Best Motor Oil?

[David Allaband]

What's the best motor oil? I would like to know what's the best kind I can find at standard places, like Auto Zone or Pep Boys, and I would also like to know what kind is best if money and source are not an object.

My situation. I'm a daily rider in New York City. Stop and go traffic, lots of acceleration and deceleration, but I also go on weened trips that involve hundreds of riding miles a day. Here it's generally humid in the summer and dry in the winter. Temperatures from 15 below freezing in winter to low 90s in summer.

So far all I know is that the repair manual recommends summertime oil of 20W/40 designated SE or SF. No additives because of clutch slippage.

I'm expecting this is an impassioned topic like Ford VS. Chevy. If you have reasons why your oil is the best I would really like to hear them!

Thanks a lot for any help!

[Dan Filetti]

You may want to consider using the search feature, this topic has been discussed many, many times. 

That said I will off that I use Shell Rotella T6 5W-40.  Because it's, synthetic, easily available at Walmart for ~$20/ gallon and it works and others don't.  All of my non 2-stroke machines -and there are many of them, use it.  Others will recommend other more expensive oils, but I'd try a few out and see what feels best. 

I'll pass this data point along: I noticed a HUGE and immediate difference when I went from Mobil1 red cap (no longer available -that was good oil...) to Castrol -Syntech.  Suddenly the bike would not shift well!!  So I immediately (less than 20 miles) switched to a more highly recommended oil.  Reading here, (actually, over on the yahoo board), and elsewhere, I kept reading about Rotella T, given that it was a Walmart away, and cheap, and seemed to do well for a number of folks whose mechanical aptitude I respected, I tried it. 

That was maybe 6-7 years ago.  As I said, I have since converted over to it exclusively for all of my machines.  I'm not one to fix was is not broken and it's simply not broken. 

Dan

[andyb]

So far all I know is that the repair manual recommends summertime oil of 20W/40 designated SE or SF. No additives because of clutch slippage.

All oil has additives.  You mean no user-installed additives, I assume?

Dan's right, there's tons of info available on the subject.  The fact that some people get away with cheap oil and their motors are still alive after a buncha miles tells me that cheap stuff can work just fine.  Personally I just check to ensure that it's not listed as an "energy conserving" oil (it'll be marked on the bottle in the bullseye rating thing), and use it.

What's in your oil matters a lot less than how old it is and how much of it there is, imo.

[mikeholzer]

That said I will offer that I use Shell Rotella T6 5W-40.  Because it's: synthetic, easily available at Walmart for ~$20/ gallon and it works and others don't. 

Yep. What Dan said. Ante up and buy one of Randy's spin on oil filter adapters, too.

[E Double]

Here is a good thread about oil;
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=4010.msg35643#msg35643

I would definitely use a synthetic, and probably a motorcycle specific oil, but not necessarily.
I use Amsoil in everything I own that has a motor with excellent results.  I use 10-40 Amsoil motorcycle synthetic in my FJ and it runs fantastic on it. 

The spin on filter is a great idea, and should be the first thing you do on the bike.

[FJTillDeath]

Phew nearly thought another debate was going to start

That aside was does the spin on oil filter do and what benefits does it impose

[Dan Filetti]

[what] does the spin on oil filter do and what benefits does it impose

Mostly ease of use. It makes changing the oil a breeze, like on a car, also makes for better availability of various filter types.  Lastly, it can help prevent you from accidentally pinching the side-stand wire when you put that clunky filter cover back on -this can be avoided with simply being careful, though.

Some may say it increases the oil flow rate or some such, I'm not sure about that.

Dan 

[E Double]

The spin on adds some capacity, about .5 quart with the filter I use, plus you get a large selection of filters to choose from.  I would imagine that some of the filters (Amsoil EA filters, Purolator Pure 1, Wix, etc) would catch smaller sized junk in the oil, at least compared to the standard cartridge style filter.

[mst3kguy]

aerostich motor oil.

[pdxfj]

I'm in the same boat as Dan, and have been using the Shell Rotella synthetic in everything.  The FJ, Ninja 250 and my truck.  Very happy with its performance and I usually run the truck out to 5k miles or so before doing an oil change.

[motohorseman]

I run Yamalube, Yamaha's oil.

20w/50 in the summer, 10w/40 in the winter.

3000 miles is the maximum I ever put on the oil, I use the regular stuff and see no reason to pay for synthetics as I change the oil frequently.

Yamalube® Performance All Purpose: Performance blended engine oil using high quality mineral base stocks for use in motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Side vehicles, and scooters.
Providing stable clutch performance and film strength to protect your engine from the wear and tear of daily use.
Yamaha set out to blend factory-approved engine oils with mineral base stocks that were everything but conventional.
Excellent protection and technologically superior additives make this oil exceptional.
Yamalube All Purpose oils are available in the precise multigrade viscosity the factory recommends for your four stroke Yamaha.
Each Yamalube All Purpose formula meets or exceeds all factory recommendations for use in Yamaha engines.
This oil meets or exceeds the requirements of JASO MA*.
*JASO (Japanese Automotive Standards Organization) defines and pubishes motorcycle and automotive standards. JASO MA is the highest certified rating of motorcycle engine oil used with wet, multi-plate clutches.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/apparel/apscitemdetail/3/121/all/1/7456/detail.aspx
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/apparel/apscitemdetail/3/121/all/1/7457/detail.aspx

I also use Yamalube Fuel Stabilizer and Conditioner

Fuel Stabilizer & Conditioner PLUS:
Strongly recommended for E-10 fuels, this alcohol-free formula helps prevent fuel oxidation and phase separation from moist, rich air. When used continuously, it keeps fuel fresh, potent and free from gum and varnish for up to one year of storage. Its metal filmers, provide extensive protection for steel and aluminum components

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/apparel/apscitemdetail/3/145/all/1/10006/detail.aspx
Ring Free (removes carbon deposits).

Ring Free PLUS:
We took Ring Free, the proven engine deposit package, and made it even better. Our exclusive, synthetic PLUS formula provides superior deposit control, cleaning fuel injectors, carburetors, intake valves, intake ports and combustion chambers. Featuring metal filmers, it also protects silver solder, copper, aluminum and steel in a fuel system from the corrosive effects of ethanol sulfate salt.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/apparel/apscitemdetail/3/145/all/1/10007/detail.aspx

I like my local dealer and try to support them whenever I can.

[RichBaker]

I was running SynTec 10w40 year round, no problems, even in Tucsons 100+ degree summers. Switched to Lucas MC oil, 10w40, last oil change a couple months ago.  Shifting is noticeably better, but I had NO issues with shifts when the Castrol was in there..... compared to the several car oils (and even Dino MC oil) I used to run, many years ago.

After much reading, I prefer 10w40 even in the heat of the summer, been running 10w40 for the last 10 years.  There's a reason Yamaha doesn't recommend it......

[Ender22]

I've always used That Shell Rotella 15w-40 in all my bikes. 

After Reading this i knew why: (someone else posting it on here)
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

I'd suggest reading it but here's some hightlights:

"15w-40 also increases its high temperature viscosity by about two and a half, so this oil is also substantially more stable than 10w-40. "

Synthetics were thus originally a reaction to the relatively poor refining processes available from about 1930 to about 1990

The primary advantage of Poly-Alpha-Olefin "PAO" base oil is that all the molecules in the base oil are pretty much identical, so it's easy to get the base oil to behave exactly as you like

Until about 2000, these PAO base oils had an enormous advantage over mineral base oils ...  However, modern group-III oils can nearly match the performance of PAOs at about half the price.

While we will all never agree on what the best oil is, the biggest variable when working with different oils is the one between the bars and the seat.

-Rob