Best oil to stick with for new bike?

[Pterodactyl]

We get these threads all wrong. What should be asked is, "What oil should I avoid using?" Assuming that the oils in question are labeled as meeting the specifications provided by Yamaha, we would be hard pressed to come-up with a real reason that any specific oil would not be suitable. Instead, we get anecdotal information about how an oil performs. Pretty much meaningless.

 

[eflyguy]

Dynabeads, Amsoil haters and misinformants, and the use it or die Yamalube faithful...all in one mess of a thread. Go easy on the OP And remember not everyone is as versed as some of you "experts" seem to think you are.

When I signed up, I was required to acknowledge the rules for the site, including:

You are required to to review and understand several special board areas we have constructed just for new users like yourself including New Owners Read This,Important Information for New Users!, FJR Model Comparison Matrix, and Frequently Asked Questions of popular information for the various model years of FJRs. As a member that reviews these sections first you will become most appreciated by forum members for doing a little bit of homewhork to ensure a quesiton hasn't been asked many times before. Also, members that contribute new and interesting FJR specific information are celebrated while members that criticize others work are often dogpiled.
And before you consider asking a question about things like oil, tires, top speed, or other popular questions, look at The Best of Never-Ending Pointless Recurring Threads.

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

Be careful eflyguy. With posts like that, you may be asked to moderate this forum. Just whistle and look the other way. The other way I tell you!

 

[eflyguy]

Oh, crap.. Ignacio saw it, too...

 

[N4HHE]

Just put 4 quarts of Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 in my FJR. This oil has served me well in other motorcycles so I'm continuing that tradition. Its relatively inexpensive, readily available, has good "specs", and transmissions shift as good or better than expensive boutique oils which have pictures of motorcycles on the bottles.

Naming names: Whatever high dollar synthetic BMW oil the BMW dealer used in my F800S.

In general casual consumers can not tell one oil from another. If engine doesn't make new noises, if clutch feels right, if transmission shifts well, then thats as far as one can go. Beyond that, sending used oil off for analysis is as good as one can get. If the UOA does not report the oil was shot, and there are no excessive wear materials in the oil, then its as good as it gets.

 

[MrZappo]

I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter as long as it is motorcycle specific and even then, it doesn't matter much. Yes friction modifiers etc etc etc. And no, I'd never run it in my bike but guys do. For the record I think it is rather stupid to do that. But they seem to do ok.

But aside from going totally off the reservation and using car oil or something that does not meet the spec (which has changed over the years) although the engine hasn't much. Curious?

Whatever, amsoil, shamsoil, Yamalube, boobalube, Rotella, schmotella, pick your poison and stick to it religiously, or don't.

My favorite brand is called (clean and on schedule) and it has served me well even though the bottles change color from time to time.

There are way less refineries than their are oil brands. What does that tell you?

Remember, clean and on schedule. Get back to me after 250,000 miles or so to tell me how misinformed I am or that I was right.

I'll be out riding with some 4t whatever.

 

[Fred W]

Rotella T Synthetic 5W40 diesel oil used to be the bargain synthetic when Wally World was selling it for cheap. Then they got wise to the fact that it was selling well, and raised the price per gallon to where it was more expensive per quart than Mobil 1 in the 5 gallon jug. That was when I switched to M1 15W50, and now run that in both of my bikes. It falls within the reccos for viscosity at the temps we are riding in, and it has no ill effect on wet clutches. I find the FJR trans shifts a little better with the M1 than it did with the Rotella syn.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

A few others have reported stiff/sticky shifting with the Rotella T6 full synthetic in the Gen3 transmission.

FWIW, the Rotella T6 full syn works just fine in my Duramax diesel. The closest it gets to the crankcase of my FJR is when I am washing the bike and it is parked next to the truck.

 

[rbentnail]

Best oil to stick with for new bike? Really dood?

Oil isn't supposed to be sticky. It's supposed to be slippery. You're using the wrong shit.

 

[Powerman]

Can I sing my dead dinosaur song?

 

[user 8909]

Mobil1

Used in my bikes and my Ranger every 5k.

170K miles on the Ranger and replaced the valve cover gaskets not long ago, amazing how clean the valve train was, couldn't believe it.

 

[N4HHE]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Redfish Hunter" data-cid="1322158" data-time="1467541131"><p>

A few others have reported stiff/sticky shifting with the Rotella T6 full synthetic in the Gen3 transmission.<br /></blockquote>

150 miles today with T6 and my FJR has never run or shifted better. T6 is a keeper.

 

[Bugnatr]

You boys are not spending enough on your oil. Motorex full syn whale jiz @ 16.99 a liter. Spend more $$ and worry less.

For some strange reason my 990 runs just fine on Rotella T6.

 

[2degreesout]

Anybody use this:

 

[Uncle Hud]

From Momma Yama herself:

.... just trying to be helpful ...

 

[ionbeam]

Everyone that has had a FJR1300 engine failure solely due to using the "wrong" oil, please post up the band and viscosity so we can avoid it in the future.

 

[Fred W]

Dude!

You're using the wrong stuff. This is what you want:

 

[roger dodger]

It may not be Friday.... but this is clearly a 'slippery slope' !

I mix my own 50/50 split of Rotella T and T6 (or mobil1, or...) and run it 5k miles.

Clean oil is better than dirty oil. I learned to count by 5's in kindergarten, and it still works!

 

[N4HHE]

From Momma Yama herself:

.... just trying to be helpful ...

No! You wouldn't hurt Minerva Mink, would you?

 

[Uncle Hud]

Of course not! Just using .... some of her oil.