is it okay to use standard motor oil on motorcycles? i was told by a dealer i can't, becuz their oil is?

Question

sci-fi engineered and its water base. but on my manual its says its ok to use standard motor oil. i have a yamaha classic. do they say it just have you buy their product? they are so expensive! for a quart of oil its like $6.99 compare to Penzoil 20/40. help......

Answer 1

i used to use same motor oil as my car when i owned a bike.if your manual says 20/40,it does not matter what brand you use.

Answer 2

Good oil is much cheaper than engine rebuilds.

There is no 'water base' oil.

If you've got a regular motorcycle engine with the transmission/crankcase/valvetrain all running in the same oil, then you need to run motorcycle specific oil. Absolutely.

If you run automotive oil, your clutch will slip. You may not feel it, but it can ruin your clutch and can severely damage other engine components from the additional heat.

The Motorcycle Consumer News article was done before all automotive oils were required to manufacture 'energy conservation' blends on ALL oils sold for automotive use.

There is no recent MCN or other test that's been done by a non-profit on the new oil blends.

Yes, there are many folks who have used automotive oil 'for years without a problem' in their one or two motorcycles they've owned. But talk to the guys that actually work on hundreds of engines a year, and they'll give you the facts.

If you'd like more information on oil options, check this out - it's basic, good info: http://www.powroll.com/tech_specs_OIL.htm

More important that what oil you use is how often you change it. Frequent oil changes with an o.k. oil are usually better than infrequent oil changes with the best oil.

Answer 3

The only times I've seen people try to test that oil meant for motorcycles in any sort of precise and scientific way, it comes up not doing any better than good quality automotive oil. However, it is important to keep in mind that thin automotive oils like 5W-30 are not good for motorcycle clutches, which are actually lubricated by oil, unlike a car. I have not heard any accounts of a motorcycle being ruined by running car oil of the appropriate thickness in it. I run Shell Rotella T oil in my bike.

Answer 4

The shop I worked in used Motul oil in all but Harleys that were still under warranty.
You can use any auto oil that does NOT say, "energy saving" in the little circle on the back of the jug.
Lots of Gold Wingers use Castrol

The important thing is to change the oil at or before the recommended interval.

Answer 5

I don't think synthetic oil is water based. I prefer synthetic oil, especially 5W40, because the bike starts easier in winter. The older the bike and the less complicated (less valves, bigger cc) the engine, the less it's going to matter. The manual says it's o.k., so don't worry about a dealer who tells you that synthetic oil is water-based. I used different grades on my bike, but a bike's engine is open, unlike a car's, so it has no protection from extremities in external temperature, and I ended up liking the 5W40 synthetic oils. They're more expensive, but they're worth it. I don't suggest the use of water-based synthetic oil.

Answer 6

You have to be careful on what type of oil you use if you have a wet clutch, which you probably do, my Roadstar does. Regular engine oil is fine, as long as it does not have "Energy Conserving" written on the little circle on the back of the bottle. This has a additive that will cause your clutch to slip.

None of the big bike makers produce their own oil, they have it made for them by the same companies that make car engine oil.

Answer 7

Newer bikes use Synthetic oil after the break in period. It is always best to ask a pro at a reputable dealership. If the manual says regular oil is ok then I think you should be fine. That is not to say that synthetic or a syn-blend won't serve you better.

Answer 8

What i was told is that you dont want to run standard motor oil because it runs just the motor but motorcycles it has to run through the transmission as well so it is not good for the trany or clutch plates.if your going to use standard motor oil use a SAE not a multi at least its a little better.

Answer 9

Use whatever the owner's manual tells you to do....it's that simple. here's some food for thought...I haul motor oil in a tanker with a capacity of 9000 gallons. I load Kendall 5W-30 in one compartment...then with the SAME loading nozzle....load Valvoline 10W-40 in another compartment! Makes you think that maybe all oil is pretty much the same doesn't it?

Answer 10

As "mufasa" said "oil is oil". I too was brain washed into believing "only use motorcycle oil in motorcycles, because they have special additives."
I've done a complete 180 on that belief since reading this article.
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm
The article was written by "Motorcycle Consumer News". MCN tests any item that motorcycles or motorcyclists use. They rate them by quality, ease of use, dependability, compare them to other brands and any thing else pertinent to that product.
They don't accept freebies from manufactures for a good rating and they don't allow any adds in their monthly magazine.
They're like "Consumer Reports" & "Myth Busters" (for those of you that get Discovery Chanel).

Answer 11

Oil is oil. I would use a good synthetic like the one Castrol makes just for motorcycles. I have a Suzuki Boulevard and the synthetic works just fine.