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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Im surprised no ones posted that link with all the oil tests some dude did.
I ran the old formula Rotella T 15w40 but no longer do either.
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And Rekluse use to recommend it with their clutches.
Now back to the regularly scheduled program. Unless you enjoy pissing away $$$, Rotella has been successfully used for years for a fraction of the cost. My 11 250 with over 200+ hours and my 150 with 100+ are going strong, not to mention my 6 previous bikes.
When it comes to rotella in performance motorcycle engines I don't run it or recomend it to my customers for 2 main reasons. 1) let's say you blow an engine or smoke a clutch in a relatively new bike but you're not too concerned because you bought the extended warranty so you figure you're covered...one of the first questions a service department is going to ask you is what do you run for oil. If you tell them rotella or valavoline or Castro basically anything that's not motorcycle oil you're probably screwed ESPECIALLY if the manufacturer asks for an oil sample. I can't speak for every oem, just honda and kawi but yes they do do this and yes they will void your claim after testing it and finding out it's not bike oil. There are some dumb people out there who do stupid things to bikes for whatever reason, know it, and will straight up lie to your face about it so yes oems will go that far. They are not going to pay to fix your engine because you're an idiot and did something stupid (not just oil either, we see a lot of dumb stuff done to new bikes) to your bike or decided that the engineers who design bikes don't know what they're talking about, you know more, and you're going to show them by putting oil in your bike that is designed for a diesel truck engine.
2. Simply enough shell does not recomend using rotella oils in motorcycles, period. I've talked to more than one person over there over the phone and through email and they don't condone it.
Anyone who does run it please send me a picture of anywhere on your bottle where it says "safe to use on gas motorcycle engines"...you can't. Plus if it was safe to run don't you think shell would market it as such? Make more money by appealing to more people with different types of machines? It would be so easy for them to do. They don't do it for a reason...probably because it's not what it's designed for.
Again just providing what I've learned over the years here. Not trying to convert anyone, just trying to provide some info to people who are on the fence on what oil to run. The people that swear by it are going to keep using it and the people that don't are going to continue not to.
Honda GN4: $6.24 a quart
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/933/11718/Pro-Honda-GN4-4-Stroke-M…
Shell Rotella T4: $4.66 a quart
https://express.google.com/u/0/product/11783636101097467430_13923961875…
Pit Row
If I ran castrol motorcycle oil does that change everything because it has a motorcycle on the bottle? Trust me, the bike knows no different as long as it's compatible with the clutch.
And Maxima and most other brands buy their oil from refineries like Shell, Mobil etc, and put in their own additive packages.
Unless you're buying 2 stroke or 4 stroke oil from Shell, Mobil, Valvoline(Ashland) etc, all other brands are made by someone else I just listed. They buy the base oils and mix it to varying specs...........just like race fuel brands do also.
Oil isnt some kind magical thing. Top car oils blow both diesel and motorcycle oils out of the water for engine protection, and there is Zero evidence friction modifiers in car engine oil affect the clutch when in good shape.
Maybe if its shot, maybe it would make a difference, but still, MILLIONS of people run car oil in street bikes with zero issues. Half the people I know run walmart car motor oil in the transmissions and in the Engine/Trans on 4 strokes with no problems.
The look of an oil does not mean a thing. A diesel truck makes brand new oil black in short order. But it's fine.
Honda is not in the oil refinery business.
Similar, Ford Motorcraft oil used to be Warren Oil. Not sure who now, but OEM oil isnt something special.
Exactly.
Practically any motor oil from anywhere is going to work fine here. And the real reason to change it is that it gets dirty from clutch plate particles as the plates degrade. If it weren't for the clutch, this oil would need to be changed very seldom. How many gearboxes are sealed for life? Gearbox oil doesn't get dirty or wear out without some outside influence. The biggest reason you change engine oil is because of blow by past the rings (soot, unburnt fuel, exhaust). Obviously not an issue with gearbox/clutch.
I've taken apart many 4 stroke bottom ends with bad cranks. For some, there was no apparent cause. For many, the inside of the cases were lined with 'gunk' and the little oil pickup screen was about as clogged as could be - pretty obvious the oil in these engines hadn't been changed much and crank failure was the result. Cause & effect.
Now, in a new motor that has been gone through and cleaned the color of the oil does mean something. If oil is coming out black from a new motor then yes, that is a good indication that the oil has broken down. Oil that uses zinc as their heat additive will break down and turn black quicker than oils that are using Esters for their heat additive. The best comparison I can give is cooking with butter(zinc) versus cooking with vegetable/olive oil(esters). When exposed to heat butter(zinc) will burn and turn black while the vegetable/olive oil will retain its natural color for longer.
Teams continue to use Rotella because they are not worried about longevity. The oil is changed and motors are rebuilt so often that they will not experience the long term effects that your everyday rider will most likely encounter.
To the OP- I’ve heard too many horror stories from people who have used Rotella to recommend it, but yes it will work since it’s only a transmission.
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