what type of oil are you useing in your FJs ?

[charleygofast]

Simple question Ive been wanting to ask. What oils are you using or recommend. My bike is a 84 with about 36k on the odometer. I'm using Quaker state 20/50 part synthetic.with good results so far.[500 mi.] The factory service manual I have recommends 20/40 Yamalube. I cant seem to find 20/40 of any kind out there.                                                                     Thanks, Charley.

[dougrs]

Simple question Ive been wanting to ask. What oils are you using or recommend. My bike is a 84 with about 36k on the odometer. I'm using Quaker state 20/50 part synthetic.with good results so far.[500 mi.] The factory service manual I have recommends 20/40 Yamalube. I cant seem to find 20/40 of any kind out there.                                                                     Thanks, Charley.

[Joe Sull]

I'm in to buying the cheapest oil I can get my hands on and change it every 1000 miles. I have NAPA 15/45 in it now. It's coming time for me in 100 miles.

[aviationfred]

Oil questions are a time bomb  

10w40 or 20w50 will be fine as long as it is 4 stroke Motorcycle specific oil, or Rotella-T diesel oil, yes it will work well. As far as brand and the choice of dino or synthetic, pick your poison.

The main key is to not let your oil level get low while riding.

Fred

[ribbert]

Simple question Ive been wanting to ask. What oils are you using or recommend.

Haha, that's the least simple question you could ask here. It's more volatile than politics, religion and sport wrapped into one.

Noel

[movenon]

As noted it is a time bomb... Without getting into brands I use to run 15-40.  Through a chain of events I ended up with some 20-50 and being of a frugal nature I decided to use it.  I found out that my FJ shifted better and was of course quieter.  So now I run 20-50.  If I ran mine during the winter I would drop it back to 15-40 but I usually stop riding by late Sept.
George

[yamaha fj rider]

Hello Charley

There is no way you would know this but oil threads in the past have gotten ugly. 2040 is a Yamaha product. Try something if you like it keep using it, if not try something else. I and a lot of others use the diesel oil, of there choice. Currently I am using Rotella 5-40. Hope this helps.

Kurt 

[Mark Olson]

I prefer to use a motorcycle specific oil . I change it once a year or every 3k miles.

synthetic vs dino is a hot topic .  run what you can afford and just remember to keep the level good and the oil fresh.

Ed knows the brand .

[Capn Ron]

I prefer to use a motorcycle specific oil . I change it once a year or every 3k miles.

synthetic vs dino is a hot topic .  run what you can afford and just remember to keep the level good and the oil fresh.

I'm with Mark here...I use a motorcycle-specific oil for the good of the wet clutch and try to change it every 3,000 miles.  Since that can be tough to do out on the road, I run synthetic.  Just gives me a warm-fuzzy if I have to push the miles farther before I find a garage to work in.

10w-40 most of the time but I'll throw in a quart of 20w-50 if that's all they have on the shelf

[Burns]

The thing about oil in older engines is that their cam/tappet designs call for higher levels of zinc than do the cams of modern motors and because of that, and the fact that zinc clogs catalytic converters,  the EPA has all but eliminated it in oils designated for gasoline engines. 

That stuff in the yellow container ain't your daddy's Pennsoil.

Also, the folks that test such things tell us that most (not all) "motorcycle specific" oils are just automobile oil with an expensive label.

I don't know if the FJ cam/tappet needs the zinc or if the synthetics give the cam protection of the zinc laced mineral oils, but I do know that there is a very inexpensive high zinc oil that has been used by motorcycle people with outstanding results for decades:  Rotella.

It is certified for gasoline and diesel motors.

A gallon of 15-40 is under 15 bucks at WalMart.

I change it every 1,000; at 3,000 I change the filter.

That is way over-kill but is a very cost effective assurance of uncontaminated lubricant.

p.s. the most important thing on the "uncontaminated lubricant" issue is good air filters.

[stua1959]

A high zinc alternative for Aussie owners is Penrite Gas 10 10w-50 semi synthetic  with 1220 ppm

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/tech_pdfs/192%20June%202014%20-%20Automotive%20Engine%20Oil%20Summary.pdf

[Joe Sull]

See Fred, We can talk about oil all day long and nobody gets upset!

[turbocamino]

Have to add my 0.2$...as i have tried many too...Stock stuff doesnt require much valve spring pressure so i dont give lack of zinc much thought ...ive seen many cams, racing and stockers, all look fine with todays oil...but i do think about the sheer rate of our oil being chewed by meshing trans gears...dont have the link handy but synth oils win every test there is.  Also, i do see a marked improvement shifting with a synth oil..lately, ive been in love with rotella synth. ...their additive package tested to be very good in wet transmissions ...again sorry, no link handy. conv oil can start to feel a little notchy after a few hundred miles where as synth keeps shifting smooth.

[chiz]

I don't believe that Rotella is a good choice on the FJ THE REASON I think so is I noticed a marked difference with gearbox operation when I use it. Don't think that non specific oils are ideal doubling as a gear oil.... in my 69 dry sump BSA  R3 I use it though and and Red Line ultralight in the gear box.
Noticed a big difference when I use Motul 20/50  in my FJ.
Chiz

[ribbert]

I don't believe that Rotella is a good choice on the FJ THE REASON I think so is I noticed a marked difference with gearbox operation when I use it. Don't think that non specific oils are ideal doubling as a gear oil.... in my 69 dry sump BSA  R3 I use it though and and Red Line ultralight in the gear box.
Noticed a big difference when I use Motul 20/50  in my FJ.
Chiz

It would be fare to say that across the forum, members here have run just about everything in their FJ's and no doubt some not changing the oil at all for tens of thousands of miles. Many of these bikes are also ridden very hard very often.

Has anyone had a gearbox wear out?

Noel