Topic: Synthetic versus non-synthetic oil

[mattcb350f]

I wasn't gonna say nothin'

but I switched briefly to sythtetic and my lil' 350F started sweating it out like a whure in church.

Switched back to conventional and leaks have subsided.

....like this pot needed any more stiring 

 Matt.

[upperlake04]

  After reading a thousand replies on the subject here, some opinion, some conjecture, and possibly some facts, the consensus appears to be that mineral based Shell Rotella 15-40 and synthetics are  good choices for our bikes.
  It is interesting to also read on the UK CX GL site that the consensus there is that Rotella (Rimula), as well as synthetics, are especially poor choices for the old bikes. 
  So far, the common advice, sort of, is to change it regularly.
 Hope this helps.

 http://www.cx-gl.org.uk/
 Message Board - General - page 8 - OIL by harrye7471

[jmckinne]

LOL upperlake, yep that's pretty much what you get. I went to a whole bunch of Rotella discussions threads and even dedicated Rotella forums (?) and opinion is all over the place. I decided to screw the anecdotal info and just try it.

I'm also skeptical of the whole "detergents wash out seals and make them leak" line of thot. But that theory is one I won't try putting to the test, that would be a lot of work. Anything's possible and the end result is the same in any case: puddle on ground, annoyed owner & pissed off spouse.

I don't think many serious people would try to argue that dino oil is a better lubricant than synthetic - it's clearly not. The oil industry says this itself. The question is, is synthetic better in a classic vehicle?

The answer to that for me is what I alluded to in my original BAP (big ass post) and what I do every time: try it in the vehicle in question. If the vehicle in question holds it, doesn't burn it, and keeps it's operating temps in the green then I continue to run synthetic in that vehicle with joy. Ok, well, maybe joy is stretching it

[eldar]

Well have you pulled the cam chain tensioner apart ever? Bet there is gunk from oil in there. That same gunk can stick to seals which would then be removed by the synthetic.

[jbailey]

Since this is now a totally beaten up subject and the year is 2008, why does the FAQ on this board still have this 1978 mentality listed as if it were a fact?

Don’t use synthetics. Synthetics have a reputation for a high detergent action. That is, if you have an old engine that has some sludge or deposits internally, the synthetic will sometimes remove it in chunks. There is some risk of plugging or restricting the oil pickup
screen, which would starve the engine of oil. It also affects some old seals adversely causing them to leak (from shrinkage if I remember correctly) and often leads to clutch slippage (see Clutch FAQ for clutch slippage comments).

That's NOT information, it's MISinformation!  It is even worse, it is an incorrect opinion which is based on nothing scientific, but MISinformation and is misleading or even a lie.

I have written to Glenn a couple of times and asked him to remove the incorrect statements from the OIL FAQ, but it is still there.  It should be embarassing to have "information" like this on the website twenty or thirty years after it was controversial.

Let's all ask Glenn to correct or at least remove the misinformation from the FAQ.

[Buber]

  It is interesting to also read on the UK CX GL site that the consensus there is that Rotella (Rimula), as well as synthetics, are especially poor choices for the old bikes. 
  So far, the common advice, sort of, is to change it regularly.
 Hope this helps.
 http://www.cx-gl.org.uk/
 Message Board - General - page 8 - OIL by harrye7471

Yep, I went there & read it. It turns out that (as usual) you can prove whatever you want by being picky. One of their argument is "it's not in the manual, so you can't use it". Now, if you look at nearly all bike manuals pre-middle nineties, they will all say to lubricate the chain with oil - yet everybody uses spray. Manuals pre-90 will say to fill the front forks with engine oil, yet today everybody uses fork oil. WTF??

So, I'm sorry, but following a book religiously to the letter is good... when it's the Bible or Koran (and even they you can go very wrong).
Use the common sense (which is not that common  ) and you will live "happily ever after".

And besides, if I'm to pay 15$ for quart of semi-synth motorcycle oil, I will pay 9$/quart for semi-synth Rimula (Rotella) and I will be VERY happy with it. After all its' 25$ saved on a 1 change. Prices from Europe, y'know....

[jbailey]

Since this is now a totally beaten up subject and the year is 2008, why does the FAQ on this board still have this 1978 mentality listed as if it were a fact?


Quote
Don’t use synthetics. Synthetics have a reputation for a high detergent action. That is, if you have an old engine that has some sludge or deposits internally, the synthetic will sometimes remove it in chunks. There is some risk of plugging or restricting the oil pickup
screen, which would starve the engine of oil. It also affects some old seals adversely causing them to leak (from shrinkage if I remember correctly) and often leads to clutch slippage (see Clutch FAQ for clutch slippage comments).


That's NOT information, it's MISinformation!  It is even worse, it is an incorrect opinion which is based on nothing scientific, but MISinformation and is misleading or even a lie.

I have written to Glenn a couple of times and asked him to remove the incorrect statements from the OIL FAQ, but it is still there.  It should be embarassing to have "information" like this on the website twenty or thirty years after it was controversial.

Let's all ask Glenn to correct or at least remove the misinformation from the FAQ.

Wow, that hits the nail on the head!

[crazypj]

To those who have read this before, I apologize. But, I couldn't resist 
Beware of synthetic oil, it can do terrible things to you and your beloved motorcycle. It will not only leak out of your engine faster than you can put it in, but it will also cause your oil filter to clog and implode, dumping debris and dirt into your lubrication system. It also will make every part of your bike permanently slippery because of its linear molecular chain dispersion action.
Then it will leak onto your kickstand causing it to retract automatically, dropping your bike on the ground! But that's not all...
Synthetic oil will round off your gears and spin your bearings. It will also splatter onto your seat causing your girlfriend to fall off in the apex of a turn and she'll never ride with you again. Synthetic oil coats your sight window and your timing window with a whitish
pro-emulsification additive that is both non-removable and highly corrosive. Synthetic oil will completely leak onto the ground overnight and your dog will drink it and die.
Synthetic oil will wear out your tires and make your battery leak. It will give you the desperate need to urinate after you put your full leathers on and then jam your zippers shut. It will contaminate your gasoline causing your bike to stall on railroad tracks and accelerate uncontrollably near police cars. It will make it rain during rallies and on weekends. It will lubricate your timing belts causing them to jump teeth and break your valves to bits. Synthetic oil chemically weakens desmodromic valves and causes the clearances to change every six miles. Then it melts the black soles of your riding boots right before you walk across your new carpeting.
While riding past groups of attractive women it will cause both of your handlebar grips to slip off at the same time so you smash your windscreen with the bridge of your nose. It also causes your swingarm to crack, your studs to break, and your rotors to warp, and then it voids your warranty by changing your odometer reading to 55,555. It
also dries out your wetclutch and wets your dryclutch. It makes your clutch slave cylinder seal fail in the heaviest traffic on the hottest day of the year while putting an angry wasp in your helmet for good measure.
Synthetic oil hides your 13mm socket and puts superglue on your earplugs. Synthetic oil will scratch your faceshield and make your gloves shrink two sizes night before trackday. Synthetic oil stole your neutral and sold it to the Chinese for $1.25. Synthetic oil will make you grow a tail. Synthetic oil will write long crazy e-mails to your Internet friends and then sign your name at the bottom!

Until I read right through this I started to think it was serious. 
PJ

[BobbyR]

There is also some specultion that symthetic oil fumes may cause erectile dysfunction. This has yet to be confirmed and further studies are in progress.

[Roach Carver]

There is also some specultion that symthetic oil fumes may cause erectile dysfunction. This has yet to be confirmed and further studies are in progress.

I know it softens your hands, so it stands to reason that it would soften other things as well

[eldar]

So now I have to ask, how would people know it does this? Wait, I don't want to know!

[333]

So now I have to ask, how would people know it does this? Wait, I don't want to know!

You're soaking in it right now.

Oh, wait.  That's Palmolive.

[cb650 bobber]

http://www.xs11.com/stories/mcnoil94.htm

[eldar]

While old, it does point to auto oils being ok for motorcycles. Which can be concluded by the proof that many here use auto oils with no issues.

[Markcb750]

If I send my receipt for Rottela 15w40 to the Chinese Ambassador, will he return my neutral safety light?

[eldar]

um ok. Did something happen?

[Markcb750]

"Synthetic oil stole your neutral and sold it to the Chinese for $1.25."

[eldar]

hmm ok. But that is not synthetic. The 5-40 is the synthetic stuff.

[Markcb750]

Guess I should have explained...