1 MX4T 10w40. Oils with moly seem to make a little more horsepower. Diesel oils don't have it. The Mobil 1 15w50 and MX4T do.

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I think you'll find that Delo 400 does have Moly somewhere in the region of 200ppm which I've read here is considered not to affect the clutch. I hope they're right, I've just bought 60 litres.

 

[rayray22]

Wardawg
I like the idea of running some moly in my oil, that's why I've gone for the Delo400 although I'm sure that the Rotella 5/40 would do good too.
Here's a read for you. It helped make up my mind http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

 

[WarDawg]

I just reread the Shell website. They state that the old Rotella T synthetic (CI-4) does not meet the JASO requirment for ASH levels. They the state that the new ROTELLA T synthetic ( (CJ-4) does meet the JASO requirement with the ASH now being at 1.0 . With the JASO being set at 1.2 .
I hate to be anal about #@$%! oil. But Ive save for a year for this MC and everything you ever thought you knew about oils are thrown out the window after finding this website.LOL..... Just want a oil that isn't breaking the bank. Won't harm the Cats convertor, and do a great job when the 900cc Fireblade engine winds up.

Rotella T synthetic was $16 a gal at WalMart yesterday. Amsoil was $12 a quart at a Honda dealership. Im sure I can find it cheaper. Thanks guys WarDawg

 

[Mike_dup1]

fyi

From JASO

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Though 4-cycle motorcycle engines may be considered more similar to automobile engines than 2-stroke motorcycle engines, they still have very different performance requirements. Historically, 4-stroke motorcycles have had problems with gear pitting wear in the transmissions and clutch slippage. In many cases, this can be directly attributed to the oil used. Most automotive engine oil is developed to minimize friction and maximize fuel economy. Since the oil for many 4-stroke motorcycles is circulated not only through the engine [as with an automobile], but also through the transmission and clutch, different characteristics are required of the oil. First, a certain amount of friction is necessary to prevent clutch slippage. Second, the oil needs to prevent wear and pitting in the gears of the transmission. These and other essential characteristics are addressed in the standards developed by JASO for 4-stroke engines.

As with the 2-stroke classification, the JASO 4-stroke classification is also divided into grades, MA and MB. MB is lower friction oil, while MA is relatively higher friction oil. Other than friction, the JASO 4-stroke classification tests for five other physicochemical properties: sulfated ash, evaporative loss, foaming tendency, shear stability, and high temperature high shear viscosity (HTHS). Sulfated ash can cause pre-ignition if the oil is present in the combustion chamber. It can also contribute to deposits above the piston rings and subsequent valve leakage. Evaporative loss and foaming reduce the amount of lubrication and protection in the transmission, engine, and clutch. With less shear stability, oil loses its capability of retaining original viscosity resulting in increased metal-to-metal contact and wear. High temperature high shear viscosity tests provide viscosity characteristics and data under severe temperature and shear environments.

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[bandit9]

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Wardawg
I like the idea of running some moly in my oil, that's why I've gone for the Delo400 although I'm sure that the Rotella 5/40 would do good too.
Here's a read for you. It helped make up my mind http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

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Thank you so much for posting that link. I learned an awful lot from that.

 

[Jaybird]

I'm not convinced that the ash content of a motor oil is that significant, especially considering higer performance bikes and off road engines where OCI's are frequent.
Only if there is significant blowby at the rings would the ash content even effect the performance at all...and if there is blowby, it is rebuild time to begin with.
In any ecent, the newer CJ-4 standard provides lower ash content that is acceptable even for JASO MA standards.

And as a continuation of the "moly" scare that came about with the reformulation of PCMO's, there are those who have already started the myth that the newer CJ-4 certifications will absolutely result in clutch failures in wet clutch applications.
The newer CJ-4 standard calls for .12% as a ceiling for phosphorus, when the previous HDMO's were at ~.14%.
(it is quite possible that the oil with a simple .02% reduction in phosphorus may well still pass the frictional requirements of the standard without an addition of anything to make up for the ZDDP loss)
And sure, there may well be some aditive increased or added to make up the slight frictional difference, but it certainly does not mean that the formulator automatically added MoS2 and ruined it for the wet clutch.
I've yet to see formulators using MoS2 in motor oils to begin with...
Even the guy who wrote the article provided above has the misconception that "EC" rated PCMO's are formulated with molybdenum disulfide. And as far as I know, this just isn't true.