Posts
191
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1/15/2012
Location
Washington, IA
US
Edited Date/Time
11/8/2015 10:07am
https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/
A US racing engine builder tests engine oils. There are a few surprises at the top and bottom!
A US racing engine builder tests engine oils. There are a few surprises at the top and bottom!
Just give me some Rotella T6
The Shop
For guys who have a bike that separates trans and engine oil, the wear protection data could be very helpful, and also the thermal breakdown temperatures considering how hot some of the four strokes can get, especially if there was a cooling problem.
For those of us on two strokes or for guys who have separate clutch/trans oil, selecting an oil with a high wear protection rating as well as wet clutch compatibility seems like the logical choice. I've been using rotella for a while now and after reading that I still feel like it is a good choice, although the wear protection rating isn't super high compared to other oils I think it will easily do the job for a transmission as long as it's changed frequently. Conversely though, I don't know if I'd run it in a four stroke motor now since there are obviously better options out there for wear protection and thermal breakdown protection if we aren't taking clutches into account.
Thanks for posting that OP, definitely some good info in there!
Motul 300v ester gave him "A boner". He now rubs himself off with it- can get a great big fistful without blistering
That PSI value I believe has to be low enough to be suitable for wet clutch use. I'm not sure what clutch springs push back with, but for example. If your clutch pack pushes back with 100,00 psi, those top 30 would be useless.
Example: 5 springs at 100 pounds each = a pushing force of 500lbs. x The surface area all the fiber clutch discs (say its 100 square in.) = 50,000 psi
I think.
Honda guys can ignore the wet clutch stuff.
Pit Row
Fact of the matter is, there are many great oils out there. I find that reputable brands that are mid sized, and enthusiast owned and operated tend to produce the best products. I've had awesome results with Maxima, Torco, Bel-Ray, RedLine, Motul, etc.. I've also had really good results with manufactured rep'ed products like Honda Line and Yamalube. The marketing based brands(you know the ones that are all hype), like Royal Purple, not so much.
While the mega companies certainly have the ability to engineer great products, they are more concerned with big markets like passenger cars to worry about our small market, so I pass on their products. I tried Rottella based on the cult like support it gets here, especially since "KTM factory uses it!!!!". I personally thought it was garbage and WAY underperformed relative to the above named oils. That was my conclusion, but everyone is entitled to their own experience.
All that being said, I recently tried Amsoil because a good friend is a dealer and has always pushed it on me, In the past I always steered clear because I felt it was a marketing based oil like Royal Purple. I gave it a try reluctantly because the price was right, and to my surprise it has performed on par with or better than everything else I've tried. At the recent 24 Hours of Glen Helen, one of our riders had a crash and cracked a radiator. The bike slowly leaked coolant unknown to any of us. The bike started to overheat and the warning light on the kill switch came on. We rode 2 laps of the course with the light on before pulling the bike in the pit to check it. The bike basically had NO coolant for 2 laps and ran just fine. We topped off the radiator and kept going for another 6 hours without issue. I think the oil was a big asset on this scenario.
Bottom line, its pretty hard to beat good companies making a great products specifically designed for our application.
Just my 2 cents and experience, but to each his own. BBRRAAPP!!!
I am using rotella 10w-40 in my kx 250f does anyone know if this is ok for winter? Also to the post above what amsoil did you use?
I run a an oil temp gauge on my bike(not always, but whenever I'm curious about an oil). I find better oils run cooler. I also find when an oil is broken down and contaminated, it wil also start to run hotter as well. Lower quality oils tend to also go south much quicker. Sometimes I can feel when i ride the bike. Clutch performance is a good indicator. And you can actually tell a lot by inspecting an oil when you drain it. Feel it, smell it, compare it to new oil, etc..
Plus upon teardown, you can get a good idea of how things are working. Believe me, I'd love to run Rotells at 1/3 the cost of my current oil.
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