Recommended Synthetic Oil for FJR (other than Yamalube)

[ionbeam]

OK, a real answer, really. Click >>THIS<< then scroll down the page and pick everything that looks like it's relevant.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Man do I wanna.. But my reputation as a trouble maker has drawn the attention of admins..

I fear if I convey me true feelings on what I just seen I'll end up on the outside looking in, as it may be construed as a hijack..

yes, once again my mistreatment of a noob has me in the dog house.

But Zilla an Howie are sharing a cell this time!

Cheap beer, weed an' whores!

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

Use ANY name brand oil BUT don't use one that has "Energy Conserving" on the circular label of the container or anywhere on the back of the container.

Energy Conserving oils "can" cause clutch slippage.

I believe ALL 10/40 regular dino oils are NOT energy conserving, my 2008 owners manual recommends 10/40 or for REAL hot weather 20/50. Also MOBIL 1 Full Synth 15/50 isn't energy conserving either.

I've been using CASTROL 10/40 regular dino "Motorcycle" oil and change it every 3,000 miles.

Just change it on a regular basis.

 

[Fred W]

Mobil 1 5W30 here

Ummm, not a great choice, IMO. The FJR engine was never intended to run a 30 weight oil, and especially not in the climate that you live in, Gary. Factory recommendations are xxW40 or xxW50 weight oils. I'd try to stay within that range all year.

Though somewhat counter-intuitive, the second (bigger) number in multi-vis oil weight ratings is the one that describes how thin the oil will be at operating temperatures. So it is the most important one to get close to the weight the engine was designed for. The first (lower) number describes how thick the oil will be when it is cold, but you don't run the engine all that long cold compared to hot.

Use ANY name brand oil BUT don't use one that has "Energy Conserving" on the circular label of the container or anywhere on the back of the container.Energy Conserving oils "can" cause clutch slippage.

Exactly right. And the reason that you want to avoid those "Energy Conserving" oils is because most of them have friction modifiers in their ingredients that will cause slipping in a wet clutch. Most 5WXX (or lower) oils are energy conserving oils, so read the label carefully before buying.

I believe ALL 10/40 regular dino oils are NOT energy conserving, my 2008 owners manual recommends 10/40 or for REAL hot weather 20/50. Also MOBIL 1 Full Synth 15/50 isn't energy conserving either.
I've been using CASTROL 10/40 regular dino "Motorcycle" oil and change it every 3,000 miles.

Just change it on a regular basis.

Well, you are right. conventional 10W40 oils are not energy conserving, so they are safe to use with a wet clutch.

But... (you knew that was coming) conventional 10W40 oils have larger quantities of Viscosity Improvers (VIs) included as part of their makeup to achieve those wide temperature/viscosity ratings. Viscosity Improvers are molecules that help stabilize the fluid's viscosity (thickness) reducing how much out thins out as the fluid is warmed up. Problem is these VIs are not very robust oil molecules and they don't stand up well to high sheer loads, like one might find in a gearbox for example. So not only do we have to worry about the wet clutch, but also that the engine oil gets run through the transmission.

These VI's get chopped up with very little mileage and the entire oil charge quickly degrades to a lower viscosity than what it is rated at when used in a motorcycle engine that shares the oil with the transmission. That 10W40 becomes a 10W30 or 10W20 within a couple thousand miles. So for that reason, you're actually better off going with a smaller number spread if you will be using conventional oil. Like a 20W40 Yamalube (which seems unavailable anymore) or a15W40 conventional diesel oil, for example.

In the case of a full (or hybrid) synthetic oil, it is the base synthetic oil stock that has inherent properties that allow it to pour cold but not thin too much as it warms. They (typically) do not need to use the VIs that conventional oil requires to achieve the same (or even wider) ratings. That said, I would not hesitate to use 0W40 Mobile 1 (as an example of a full synthetic with a wide spread) as it will remain a W40 oil for it's full life.

Will any of this cause your engine to crap out prematurely? Depends on what you consider premature, I suppose. No it isn't life or death, but why not make the best choice if it costs the same money and has the same availability? So, rather than a cheap 10W40 conventional, you might want to go with an equally cheap 15W40 diesel oil. Or rather than choosing 5W30 Mobile 1, you might want to choose the 10W40 or 15W50 Mobile 1 for the same price.

YMMV

 

[dudeckp]

/Rotella

So very true!

 

[DennisJ]

BITOG (Bob is the Oil Guy) has a section for motorcycles, lots of reading. Enough to really confuse you and eventually put you to sleep. Save the effort and pain and just read the thread referred to earlier.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Do a search for "oil" on this forum and the other FJR forum. Read all that you find. That shall clear it right up.

 

[Ptaaty]

Rotella T6. $20 a gal at walmart (was $15 AR last month), JA-MO certifified / no negative additives.

 

[Fred W]

Actually the Rotella T6 is now up to $21.36/ gallon at Wally's these days, which works out to $5.34 a quart. And yes it is JASO MA certified, which means only that it will not cause slippage in a wet clutch application.

But also at Wally's, Mobile1 15W50 Full Synthetic is $24.97 for the 5 Quart bottle, which works out even cheaper than Rotella at just $4.99 a quart. It has not been JASO MA certified, but that is only because they have not submitted the oil to JASO for certification since it is not their "motorcycle" oil product. That said, it has never caused any problems with a wet clutch that I am aware of, whereas the Rotella has been blamed for some grabbiness by some users.

For the ultimate in cheapness, go with the Rotella T (conventional) 15W40, for $32.47 for a 2.5 gallon jug at Wally World (less than $3.25 a Qt), which also is JASO MA certified, but has never caused any problems with wet clutches either slipping or grabbing.

YOMV

 

[bgross]

Actually the Rotella T6 is now up to $21.36/ gallon at Wally's these days, which works out to $5.34 a quart. And yes it is JASO MA certified, which means only that it will not cause slippage in a wet clutch application.
But also at Wally's, Mobile1 15W50 Full Synthetic is $24.97 for the 5 Quart bottle, which works out even cheaper than Rotella at just $4.99 a quart. It has not been JASO MA certified, but that is only because they have not submitted the oil to JASO for certification since it is not their "motorcycle" oil product. That said, it has never caused any problems with a wet clutch that I am aware of, whereas the Rotella has been blamed for some grabbiness by some users.

For the ultimate in cheapness, go with the Rotella T (conventional) 15W40, for $32.47 for a 2.5 gallon jug at Wally World (less than $3.25 a Qt), which also is JASO MA certified, but has never caused any problems with wet clutches either slipping or grabbing.

YOMV

+1 for Rotella T.

It's not synthetic, but it's the right spec and the right price!

I use it in both the FJR and the Wingabago.

 

[user 31223]

I switched from Rotella T Synthetic to Yamalube 20W-50 conventional from motorsport.com - shipped free if you buy 6 gallons ( > $99) - works out at $4.39 a quart and i don't have to go into town - i do about 20k a year total so will last a year as i change at 4k hence don't feel i need the synthetic

 

[pcarnut]

I switched from Rotella T Synthetic to Yamalube 20W-50 conventional from motorsport.com - shipped free if you buy 6 gallons ( > $99) - works out at $4.39 a quart and i don't have to go into town - i do about 20k a year total so will last a year as i change at 4k hence don't feel i need the synthetic

Notice any improvement in shifting with the Yamalube? I'm curious because the last couple batches of T6 I used did provide smooth shifting, heard they change formula.

 

[user 31223]

It seems about the same to me.

 

[Rider_FJR]

Been using Amsoil for years. Very happy with it.