More affordable M/C rated oil - May '10

[UHOH]

1) Guys, the folks at Shell have done testing to label their truck oil Rotella 15W-40 as JASO MA wet clutch rated.

I've been using it for long time, as others have, but that's not the point - the oil is now actually labelled JASO MA, which some people rely on...

these bottles didn't used to have the JASO MA label, at all.

2) Also, the chain store AutoZone has started carrying M/C oil and has MA rated Motorcycle 10W-40 and 20W-50

on sale for the month of May in the brands of Castrol and Valvolene. $2.99 / qt. till May 31.

.

 

[Nightshift]

The only problem with that oil is it's not synthetic. I always heard once you start an engine with synth oil it is bad news if you switch to conventional oil.

mick

 

[Tree Doc]

The only problem with that oil is it's not synthetic. I always heard once you start an engine with synth oil it is bad news if you switch to conventional oil.
mick

That used to be an issue many moons ago. Nowadays, the two are totally compatible and literally can be mixed with no ill effects. Personally, I'll stick with Synthetics exclusively.

Perhaps the new rating on the Rotella covers this issue but I recall reading in my FJR owners manual that oils made for deisel motors (Rotella) should NEVER be used in the FJR. ???

 

[Blind Squirrel]

When I checked at Wally World there were three different types of Rotella. Is the only difference between them regular, semi-synth, and full-synth?

 

[Fred W]

yup.

And if you are changing your oil at ~5k mi intervals, the 15W40 dino juice is plenty good enough. The main advantage of the synthetics is they break down less over time.

If you pay half the price for the conventional oil you could afford to change it twice as often.

 

[bramfrank]

I do oil changes at 5000 km intervals and use only Castrol Dyno - no ill effects whatsoever. But the price is creeping up ($5.60 a litre at Canadian Tire up here) so I may just buy a couple of gallons of Rotella-T from the local Wally World - 10 litres for $36 - I may just check out pricing the next time I head to the US for my grocery shopping and get it there.

Besides while the oil may not break down as fast, it does pick up particulates at the same rate whether synthetic or not - changing more often reduces the amount of abrasive contaminants in the crank case.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

... - the oil is now actually labelled JASO MA, which some people rely on...

JASO MA means the oil has been tested for and meets standards for motorcycle engine use.

When I checked at Wally World there were three different types of Rotella. Is the only difference between them regular, semi-synth, and full-synth?

Both the mineral oil and the full-synthetic are labelled JASO MA -- the semi-synth is not.

Nowadays, the two are totally compatible and literally can be mixed with no ill effects. Personally, I'll stick with Synthetics exclusively.

Compatibility among lube oils is addressed by meeting MIL-Spec (on the label) -- a convoy en-route doesn't want to worry about whether they can add a certain oil...

Compatibility among a brand is much less an issue than between brands -- but, if they meet MIL-Spec, no problem.

Perhaps the new rating on the Rotella covers this issue but I recall reading in my FJR owners manual that oils made for deisel motors (Rotella) should NEVER be used in the FJR. ???

MamaYama hasn't changed that directive in the owners manual since the intro of the FJR -- about 10 years. Things change: engine design and construction changes; lube-oil chemistry changes; and, peoples opinions/beliefs about oil change...

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I target oil changes around the 3K mark. Does anyone have a good link to buy OEM filters at a reasonable price?

 

[Gerry.GEG]

I do oil changes at 5000 km intervals and use only Castrol Dyno - no ill effects whatsoever. But the price is creeping up ($5.60 a litre at Canadian Tire up here) so I may just buy a couple of gallons of Rotella-T from the local Wally World - 10 litres for $36 - I may just check out pricing the next time I head to the US for my grocery shopping and get it there.
Besides while the oil may not break down as fast, it does pick up particulates at the same rate whether synthetic or not - changing more often reduces the amount of abrasive contaminants in the crank case.

My local WalMart sells Rotella T syn. for about 19.00/gal. So your price is not that bad.

 

[Gerry.GEG]

I target oil changes around the 3K mark. Does anyone have a good link to buy OEM filters at a reasonable price?

Probably any filter/oil combo at 3K will be perfectly adequate. I don't know the cheapest source of OEM filters though. Good luck.

 

[FJRBluesman]

O Lord another oil thread.... Don't even get me started. :dribble:

Good catch though UHOH in the JASO MA rating on the label now. Now all old Rotella threads are moot.

 

[Gerry.GEG]

I have used Rotella T synthetic in two bikes with very good results. My FJR seems to run really well and the shifting improved after the initial oil changes from dino. I also use this in my two Nissans with V6's. My son uses Rotella Dino in his Subaru, etc, etc.

Everyone I encounter who uses Rotella has had good results.