Oils (Again)

[Sylvester]

Sorry, I know we've covered oils before, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding anyone that stocks 10/50 oil (non synthetic or semi ). Anyone heard any horror stories about using 10/40 semi synth or non synth? I even tried the local Beemer dealer.

 

[AliBaba]

From the Danish GS-team:

Vorsicht mit synthetic oil, it can do horrifying things to you and your bike.


It will not only leak out of your engine faster than you can put it in, but it will also cause your oil filter to clog and implode, putting debris and dirt into your lubrication system.

It also will make every part of your bike permanently slippery because of its linear molecular chain dispersion action.

Then it will leak onto your kickstand causing it to retract, and your bike will fall over. It will also splatter onto your seat causing your girlfriend to fall off in front of a crowd.

Synthetic oil coats your oil sight window with a whitish pro–emulsification additive that is both non–removable and highly corrosive.

Synthetic oil will wear out your tires and make your battery leak. It will give you a desperate need to urinate after you put on your helmet and then jam your zippers shut.

Synthetic oil chemically weakens intake and exhaust valves and causes the clearances to change every few kilometers.

it will cause both handlebar grips to slip off at the same time so you smash into your windscreen with your nose, usually when riding past groups of attractive young women.

It dries out your wet clutch and wets your dryclutch. It makes your clutch slave cylinder seal fail while putting an angry wasp in your helmet.

Furthermore synthetic oil hides your 13mm socket and puts superglue on your earplugs. Synthetic oil will scratch your goggles and make your gloves shrink two sizes the night before GS Fünf–Kampf. Synthetic oil will make you grow a tail. Synthetic oil will write long crazy e–mails to everybody in the team and then sign your name at the bottom!

Vorsicht!

Schultz

 

[BOB UK]

Hi
I found that if I ran my R100GS on 15/40 Semi Synthetic it drank the stuff as fast as I could put it in I now use Duckhams Q 20/50 and it as halved my oil consumption (2 litres in 5500 to Morocco and back )
If it is very cold were you are in the winter I suppose you could run 10/40 in Winter and 20/50 in summer or make sure you warm the engine gently if it is cold
I could well be wrong but I will stick to good old 20/50 from now on

Bob

 

[FatAl]

Harley davidson dealers sell 20/50 mineral and synthetic based engine oils, it's their own brand stuff so may be a bit expensive, but probably no more than most other motorcycle specific stuff. Independent harley dealers usually have good quality 20/50 oils in stock, probably cheaper than main agent.

 

[bumpmuncher]

20w-50 is the oil for uk ambient temparatures according to the book, 10w-40 is only good up to bout 5degc according to mr clymer
you will find oil for it in the car section, the oil is not circulated around the gearbox so you dont need a bike specific oil like bikes with combined gearbox engine oil they need a sheer stabaliser to stop the oil getting shreded when it goes around the gearbox.

:

 

[(RIP) pastyman]

20/50 is the oil for airheads, trouble is, its getting difficult to get in the usual places like halfords or other motoring shops. I usualy get "Comma" oil from the local motor factors, I believe its made by a major oil company and is a good quality oil. Found some today at the famous "Trago Mills" for £3.99 for a 4.5 ltr can. Thats not bad.

 

[Sylvester]

I know that synthetic oil is the work of Satan. I have now found a local supplier of Motul Mineral 20/50. So Oils well that ends well.......I'll be off then!!! Thanks for the tips.

 

[chiefrider]

fan of synthetics

I've used nothing but Amsoil 20/50 synthetic with no problems whatsoever. I usually change oil and filter (stock) every 5000 kilometers, with one trip as long as 8000+ kilometers before a change. I ride the bike hard, usually cruising upwards of 140 KPH (sorry about the metrics--my GSPD is a Canadian model).

When I change my oil, the Amsoil still has a dark honey-gold color.

Tom in Salem, OR USA

 

[Beemerboff]

There is no problem using Mobil M1 Synthetic auto oil in our airheads - there is almost no difference in the formulation to the bike M1 and we don't have clutches or gearboxes to worry about anyway.

I have been using it in my R100GS for 30,000km, changing at 10,000km, and it seems to stay in grade and stands up to the Oz heat well - it stays a nice bronze colour, unlike some oils I've tried which looked as black as treacle after 500km and drained out like water.

 

[iftikartaxis]

millers oil brighouse for your 20/50 they blend oil to alsorts of spec
even specialise in vintage and veteren vehicles
i use vauxhall 10/40 semi sythetic in my 1150 gsa can't say the oil consumption was any different
if you have a trade club card it's cheap as chips

"Praise the lord and pass the Ammunition"

 

[BOB UK]

My Thoughts on this (and wot do I know) is that the problem with most of the synthetic oils that are for sale here (England) is not the fact that they are synthetic or synthetic based it’s the fact that Most of them are the wrong weight they are 15/40 or 10/40 which is too thin and they cost lots of money if I could find a good 20/50 synthetic at a reasonable cost I would use it but I can’t so I’m stuck with good old Duckhams and I just make sure if its very cold I warm the bike up well before I give it some beans ( or I go in the car )

 

[g.s.john]

yep morrisons or duckhams mineral 20/50 oil consumption is minimal just warm it up carefully this time of year

 

[John Armstrong]

Most of them are the wrong weight they are 15/40 or 10/40 which is too thin and they cost lots of money if I could find a good 20/50 synthetic at a reasonable cost

Looked at these oils: http://www.silkolene.com/index.php?calling=product&sub=ride#ride_p3

 

[seancb]

duckhams mineral 20/50 oil is what I used in my old 2cv as it was low compression engine oil and I use 15w40 oil in the winter and I did use 5w50 in the summer

 

[shafted]

I have no explanation for this, but if I use 20/50 in my R100 it smoke's like the clapper's on warm-up. Stick in 15/40 and all is sweetness. The 15/40 'can' state's it is suitable for Turbo engine's (which get quite hot) so I cant see a problem in useing it.
Safe riding Karl.