[bvstone]

So last fall I changed oil on my Rincon and my Z400 over to Rotella T Synthetic 5w40. It was my switch to synth for the Rinny, but on the Z I normally used M1 15w50.

I changed the oil this morning after a HARD winter for both machines. I thought I would be way overdue. But to my surprise the oil looked almost new! This is after numerous hours of plowing snow, riding WOT for very long intervals riding the river, really beating the machines (winter is our best riding season here, especially with the river right in the back yard).

Even the oil from the Z still looked good.

Normally after a change, even with the M1, it was darker.. but the Rotella really does seem to be a better oil! I'm impressed!

 

[parkgt]

I have used it the last 700 miles on my Rincon and see no reason not to continue using it.

 

[toolman]

same here,been running it for over 2000 miles in my rincon and it is very clean looking when i change it..seems to be good and i love the price 12.88 at wally world..

 

[bvstone]

Yep, it's sold me... plan on using it in my new Titan as well! And my motorcycle.. after I used up the rest of my M1 15w50..

 

[ISurvivedNMU]

Quote" i love the price 12.88 at wally world.. "

I buy a ton of rotella, and I have never seen the SYn for that price....

 

[toolman]

everytime me or the wife goes in wally world we pick up a gallon..got 6 sitting on the shelve right now...

 

[ISurvivedNMU]

Your right.... It used to be 18.88..... But the newer ones came down in price.... Sorry...

 

[toolman]

5w40 blue jug..

 

[jkeanesr]

All,
I have also been using Rotella T for several months and I like it. I check my oil and it is also clean.

John

 

[t-7firefighter]

may be a stupid question but is there a break in period where you can't use syn oil? i have about 100 miles on both of our rincons and was looking for a good oil to use.

thank you in advance

britt

 

[parkgt]

There are many opinions on this subject. The most conservative approach is to wait until your engine is fully broke-in. This give the rings a chance to seat fully before switching to the slippier synthetic.

I would suggest changing your oil now with a non-synthetic and then switch at the 400- 600 mile mark. Besure that the oil you select does not have the "EC" (enery conserving) rating. Those oils have the friction modifiers that may cause clutch slipping.

Remember it will take several changes before you become almost fully synthetic.
Draining the oil only gets about 3 of the 4.5 quarts out of the engine and tranny. So the first change you are 66% synthetic, 2nd change 82%, 3rd 91% etc.

Greg

 

[t-7firefighter]

thanks park for the reply. i kind of thought the same thing but wasn't sure. i think i will take your advice and wait until i have a few more miles on them before switching to full syn.

thanks again

britt

 

[rinconjeff]

I just changed to rotella from whatever the dealer used and have noticed smoother shifting, I am also noticing better top end.

When shifing into third a couple times at full throttle I noticed a lunge a couple times but it did not occur again.

 

[650ccMatt]

So are most of you guys running 5w40 on the Rotella?

 

[Michigan_Rincon]

I switched to the Rotella T 5W40 and it seems to be working great. It shifts smoother now. I'll be sticking with this oil.

 

[jkeanesr]

Matt,
I switched over to Rotella synthetic at the 100 mile mark and I like it. It shifts smoother, etc like everyone has said. Contrary to what they say, synthetic is not more slippery than conventional oil, it just protects better. It is less prone to breakdown and handles heat better. Additionally, Rotella synthetic is made from a petroleum base, just super refined. I highly recommend it.

John

 

[650ccMatt]

Sweet, looks like im going to pick up some of that.

 

[Topgun]

Direct from the Shell site, looks like this is the oil to get. No friction modifiers, heavy duty for our useage, and at $12.88 a gallon, not bad on price either.

Can heavy-duty diesel oil be used in motorcycles?

Motorcycle gasoline engines may not seem in the same league as the big displacement diesel engine under your hood, but they share some of the same lubrication requirements. So yes, in many cases, a premium heavy-duty universal oil capable of serving both diesel and gasoline engines is the best choice for your bike.

The high power-to-displacement ratio of a motorcycle engine means rod and main bearings are subjected to loads that are not normally found in passenger car engines. The valve train is also highly loaded, and requires extreme pressure boundary lubrication. The same can be said about gears in the transmission, which are normally lubricated by engine oil. Oil additives containing phosphorus protect these highly loaded extreme pressure areas (in both gasoline and diesel engines). Because diesel engines have higher loading of components, more of the phosphorus-containing additive is present than in typical passenger car oils. And with advanced catalyst systems for gasoline engines, the phosphorus content has been declining in passenger car oils.

Since many bike engines are air-cooled, and tend to be operated at high power outputs and speeds, their lubricating oil needs to be more resistant to high temperature oxidation. That’s another advantage of a premium universal oil. Another thing you want in your motorcycle is oil that has excellent viscosity control, so that with use it retains high temperature viscosity. Some multiviscosity grade passenger car oils, subjected to extreme loads, can quickly thin out. Their viscosity can drop to the next lower grade.

One last thing to consider is whether oil contains friction modifier additives. For improved fuel economy, most passenger car oils have such an additive. But the wet clutch in your bike doesn’t perform right with friction modifiers. Universal engine oils don’t have friction modifiers.

Be careful choosing diesel oils. Not all of them are universal. In addition to the API Service Category CI-4 for diesels, look for API Service Category SL.

Premium universal oils like Shell ROTELLA® T Multigrade are formulated for heavy-duty performance, and your bike engine has some heavy-duty challenges for oil. For optimum performance, be sure your oil is up to the challenge.

 

[jhiggins]

There's some great info about motorcycle oils and why use a motorcycle oil instead of an automobile oil. There's also good info on WHY we shouldn't use synth oils until a reasonable break-in period has happened. Good site with lots of info, even if you don't use Bel-Ray.

 

[jkeanesr]

Rockhead,
Can you please explain why you should wait to use synthetic? Corvettes, Porsche, and the other high performance cars come from the factory wit synthetic. The Rotella synthetic has an oil base. It is not a true synthetic like Mobil 1.

John