Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1245750
If the motorcycle manufacturer does not specify mineral, syn- thetic, or semi-synthetic, it is open to you to choose. Generally, a syn- thetic oil will have a longer life than a mineral-based oil. When it comes to the viscosity ratings, again it is best to stick with the manufacturer recommenda- tion, but in a pinch, it is the sec- ond number or "summer" rating that is most critical since that is the typical operating temperature. So, if the manufacturer recommended oil is a 10W-50, you could use a 15W-50 as that first "W" number is most critical at startup in cold temperatures. Specifically, for the Maxima line, Marcella provided this example: "If no composition specifics are given in the manual, then the user can default to their riding style and expectations as to which oil to use. If the manual only specifies a 10W-40 meet- ing JASO MA, for example, the user could choose mineral Premium 10W-40, semi-synthetic Syn Blend 10W-40, full-syn Pro Plus 10W-40 or the full-syn, pure race oil Extra 10W-40. Premium is probably sufficient for most riding under this scenario, but if the user wants a little additional oil durability, Syn Blend would be a good choice. If they run the bike hard, frequent the track, and want the longevity of a synthetic, Pro Plus would be more ideal. If they strictly race the bike and re- build the engine frequently, Extra would be the best choice to get that slight competitive edge." Motorex's Riley provided this example for choosing among their various lines of oils. "This is a 'pay now or pay later question.' For ex- ample, a KTM 350 SX-F owner's manual specifies 10-hour service intervals but only if you run a full PAO & double ester based engine oil (Cross Power 4T 10W50 is the full PAO & double ester-based oil in the Motorex line). PAO is de- rived from natural gas molecules and, together with esters, handles heat much better than petroleum derived base oils. If you ride your bike for 40 hours, with the recom- mended 10-hour service interval, one liter of oil at $19.50 + the oil filter (about $8) equals $27.50 times four oil changes for a total of $110. If you use the less ex- pensive Group 3 based oil, your recommended service interval goes down to four hours, so the $15 oil plus filter equals $23 times 10 oil changes for a total cost of $230. And in the extreme case, a group two- (mineral) based oil cost only $5 per liter plus the filter of $8, but the recommended service interval drops to just one hour, so it will cost just $13 per oil change but with 40 changes over 40 hours, your total cost is $520, not to mention the time and disposal of a lot more oil. Do your motorcycle, your wallet, and the environment a favor by using the highest quality engine oil available to you." If you just need to top off your bike between oil chang- es, is it critical to use the same oil that you used for the last oil change? It is best to use the same oil if possible, but if you are not posi- tive about what you used or if you don't have that same oil but have something similar, it will not hurt to mix oils. It should be the rec- ommended viscosity but will mix even if it is not the same. This is true even for mixing synthetic and petroleum-based oil. It is better to have the proper amount of oil than be concerned about having the exact same oil. In conclusion... You should definitely use the specific motorcycle rated oil recommended in your owner's manual and the more premium, synthetic options available for the various oil brands are likely worth the money due to the longer service intervals neces- sary (unless your owner's manual specifically recommends petro- leum based oil). And if you need to top it off, it is ideal to use the same oil brand/viscosity/type of oil, but if you don't have that, it is okay to use other motorcycle oils although that should be the same viscosity. And we didn't mention this above, but changing the oil-based on the recommended operating hours in the owner's manual is also very important and cheap insurance against serious failures. And if you run your bike harder or in extreme conditions, it is also best to change it sooner than the recommendations. CN VOLUME 57 ISSUE 19 MAY 12, 2020 P79