is there any difference between motorcycle and car motoroil?

Question

I have a2006 honda shadow spirit. Did not get a manuel . Is is ok to use regular car oil? If so what weight?

Answer 1

I'm not going to get into a long drawn out debate.
Read this and decide for your self.
http://www.xs11.com/stories/mcnoil94.htm

Answer 2

As to the weight of the oil and other specifications, I suggest you sign up at Honda Motorcycle's Owner's link here:

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/

I strongly recommend synthetic oils.

As to auto vs motorcycle, that is a debate that will never end. There are additives to any oil, and since the invention of the motorcycle oil market in the early 80's they have been claiming that auto oil will cause a wet plate clutch to slip.

Personally, with the exception of graphite oils of the 70's, I have never seen a mechanically sound clutch slip as a result of auto motor oil. In the 70's - 90's I used Castrol GTX 20W-50 Dino-oil, in the early 90's I switched allegiances to Mobil-1 15W-50 synth oil and will never go back. My 88 KZ1000 runs like a top.

Read Guardrail's article and judge for yourself.

NEVER USE AN OIL ADDITIVE (E.G. STP, SLICK50, ETC.) IN A WET CLUTCH ENGINE

Answer 3

There are a lot of differences. A motorcycle engine is much smaller than a car engine, but can go much quicker at a higher velocity. They are more dangerous, as there is no protection at all. They have only two wheels as compared to a car's four. Other than that, there's really no significant difference, as the concept of the engine, brakes, etc. remain the same.

Answer 4

Car oil often has additives that will cause a motorcycle transmission to slip. There are a few brands of automotive oil that can be used in a motorcycle, but as a general rule of thumb, never, ever use automotive oil in a motorcycle engine. Oil is the lifeblood of your motorcycle... so don't mess with it in order to save a few bucks.

I use Spectro or Repsol oil in my motorcycle. You do not need to use full or semi-synthetic oil. I go with 10/40. You'd probably be just fine with the same. 20/50 if it gets really, really hot where you live (into the 90s).

Answer 5

I buy into the hype. And here is my reason:

Motorcycle oils do not contain "friction modifiers". This helps prevent clutch slippage and promotes smoother shifting.

Synthetic motor oils designed for cars have "slippery" additives to make them "energy saving". That may be fine for a car but it actually reduces clutch efficiency on a motorcycle.

My V-Star calls for Yamalube 20W40. I use AMSOIL Synthethic Motorcycle Oil 10W40. The stuff is NOT inexpensive but I like it.

Since I've been using AMSOIL, I've noticed about a 4 mpg performance increase.

Answer 6

The never ending debate. I answered a question like this earlier and got alot of nasty comments.
I like the article Guardrailjim linked.
Wonder what we did in the days before they had Motorsikle specific oils???

Answer 7

well ive been riding for 20 years i have and will never buy motorcycle oil . i have always use automotive oil in all my bikes and have never had a problem. my 2002 v star had over 110,000 miles on it when my ex took it and never had a problem

Answer 8

It's not the same oil. Motorcycle oil also has to lubricate the transmission and clutch, which the car oil doesn't have to.
Most motorcycles use 10W40, but go to your dealership and buy an owner's manual.

Answer 9

I have a 99 Triumph and it requires a synthetic 10w40 oil.

Answer 10

motorcycle oil has different additives for the air cool engine..go to the honda shop and see if they can get you a manual

Answer 11

Motorcycle oil is usually made for air cooled engines.