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Rotella 5W-40 Synthetic

9K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  mokusbajusz 
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#1 ·
Bike hit 4,000 miles so I thought it a good point to switch to synthetic. First noticable difference is starting as the motor spins a little quicker, and it appears to run a little smoother if not happier in the upper RPM range. The most noticable difference, however, is in the shifting...no more "thwack!" Perhaps a slight increase in fuel mileage, too! :D
At $12 a gallon from Wal-Mart, you can't beat it. I'm happy. :wink:
 
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#2 ·
You are telling me you put a diesel spec oil in your DL? Are you just cheap or foolish, Buy a motorcycle specific oil, remember the old comm ercial, pay me now or pay me later. Check the SAE numbers, not m cycle rated. Besides Golden spectro 10W40 sells for about 3.00 a quart so less than 12.00 an oil change. Next Your going to tell me you bought a Fram Filter. Hope you know that it bypasses 20 PSI before a factory Suzuki filter does.

AATECH
 
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#3 ·
There have been many threads on oil on many, many boards and diesel oils are some of the BEST oils out there! I do not think that "m" rated oils are any better. In fact, Suzuki does not require anything more than SF or SG rated oil. Rotella syn far excedes those specifications.

And, maybe you can focus on the issue instead of personally attacking the poster! :wink:
 
#4 ·
I just bought a bunch of Fram oil filters and am going to use them. I also use Castro GTX 10-40 oil in my DL650 and my GS500. No you can't change my mind. I used Fram filters on two Peugeots that I had and never had a problem. However I did notice that the Fram oil filter weighs a lot less than the Suzuki.
 
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#5 ·
Good Luck! Hope the 4.99 you saved is worth it. Don't take my word for it reearch it for yourself, Check Fram for rated bypass pressure. This is when the filter bypasses it's filtration and the oil is UNFILTERED. This means that although you saved money the filter isn't filtering the contaminates you want it to. So I wish you good luck. You will need it.

AATECH
 
#6 ·
It's not the money, I just want to be different. I have two Fram filters and will change back to Suzuki after I use them up I also have two of the Suzuki filters. On the Suzuki filters I'm going change every second oil change. Suzuki says to change every third. I don't believe that bypass pressure is a problem, I change the oil every 3,000 miles, so I don't think that the filter ever gets that dirty. Hey if I wanted to play it safe I wouldn't ride a bike. What is life without adventure.
 
#9 ·
I know this thread of discussion sort of, well, drifted into the semi-insulting at an earlier stage, but now that we're back on track, what about synthetic oils in the V-Strom? I just did an oil change using regular Suzuki oil and wondered about the extra expense for synthetic. Is it worth it? What experiences have people had? Does it really improve shifting?

I come from the restoration world before this. And once you made your old Brit bike leak-free, not an easy thing, but possible with modern gaskets and good machining, then synthetic was the way to go, even on 35 year-old machines.

Bob
 
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#11 ·
Read a detailed article in Motorcycle Consumer News magazine back in 2000 or 2001. They tested all the leading oils (synthetics too) and posted the results in several different categories.

They explained about the service categories SG and SJ etc. Seems that SG has a additive package which motorcycles need for longevity which SJ etc. does not have. (All oils have additive packages by the way.)

They also explained that multi-viscosity oils have "long" chain molecules. The greater the spread of the multi-viscosity oil, the longer the chain. Unfortunately these "long" chains do not hold up very well under the "chopping" they get from the motorcycle transmission gears.

They also did a segment on oil filters although I can't remember much about it. I do remember that Fram was not rated very favorably though.

Bottom line was: USE A GOOD QUALITY OIL; USE A GOOD QUALITY OIL FILTER; CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY & OFTEN. Keeping the oil clean seemed to be the single most important thing you can do to keep your bike running good for a long time.
 
#12 ·
Rottela 5W-40 Synthetic

I must have spent a small fortune on diff weights and brands of oil the first few weeks that I owned my DL650 trying to get rid of the notchy shifting. I finally settled on Castrol 40wt. I know it's a bit heavy but the bike shifts perfect and is quieter, plus the weather here has been in the 90s for several weeks so I figured it would be a good time to try the heavyweight oil. I'm no oil expert but the synthetics seem to be to light for my strom, I did try the rottela synthetic oil and found my bike shifted poorly and had a bit more engine noise. The loud clunk going into 6th is completely gone with the 40wt. Dan
 
#13 ·
Ya know every forum I have ever joined, and every bike I have ever owned, there have been many, many fights about oil and oil filters.

It is my feeble opinion that many motorcycle riders don't even own a bike long enough (like 50K miles or so) to even see the effects of either good or bad oil/filter/change interval habits.

Sure there are a few goldwings out there with 100K+ miles on them, and some of these guys have used cheap wal mart oil, some have used Rotella.

Maybe I could be kind enough to suggest some oil discussion ideas:

If you're happy using what you are using, good for you. I am glad that you are happy and your bike is happy too. Please continue using what you are using.

If you have questions, please ask. Armed with DATA, I hope we can help you answer specific questions - like what weight should I use, what classification should I use, and the occasional "I like this type of oil" comment will be well received.

If you have an OPINION, that's great, please share it but keep in mind - everyone has one of those. Remember an OPINION is an unsupported, undocumented theory.

If you have FACTS - including supporting data, links to SAE testing, or other well documented testing, please share it. That is good stuff to read.

Otherwise, it might help us all if we keep the opinions and insults at a minimum. Many people have had great luck with all types of different oils, filters, change intervals, etc. Let them be happy.
 
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#14 ·
TheTwins said:
It is my feeble opinion that many motorcycle riders don't even own a bike long enough (like 50K miles or so) to even see the effects of either good or bad oil/filter/change interval habits.
I have always thought that myself. Same goes for the break-in (more or less). I don't demand absolute peak engine performance and I don't plan on running the bike into the ground for the next 10 years so I'm not going to stress over either issue.
 
#15 ·
I'm using the Rotella-T in my Honda Shadow. Smoothed out the trans. Think you'll find that the addatives that make it good for diesels are the same as a motorcycle needs.
 
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#16 ·
Today I switched from Mobile one red cap 15w 50 to Rotella T synthetic 5w 40. I could not believe how much the shifting has improved. I proclaim it wonderful, lol. Really, it revs faster and shifts better and everything, I couldn't be happier.

buck
 
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#17 ·
DesertDave said:
AATECH said:
Are you just cheap or foolish, Next Your going to tell me you bought a Fram Filter.
AATECH
I am neither cheap nor foolish, my friend, just well educated. Keep in mind that insults only reflect one's own ignorance.

Have a blissful day. 8)
I agree completely. I agree with your oil choice. Rotella is excellent! I use AMSoil, but the more research i do, the closer I am to switching. Desert Dave has his own learning curve to conquer, with his 'own ignorance,' especially. I applaud your restraint.
 
#18 ·
Hello my overseas friends,

I'd like to add some points and also my experiences on oils.

1. Which viscosity?
Multi viscosity oils can be used in various temperatures. For example a 10W-50 works between -20 to 40+ Celsius (-4..104 F) They are developed to to be able to do that allowing the usage between low (Winter) and high (Summer) temperatures and to eliminate the need of oil change 2 (or even 4) times a year. So it is comfortable but at the same time it is a compromise. Be honest, who of us rides at -20 C?
I am almost 100% sure that the best would be to use single grade oil, always the one which is most suitable to the given temperature. Of course it is a theory, but for me -who rides only in the summertime- that means I would (and will) use an oil which is single grade or has the narrowest viscosity range (20w-40).

2. Mineral or synthetic?
Synthetic oils cannot withstand more against mechanical stresses than mineral oils nay. In their ads it is used to say they make longer the oil change intervals. I do not want to make it longer. The more often you change the oil the more often gets your engine fresh and clean lubricant. Also I used to (and will on my DL) change the filter at every oilservice. I prefer mineral as often my bank account let it done.

3. Diesel, gasoline or motorcycle oil?
This is an interesting question, but some basic things we have to keep in mind. The motorcycle is a special case because its engine, transmission and clutch are lubricated by the same oil. The requirements for an engine and a transmission oil are not all the same, and especially not for the clutch! That means IMHO neither an engine nor a transmission oil would be ok in a bike. That is why I am apt to use an oil which corresponds also to JASO MA standard.

4. What brand?
Well here come the subjective things and the secrets of the manufacturers (additives). I think here you cannot be clever. Everybody has his own experience, mine is that my previous bikes run fine with Aral but poor with Castrol.

Summary
We could say unfortunately Suzuki does not recommend anything on oils besides the viscosity chart. Maybe it is not by luck? Does it mean except the viscosity it is not so interesting which type of oil you use? Remember what I wrote above...
 
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