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Engine Oil debacle.........unveiling the myth
There are certain things to be considered while selecting the engine oil.
Of course, you can use and buy a manufacturer's most recommended easily, but on an established engine and if you are into riding modes other than commuting like Touring or Racing you have to do some fine tuning.
The oils questioned about the Suzuki GS150R most commonly are of grade 20W40 or 15W50.
Remember, first there was trade-off and next there was the all-rounder.
So how to read a motor-oil ???
When it comes to the numbers that describe motor-oil, it is all about viscosity.All the engine oils that are used nowadays are blessed with multi-viscosity grades.
They sport two viscosity grades of operation :
1.Low temperature 2.High temperature
For example in a motor-oil graded xWy.....x= level of viscosity at low temperature and y= level of viscosity at high temperature, but remember they are not temperatures.
The Lower the level of viscosity of a motor-oil at lower temperature, the better would that engine oil flow in cold temperatures.Which means if you go touring in mountains and you have to start your bike over there in morning, your engine-oil with good low viscosity grade would jump into action immediately due to less resistance due to viscosity.This actually helps as the engine does not run dry at start up and avoids unwanted wear and tear.
Now, the question arises, but low viscosity engine oil would suffer at high temperature wont it ????
My answer would be,yes and that is why the engine oil of now-a-days sports multi-viscosity mode.
Now get this factored in that on a vast and fast highway, you want to redline your bike and would love some hard acceleration for a bit of sporty riding out of corners.But all these situations gives rise to high engine levels of engine operations which means higher temperature in the engine.So how the engine oil would hold its place ??? Well,The Higher the level of viscosity of a motor-oil at higher temperature, the better would be the integrity of that engine oil at extreme operation of engine.My actual opinion of an all-rounder engine oil would be,
A fully synthetic 15W50 engine oil, because of the following reasons,
1.Fully Synthetic: better at being a multi-viscosity oil, won't lose its viscosity now and then.While protecting the engine at all times and in any extremes, it is consumed less too.Fully synthetic oil is an engine oil at is maximum capability in its respective grade.
2.Cold viscosity-15W: capable of instant operation even in frozen temperatures, much better at turning the engine at start-up in cold temperatures than the 20W oil.
3.Hot viscosity- 50: Too good a grade for an engine-oil where the engine would be redlined or stressed by extreme operation leading to very high operating temperatures.This rating would help the oil to protect the engine as far as possible without allowing seizure due to viscosity disintegration of engine oil and running the crank dry.
So if I go to ride in mountainous roads with this kind of oil in my bike, it means,I start the bike without any hue and cry outside the hotel in the morning and the engine feels very happy.While negotiating steep climbs revving high in lower gears, the engine would be at ease.While doing a steep descent, under huge amount of engine braking, the engine won't be stressed.
Being fully synthetic means I can keep riding in the mountains till I become a yeti
without changing the oil any sooner.
Similarly in the city, cold morning starts and warm-up of engine would be of lesser concern and while going for a fast highway ride,redlining the bike won't tire the engine.
So while riding the more confident would be I in any terrain and in any extremes.
But this all-rounder is to be used only after the engine has done its run-in and has completed the initial 6000kms of its life, otherwise the costly fully synthetic oil has to be replaced now and then as it would be contaminated with debris of initial engine wear.
I can suggest a brand name for the same: Motul 300 V 15W50 Fully Synthetic.
So use the 20W40 mineral so long as 5000kms till the bike has set its engine in well.
And if you want the advantage and extend the engine life and ready to spend some to gain some,switch to 15W50 full-synth.
Now, the trade offs type of engine oil.
The grades that shouts 5W30 or 10W40 or semi-synthetic are compromised type of oils.
1.5W30 means more than enough low temperature performance, but where is the advantage at high levels of engine operations ???
2.10W40 good low temperature performance but not enough for prolonged high temperature uses.......does not promise any significant advantage...does it ???
3.Semi-synthetic- costs higher than the mineral oil but performance and life at par to the mineral oil, so why spend more ???
So now you know the basics, I think you all can now decide what is good and better for your kind of riding.
One more thing,sometimes there you would find some brand statements like Ester or Double Ester.......well an Ester is a chemical compound to begin with and it is used as an additive to integrate viscosity at higher temperatures.It betters engine oil quality.Thats all.
Just make sure that the engine oil is labeled JASO MA2.As the engine meets specifications for use of this kind of oil.
If you ask me for company,I would always prefer Motul,next would be Elf and I don't know about Shell,Gulf,Servo,Mak,Mobil and all but Castrol is one engine oil I would better avoid.It makes the engine feel like survivng and not living.
Hope this post of mine helps every Suzuki owner and all other Bikers who follows our thread.
There are certain things to be considered while selecting the engine oil.
Of course, you can use and buy a manufacturer's most recommended easily, but on an established engine and if you are into riding modes other than commuting like Touring or Racing you have to do some fine tuning.
The oils questioned about the Suzuki GS150R most commonly are of grade 20W40 or 15W50.
Remember, first there was trade-off and next there was the all-rounder.
So how to read a motor-oil ???
When it comes to the numbers that describe motor-oil, it is all about viscosity.All the engine oils that are used nowadays are blessed with multi-viscosity grades.
They sport two viscosity grades of operation :
1.Low temperature 2.High temperature
For example in a motor-oil graded xWy.....x= level of viscosity at low temperature and y= level of viscosity at high temperature, but remember they are not temperatures.
The Lower the level of viscosity of a motor-oil at lower temperature, the better would that engine oil flow in cold temperatures.Which means if you go touring in mountains and you have to start your bike over there in morning, your engine-oil with good low viscosity grade would jump into action immediately due to less resistance due to viscosity.This actually helps as the engine does not run dry at start up and avoids unwanted wear and tear.
Now, the question arises, but low viscosity engine oil would suffer at high temperature wont it ????
My answer would be,yes and that is why the engine oil of now-a-days sports multi-viscosity mode.
Now get this factored in that on a vast and fast highway, you want to redline your bike and would love some hard acceleration for a bit of sporty riding out of corners.But all these situations gives rise to high engine levels of engine operations which means higher temperature in the engine.So how the engine oil would hold its place ??? Well,The Higher the level of viscosity of a motor-oil at higher temperature, the better would be the integrity of that engine oil at extreme operation of engine.My actual opinion of an all-rounder engine oil would be,
A fully synthetic 15W50 engine oil, because of the following reasons,
1.Fully Synthetic: better at being a multi-viscosity oil, won't lose its viscosity now and then.While protecting the engine at all times and in any extremes, it is consumed less too.Fully synthetic oil is an engine oil at is maximum capability in its respective grade.
2.Cold viscosity-15W: capable of instant operation even in frozen temperatures, much better at turning the engine at start-up in cold temperatures than the 20W oil.
3.Hot viscosity- 50: Too good a grade for an engine-oil where the engine would be redlined or stressed by extreme operation leading to very high operating temperatures.This rating would help the oil to protect the engine as far as possible without allowing seizure due to viscosity disintegration of engine oil and running the crank dry.
So if I go to ride in mountainous roads with this kind of oil in my bike, it means,I start the bike without any hue and cry outside the hotel in the morning and the engine feels very happy.While negotiating steep climbs revving high in lower gears, the engine would be at ease.While doing a steep descent, under huge amount of engine braking, the engine won't be stressed.
Being fully synthetic means I can keep riding in the mountains till I become a yeti
without changing the oil any sooner.Similarly in the city, cold morning starts and warm-up of engine would be of lesser concern and while going for a fast highway ride,redlining the bike won't tire the engine.
So while riding the more confident would be I in any terrain and in any extremes.
But this all-rounder is to be used only after the engine has done its run-in and has completed the initial 6000kms of its life, otherwise the costly fully synthetic oil has to be replaced now and then as it would be contaminated with debris of initial engine wear.
I can suggest a brand name for the same: Motul 300 V 15W50 Fully Synthetic.
So use the 20W40 mineral so long as 5000kms till the bike has set its engine in well.
And if you want the advantage and extend the engine life and ready to spend some to gain some,switch to 15W50 full-synth.
Now, the trade offs type of engine oil.
The grades that shouts 5W30 or 10W40 or semi-synthetic are compromised type of oils.
1.5W30 means more than enough low temperature performance, but where is the advantage at high levels of engine operations ???
2.10W40 good low temperature performance but not enough for prolonged high temperature uses.......does not promise any significant advantage...does it ???
3.Semi-synthetic- costs higher than the mineral oil but performance and life at par to the mineral oil, so why spend more ???
So now you know the basics, I think you all can now decide what is good and better for your kind of riding.
One more thing,sometimes there you would find some brand statements like Ester or Double Ester.......well an Ester is a chemical compound to begin with and it is used as an additive to integrate viscosity at higher temperatures.It betters engine oil quality.Thats all.
Just make sure that the engine oil is labeled JASO MA2.As the engine meets specifications for use of this kind of oil.
If you ask me for company,I would always prefer Motul,next would be Elf and I don't know about Shell,Gulf,Servo,Mak,Mobil and all but Castrol is one engine oil I would better avoid.It makes the engine feel like survivng and not living.
Hope this post of mine helps every Suzuki owner and all other Bikers who follows our thread.
And putting those exhausts are illegal too btw.
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