Valvoline 4-Stroke Motorcycle Oil

[frankmako]

Has anyone used Valvoline 4-Stroke Motorcycle Oil? I am looking at trying some during my next oil change for my 1987 FLHS. I am looking at the 20w-50 for the motor and the primary. I will use the last bottle of my HD semi-synthetic transmission oil in the trans. For 20 years I have been using HD conventional oil, HD primary lubricant and HD semi-synthetic transmission oil with no problems. But Harley does not sale/have the old type primary and transmission oils. Time to look for something new. Don’t want to use the synthetic oils in the motor or the primary. Went 20 years before I had to open the motor to replace the rear jug gasket. Put in new rings during the job and the old rings were/looked as good as the new ones. I change all three oils and filter every 3000 miles, one reason she got 100k and still as good as new.

frankmako

 

[G-MAN]

You should give Harley's new Formula+ a try in both the primary and the transmission. This stuff has got some good specs and it's what comes in all new transmissions and primary cases.

Formulated for use in Harley-Davidson® Transmissions (except VRSC™ models) and the following Primary Chaincase applications: '71-later XL, '83-'84 XR1000, and '84-later Big Twin models with wet type diaphragm spring clutch.

MSRP US $6.95

 

[sunruh]

i tested the "new" Valvoline 20w50 Motorcycle Specific in september of 05.

remember this is a JASO-MA oil!!!

my bike has a shared wet sump.
the clutch was very very grabby to the point i was ready to dump it 50 feet from the truck. simply hated the clutch feel and shifting!
never mind that in 75 miles my Mix Master of DOOM sheared it out of grade.
but remember, this IS a JASO-MA rated oil!!!

i then put in Quaker State High Horsepower Semi Synthetic 20w50 and the clutch feel was instantly back to perfect. the qs hh sheared to the same level in the same amount of time. but wait! it is not jaso-ma rated!!!

golly gee wiz batman, that can only mean that the jaso-ma rating don't mean SQUAT!!!
or
that many many more oils could pass the test, but don't care to.

and that is the *REAL* lesson to be learned!

 

[Norm Olt]

It is in my Valkyrie Interstate at this time: no problems, but I intend to replace it with Amsoil AMO 10W-40 at the time I put it back on the road.

I used it a couple times in my '82 Goldwing and there, too, no problems.

If you are determined to stay with the conventional oils I would suggest using good, ol' Chevron Supreme OR Havoline (old formula) 20W-50 in the motor. Tough to beat $0.59 per quart after rebate.

There is such a thing as brand loyalty but using synthetics in your HD's transmission & primary will only result in better protection, mileage and service. I personally would go with Amsoil 20W-50 and their appropriate gear oil: chances are you could go two to three times your former intervals. Or RedLine...

The stuff really works!

Cheers!

 

[tmorris1]

A motocross bike is the ultimate torture test for an oil, but I don't know that all clutches and engines react the same way to oil. Some seem to be pickier than others as to the type of oil used. I have had some bikes that don't care what you put in and some that lose the clutch with certain oils. My point is that I don't think you can make a blanket statement for all bikes.

 

[sunruh]

Quote:

---

A motocross bike is the ultimate torture test for an oil. My point is that I don't think you can make a blanket statement for all bikes.

---

i agree on both.

in my testing, boy has there been a lot of testing (samples 37 and 38 were just sent in), it is clearly showing that most "motorcycle specific" oils are targeted for the slow spinning, no wet clutch, low hp/cc ratio bikes. ie a chebby v8

 

[Autodarken]

An MX bike would not be what I consider "normal" or "everyday" motorcycle riding! No doubt you had some UOA done and they came back out of spec but thats not to say street bikes cant run the same oil for thousands of miles without any issue at all.

Meeting JASO MA costs money...so you will absolutly find oils that will run in wet clutch motorcycle apps just fine.

Thanks for reporting which ones hold up in your MX bike.

 

[sunruh]

score another victory for the Mix Master of DOOM!!!
i just got my voa & uoa back from blackstone.
another jaso-ma oil -> castrol gps 20w50 ($7.95/L) couldn't stay in grade for the Sidewinder Enduro.
Bel-Ray EXL 20w50 ($4.95/qt) is on the shearing block this weekend at the Concho Enduro. i'm betting the MMoD wins again. After that it is SuperTech 20w50 from Walmart and then i'll probably go back to the oils that actually hold up.

 

[JAG]

If shear stability is so crucial, I'd use oils that don't use any polymeric viscosity index improvers and let the engine warm up fully before hammering on it since the oil may be quite thick when not warmed up. From what I've read, all types of polymeric VIIs will shear in sunruh's bike. Testing different oils' shear stability is essentially just testing the VII concentration.

 

[PT1]

Try some Bel Ray gear save in the trans if you don't want to go synthetic ( many dealers carry it). The HD chaincase lube will be fine for your primary. But if you have been using HD360 20w50 for that many years I'd stick with it.

 

[Chris142]

Hey I wanted to bring this thread back up. I ran the valvoline 20w-50 motorcycle oil 500 miles in my KLR250.

At first the clutch was extreemly grabby and the shifting notchy but I lived with it. At 300 miles the clutch was very smooth and the shifting perfect.

I just changed it and put the same stuff back in and the clutch is grabby again.

I wonder why the clutch and shifting changes as the oil gets used? I bet @ 300 miles it's silky smooth again.

 

[sunruh]

yeah i hated that stuff because of the grabby clutch

 

[JDD]

Maybe shearing down? One of the first threads I found when I found bitog was one that showed a bit of shearing on bike used oil analysis after only a few hundred miles. My bikes' clutches seem to like the xx-40 weights and I use Rotella. The only bike that gets 50 is the 250F and that is only in the dead of summer, and I swear it is grabbier with the 15-50 weight.

 

[blue_goose]

I put Valvoline MC 10W40 in my VTX1300 at 600 miles...I think the bike runs not quite as smooth as with the factory fill and shifting maybe a tad clunkier...but that might be my mindset after listening to some people not liking it..although..yeah..from 2nd to first does seem louder and clunkier....have about 1200 mile on it now....will change again right before I put it away fro the season...maybe mid November

I probably won't use it again




Goose

 

[Ncogburn]

I've been pretty happy with everything I've use the valvo m/c 10w40. It's in my Yamaha FZ6 at the moment. Let's not forget what a typical motorcycle is... A automotive grade base-stock, with a touch more zinc and phos than is typical for the SM grade, and that's about it. Oh I almost forgot, those special shear-stable polymers that work too well to use them in any old car oil... after all, cars are cheap right? Another thing I'd like to mention is that valvoline M/C oil is NOT JASO licensed, Valvo merely states that it "meets" the requirement, same for Mobil and their m/c oils. Not that having that big JASO conformity symbol would make it any better oil, just slightly (perhaps considerably) more expensive. Just saying your oil meets their spec, well I'm pretty sure that's free! I think more oil companies (hello? Shell?) so do the same.

 

[whitesands]

Does the valvoline have the API dohnut on the bottle and is the SG rating in the text ?

If it displays the API dohnut it is actually certified for the latest rating which is currently SM...They can't display the API dohnut unless it meets the latest API rating and they can't put the previous ratings in the dohnut...The previous rating has to appear in the text on the bottle...SM rating is backwards compatible and meets all previous ratings...It is a litle marketing trick...10W40 and higher SM rated oils are not limited in there zinc and phos content...If the dohnut appears on the bottle it is SM rated...

 

[Ncogburn]

Does the valvoline have the API dohnut on the bottle and is the SG rating in the text ?

No.

 

[Ncogburn]

10W40 and higher SM rated oils are not limited in there zinc and phos content...If the dohnut appears on the bottle it is SM rated... [/quote]

What you say is true, but it appears at least some manufacturers don't bulk-up the add pack as far as zinc and phos are concerned, even though they are allowed to... Take for instance this VOA I had done on Chevron supreme "SM" 10w40.

 

[whitesands]

Quote:
What you say is true, but it appears at least some manufacturers don't bulk-up the add pack as far as zinc and phos are concerned, even though they are allowed to... Take for instance this VOA I had done on Chevron supreme "SM" 10w40.



Doesn't look bad compared to the Yamaha motorcycle oil VOA you posted recently...The differences are so minor it isn't worth mentioning..However, the Valvoline is not too overpriced considering it is a motorcycle oil....It would be interesting to see a Valvoline 10W40 SM rated auto oil VOA for comparison.

 

[dwendt44]

IIRC, the Valvoline doesn't fare to well when compared to other cycle oils and even some HDEO's. Amsoil did a compare-o; Asmoil came out on top of course, but the second and third place oils were surprises: Auto oil.