Oil Shootout!

[ks-waterbug]

Want to learn about oil then look no further then here.
The author of this link is a Chemist, retired from a major Oil and Chemical Company, after a career in the Quality Assurance of Fuels, Lubricants, and Chemical products. He and his wife both ride motorcycles.
(This is one persons perspective!)
<span style='color:red'>The Oil Man</span>

 

[rob t]

good link. thanks for info!

 

[200hp]

That was a good article. However he did not specaficly address extream riding such as Drag racing road racing, or top speed contests.
I change my oil after every weekend at the track. There is a very good reason for this. In these racing conditions there is excesive clutch wear. These clutch fibers will and do clog up the oil pick up in the pan. This causes poor oiling in the motor which leads to other problems like Spun bearings. Look in the oil pick up of any 1000 with a spun bearing. Bet you find it full of cutch fibers.

 

[Narcissus]

Here is some more information from my links archive:

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~hasl/oillinks.htm

http://www.motosports-boise.com/rmd/oil.htm

http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm

 

[dezzy7]

Interesting article. It reminds me of the Octane article that was posted. Most busa's will run as well on the street with 87 Octane as they will with 93 Octane...So why pay more?

Same goes with oil, I typically use motorcycle oil, but It seems like the Castor Oil 20/50 I but in my Jimmy would work just as well for my style of racing.

Hmmm that CBR 900 with 200,000 miles .... Man with no problems and nothing more than a valve adjustment...Hey I hope the busa last that long.

 

[amsctalx]

I agree with most of what the chemist had to say regarding oil.

Just a couple of extra notes:

1) During the first seconds of operation, your cylinder wall/pistons and cam lobes/lift mechanism are dependant upon the oil that adhered to those surfaces after the engine stopped. Some oils, notably synthetics, are better at "hanging around" after the engine stops. This can have a substantial impact on long-term engine wear.

2) Thermal stress is as great a risk factor as lubrication quality in a modern engine. Proper "warm-up" and "cool-down" is important to keep components from failing (typically by fracturing), or from changing dimension faster than other nearby components have been designed to.

Mike

 

[Doc_Busa]

As a Ph.D. chemist, I agree with most of what was said. I prefer synthetics since they are much more resistant to oxidation (burning sort of). That is why the Dino oil will turn "black" much quicker than synthetic. I also run synthetic because of the high RPMs and high temperatures I operate my bike at...

But mostly, I run synthetic because oil is cheap compared to new rings, pistons, bearings, etc. etc. etc.

I run BelRay EXL 10w-50 synthetic. I would not hesitate to run Mobil 1, but I think the 10w-50 is the perfect weight for the climate I ride in... high desert temps.

 

[discreet007]

As a Ph.D. chemist, I agree with most of what was said.  I prefer synthetics since they are much more resistant to oxidation (burning sort of).  That is why the Dino oil will turn "black" much quicker than synthetic.  I also run synthetic because of the high RPMs and high temperatures I operate my bike at...

But mostly, I run synthetic because oil is cheap compared to new rings, pistons, bearings, etc. etc. etc.

I run BelRay EXL 10w-50 synthetic.  I would not hesitate to run Mobil 1, but I think the 10w-50 is the perfect weight for the climate I ride in...  high desert temps.

Doc, what would you reccomend for us in New England, where the day starts at 55F and then goes to 85F and back?

 

[Doc_Busa]

When I lived on the East Coast, I ran 10w-40 almost exclusively (but I had no Busa then). Honestly, I think the most important thing is to change the oil regularly AND let the bike warm up properly. If you are running 20w-50 in the winter, you need to let it warm up a bit more then if you were running 10w-30. If you are running Mobil 1, the 15w-50 they sell should be fine for anything you throw at it, or the 10w-50 that I run.... See what others think.....