Motorcycle oil?

Question

Do you need special oil for motorcycles when doing an oil change? I've got some Castrol GTX 10W-40 for my Kawasaki ER5, but it doesn't say it's specifically for motorcycles, but does that even matter?

Answer 1

Yes

Mind you that auto and cycle formulas are different, due to heat tolerances, and what not, so by all means stick with cycle grades. Synthetics hold up much better, and out preform crude motor oils by far. One thing to note, the government has left the description of synthetic so vague, that a modified crude fits the description, i.e. Castrol synthetic (yes, it's auto grade, but it's only an example), so you may want to research a little.

From experience I used the manufactures brand, but if you research it, for the most part it is a packaged private label from another major name. From Honda line to Valvoline cycle to Royal Purple, and w/ the other bike I went from Harley Syn3 to Royal Purple also, in both the crank and trans. Purple is a better product, and you can find it for about as much as what the dealerships want for their products. Personally, Purple is the way I went, I see it being worth it, and I don't plan on changing.

Answer 2

Motorcycle specific oils contain additives banned by the EPA. These oils are made overseas which accounts for some of the price difference. The additives were mostly to carry off heat. I ride a liquid-cooled flat six engine mc. I have used mostly Mobil 1 (gold cap) auto oil for the best part of 148,000 miles. Heavier weight auto oils do not contain the friction modifiers that would cause clutch slippage. 10w40 and heavier should be OK ... * as long as the bottle does not carry the words Energy Saving in the sae circle on the back of the bottle. Having made a short story long, the answer is "no". :-)

Answer 3

Wow dude, you really opened a can of worms on this one. I read the other answers and agree with them for the most part. I've been using Mobil 1 car oil on both of my street bikes for years and have never had a problem with it. The 15w-50 is the type I use. The beef that most people have with motorcycle oil is it can run close to double what normal car stuff comes in at (because of smaller production runs on bike oil versus car, and high mark-up by the local bike dealers). I've been riding since '96 and started using synthetic car oil since '97. I commute on my bike a lot and will average 500 miles a week (more if I decide to run errands on it). I've ridden in single digit temperatures living up here in the northeast and have never had a problem with burning up a clutch, destroying a transmission, leaks, or anything else people blast car oils about. In my opinion, use something with a thick enough viscosity that's not labeled as energy conserving, be diligent about your changes, and always change out your filter at the same time. If you have a magnetic drain plug, now would be the time to clean it also. I have a '03 Suzuki SV650 with over 58,000+ on the odometer , and an old '96 Kawi Ninja 500 with 52,000+ on its odometer. The suzuki has been on a steady diet of synthetic car oil since break-in was over.

Answer 4

If it doesn't say Motorcycle then don't put it in a Motorcycle.Bikes use a specific oil because of the different requirements needed due to the engine,clutch and gearbox being contained in one unit,so the oil has to meet the needs of all three,most importantly,high load bearing and anti slippage for the gears and clutch.Car oil doesn't have these qualities,so would break down much faster if used in a bike causing wear in the engine.

Answer 5

Should be ok . As long as it does not say "Energy Conserving" on the label . A lot of people on the Suzuki forums use Shell Rotella oil. You can get it at Wal-Mart for about 9 dollars a gallon for regular oil and about $17 a gallon for synthetic in the blue gallon bottle .I use the synthetic and change it twice a summer around 3000 miles . "Energy Conserving " oils use friction modifiers which are not compatible with wet clutches.

Answer 6

YES!
you need to use motorcycle oil
motorcycle oil is formulated to do three jobs inside your engine.
Its a regular crankcase oil, a transmission oil, and a wet clutch oil, where automotive oil is formulated only as a crankcase oil.
for the best results I recommend a synthetic motorcycle oil such as Mobil 1 MX4, or Amsoil Synthetic Motorcycle Engine Oil.

Answer 7

YES, it matters what kind of motor oil you use in a motorcycle. Some motorcycles have what is called a wet clutch, the wrong oil will cause you to have to get it replaced. The best place for your answer for the correct oil to use would be your owners manual. If you dont have one, consult with a dealer service department for your motorcycle. You have to be very careful what oils you use in a motorcycle. To eliminate all doubt, purchase only motor oil from a dealer service department, it may cost a little more, but you wont have to worry about using the wrong oil.

Answer 8

There are some oils made specifically for motorcycles, but Castrol GTX is fine. You should definitely stay away from all oils that have PTFE (teflon) in them, they will cook your wet clutch.

Answer 9

That should be fine as long as it matches the oil it's been running. Meaning dyno or syn. If you put dyno oil in a bike that's been running synthetics, your clutch will start slipping.

Answer 10

Hi,

Pleased to inform that there is no specialist engine oil required ror road bikes.
Castrol GTX is fine stuff to use,
The 10W40 rating refers to operating viscosity and temperature range. The rating you have is fine for UK winter conditions.

To be a bit perfectionist, I might run through a bottle of flushing oil after draining, to "wash" out any tiny metallic bits, but that isn't necessary if you do a regular oil change.

Specialist "addatives" are available, but I would only use them for sustained high temperature racing jobs.

All the best with it

Bob