Rotella T 5w-40 Synthetic

After seeing many posts concerning whether Rotella is still a good oil to use in your FJR (or any 4 cycle motorcycle) I thought it was time to do a little investigating. But first, let me remind everyone, doesn't SkooterG use Rotella and isn't he pushing the 200k mark in miles on his FJR. That in itself should indicate that if Rotella could cause harm, his motor would be trash by now.

Anyway, I wrote to Shell a little over a year ago and posted their reply concerning the use of Rotella in our FJR's. I will attach that once again here. But then because Rotella removed the words "Diesel Engine Oil" from their bottles, many folks started thinking they had changed the formula of their oil, thereby, no longer recommending its use in 4-cycle motorcycle engines. This information is false.

Personally, I will continue using Rotella oil in my biike for several reasons. If it is good enough to use in my higher compression diesel engine, I'm sure it will perform even better in my motorcycle motor. And why allow other companies to basically rape the consumers by charging upwards of $10 a quart for an oil that is supposed to be specially designed for a motorcycle, when Rotella, which is much less expensive, will offer the same, if not better protection. I will use the letter I received from Shell today to substantiate what I am writing.

Some people tend to think the more money you pay, the better the product. Where that rule may apply in some cases, it does not apply in all, especially here. As an example, look at the comparison of oil filters. After several filters were taken apart and examined, it was shown that Purolator 1 was rated the best filter at $10+ and the Walmart SuperTech made by Champion (not the spark plug people) that costs under $2.50 was rated #2 and FRAM, probably one of the best selling filters on the market actually turned out to be a piece of junk that could actually cause harm to your motor by having the elements disintegrate and gum up your motor and not filter out harmful metal shavings.

Pay close attention to what they say in the last comment of the second letter, it is interesting what they say about API ratings for motorcycle oil!!

Here is the first response from Shell April 21, 2008:

Dear Sir,

Shell Rotella T 15w-40 is an API CJ-4/SM Rated oil which exceeds the

API SG requirements and is suitable for use in those applications. While

Rotella T 15w-40 also meets the frictional requirements of JASO MA, it does

not have formal JASO MA approval. If your warranty specifies JASO MA, you

should probably use an oil with formal JASO MA approval while your

motorcycle is under the manufacturer's warranty period.

Best Regards,

Shell Technical



Here is the response I received today from Shell:

Daniel,

First, let me assure you - there has not been any significant change

in the Shell Rotella T Synthetic Oil SAE 5W-40 - although you will

begin seeing it as Shell Rotella T6 Synthetic Oil SAE 5W-40 in the

near future. It still is (and will be) a diesel engine oil (as

signified by the API C-series specification listings), and still does

(and will) meet the requirements of JASO MA. It also still (and

will) carry the API S-series recommendations for gasoline engines.

However, I do want to address one thing you mentioned. There really

are no API specifications for 4-cycle motorcycle engine oils.

Thank you for your interest in Shell Lubricants!

Regards,

Edward A. Calcote

Staff Chemist

Shell Lubricants US Technical Information Center

Talk to me in idiot terms BigD. What does all this mean? We don't have a JASO MA rating for the FeeJ.

My take: Use it don't worry about it, enjoy.

What this all means is, oils that claim they are made specifically for motorcycle stating API ratings are blowing smoke, because API (American Petroleum Institute) ratings have never been established for motorcycle oils.

JASO (Japanese Automotive Standards Organization) a Japanese organization, developed a standard for 4-stroke motorcycle engines. Because Rotella oil is designed for 4-stroke diesel engines (2-stroke diesel engines were outlawed in the U.S. years ago), it is not necessary for Shell (Rotella) to obtain the JASO rating. However, if Rotella oil was verified by JASO, it would pass and become JASO certified.

The bottom line, if you are currently using Rotella in your FJR, continue doing so. If you are not using it, you probably should be. It is an excellent oil product that offers unsurpassed protection of your motor and it won't cost you a small fortune, thereby allowing you change your oil more often and not having to stretch the life out of it. Its good stuff.

Note: After reading the link that Patriot posted, I felt I needed to add the following.

Car Oil is not Diesel Oil! Oils used for motorcycles and diesels have different additives, they still have very different performance requirements. Historically, 4-stroke motorcycles have had problems with gear pitting wear in the transmissions and clutch slippage. In many cases, this can be directly attributed to the oil used. Most automotive engine oil is developed to minimize friction and maximize fuel economy. Since the oil for many 4-stroke motorcycles is circulated not only through the engine [as with an automobile], but also through the transmission and clutch, different characteristics are required of the oil. First, a certain amount of friction is necessary to prevent clutch slippage. Second, the oil needs to prevent wear and pitting in the gears of the transmission. These and other essential characteristics are addressed in the standards developed by JASO for 4-stroke engines.

JASO 4-stroke classification is also divided into grades, MA and MB. MB is lower friction oil, while MA is relatively higher friction oil. Other than friction, the JASO 4-stroke classification tests for five other physicochemical properties: sulfated ash, evaporative loss, foaming tendency, shear stability, and high temperature high shear viscosity (HTHS). Sulfated ash can cause pre-ignition if the oil is present in the combustion chamber. It can also contribute to deposits above the piston rings and subsequent valve leakage. Evaporative loss and foaming reduce the amount of lubrication and protection in the transmission, engine, and clutch. With less shear stability, oil loses its capability of retaining original viscosity resulting in increased metal-to-metal contact and wear. High temperature high shear viscosity tests provide viscosity characteristics and data under severe temperature and shear environments.

Thanks BigD for clearing up the confusion. Great reply and informative from Shell. If someone from Shell reads this post, I also thank them for addressing this issue with such detail.

I fully agree to what Big D and the information from Shell he provided. When I first say the concerns about the changes to Rotella T I showed it to my Dad. He used to work for Shell and Laughed. I use Shell Rotella T in my Diesal Service Vehicle with over one hundred thousand on it. It gets driven 5 plus days a week hard. Know issues. Its good stuff and you can't beat the price. In my FJR I only run the most expensive Yamaha Full Syn or my bike will blow up!!

I have bee using the shell product before it was sny. and after they came out with the sny. product .I use it in my 2 cars and the fjr ,Just check the back of the product and see how many standards it meets and compare it to other oils you will be suprised . Also the oil is cheap .

I've been using the Motocraft Power Stroke diesel oil that has the same ratings as the Rotella 15w-40.

It was a bit cheaper at Wally's and it came with an extra quart in the jug.

Delo also has diesel oil, is there a reason to use Rotella over the others with the same ratings?

The bike hasn't blown up in the last 10K miles I've been using it.

I started with the Rotella synth oil, but I had concerns about how it runs like water even when hot and my shifting seemed to klunk more.

I change my oil at about 4K miles using the Wally filters.

Had a great commute in this morning about 50 degrees with semi frosted visibility.

The clouds were textured in semi cubes lined dark at the edges and looked like ice flows.

I imagine polar bears breaking the edges and jumping in to the sea between them.

The hills in the distance looked soft but there was enough clear to catch some detail.

The environment between my ears was good and there was, and still is, a smile.

And best of all, I didn't do any hummasinging today!

Rolavine said:

I've been using the Motocraft Power Stroke diesel oil.....

Click to expand...

One of the reasons oil threads get moved to NEPRT is that they almost invariably go off the OP with somebody mentioning a different brand of oil. And once one person does....many other feel the need to follow.

Can I ask that we as a forum police ourselves by focusing on the original point of threads and try to stay on topic? It might mean less go to NEPRT as a result.

Just sayin'.

Thanks.

The Management

Good advice, Ig. For the record, though, I like Michelin PR2's.

[SIZE=8pt](Thanks, BigD, for the update.)[/SIZE]

Thanks for clarifiying it for this idiot.

Is it October already?

Sorry about earning this thread a NERT rating.

I just looked at analysis of diesel oils and answered my own question.

The power stroke motocraft is OK.

The Rotella Synth was top rated.

I like PR2's too.

Rolavine said:

Sorry about earning this thread a NERT rating.

Click to expand...

Sigh.....it hadn't actually until long after your post.

I fear my point about asking people to stick to the thread title (which was actually slightly new and unique) is being missed.

Oh well. Nevermind. I guess we'll cater to the lowest common denominator.

Good post by Big D.

Oil is oil. Find a decent one and change it at the specified interval. It's that simple. Using the 'perfect' oil is an entirely way too thought out subject.

210,000 miles on my 04 FJR. 90% or so of those miles were using the Rotella conventional (non-syn) 15W-40. I started using the synthetic 5W-40 Rotella early on it's life for the purpose of extending the oil change interval, but Jestal set me straight on my flawed logic on that post haste. So it was back to the conventional 15W-40. Why pay more for the synthetic when the FJR will not take advantage of the benefits of synthetic oil?

Recently, Wally-World had the Mobil equivalent of Rotella on sale, so I bought 2 gallons of the Delvac 1300 15W-40. It was $2 cheaper a gallon than the Rotella (which is rare). And I is a cheap bastard.

I know recently there was some question of the re-formulation of Rotella and a possible reduction in anti-wear additives, but I have not read anything to make me stop using it.

I know I am only one data point, but using the conventional diesel oils and changing them at 4,000-5,000 mile intervals has so far been good to my high mileage FJR. I figure if there was something wrong with the Rotella, it would have shown itself long before 200k.

But then when was the last time you heard of ANY engine problems or failure that was OIL related?

Ignacio said:

Oh well. Nevermind. I guess we'll cater to the lowest common denominator.

Click to expand...

Does that mean I can post now?



Thanks for the Shell response info. Anytime you see a package or label change, it's a bit unnerving. Consistency and familiarity with a proven product go a long way in motorcycling.