Engine Oils

[muztariq]

I want to try because i am not sure if i am getting optimum performance for my bike from current oil or not as i haven't tried any other engine oil.

also, i just checked that there is castrol power 1 and castrol power 1 4T racing oil on castrol india website? which one do you mean? and i think both have grades of 15W40 while bike manual recommends 20W40. will it be ok to use 15W40? please clarify my doubts. sorry for being noob..

shell advance ax7 having grades: SAE J 300 10W-30, 10W-40 and 15W-50 and advance ultra have 10W-40 and 15W-50 as per website. which one is more suitable with proper grade?

actually there is a big confusion in the minds of the indian bike engine oil consumer regarding oil grades(i was confused just like you two years back). I have mentioned it earlier also in my posts.. If your engine manufacturer says 20w40 you can easily use 10w40, 15w40 and 20w40.. If there is a problem in using these oils in place of 20w40 why will the manufacturer of engine oils make only three four grades of oil? They will make an army of oil based on territorial engine manufacturer - like bikes in india recommend 10w30 - HH, 20W40 - YAMAHA AND HONDA Etc. 20W50- bajaj pulsar etc etc.. but the oil grades from oil manufacturer like shell (as you have researched) comes in 10w30, 10w40 and 15w50.. Why will they make an oil 15w50 for pulsar which is the maximum selling sportz bike? The answere is it is 'better' than the oil recommended by manufacturer i.e 20w50. The same story is for castrol oil grades and many others.

There is also a general query about when can i use synthetic oil in my bike - answere is from the distance (not time) mentioned as your second oil change. Like in yamaha the second oil change happens at 3000 km. You can put synthetics right from that point. (there would be lot of argument on this i know thats why i am explaining this answere)
in cars you do the same thing at 10,000 km as which is usually the case with many car manufacturer's second oil change service! But if you put that logic here it is completely out of place logic. Cars have dry clutch hence the synthetics and other ss oils contain lot of friction reducers. If you put that oil before second oil change the engine may not have set in properly and you glaze it with them.
Its totally opposite in bike oils.. These oils contain no or very minimum friction reducers as clutch is wet type and the friction reducers will just kill it if friction is less than or more than optimum.
Your odo is 5k which has already passed the second oil change interval as per my knowledge.. Go try whatever bike oil you want.
With castrol power 1 i meant ss i.e power1 and not power1 racing.. You can use any oil, if you can find a genuine power 1 racing bottle there would be nothing like it.

[Honda_CBF]

This fact is stated by you earlier and I totally agree with it

i.e - don't worry .

Thanks!!

Please do not read the graph as operating range.It is a guideline of Pour temperature for different Ambient .As the ambient decreases you need lower number oil to maintain pour and liquid state to enable oil circulation on start up, which can be increased as the ambient goes up.
Here We are more worried about pour temp., ie., the ambient at which the oil will not freeze and gum up the internals, and can work satisfactorily.
The number after W indicates the Viscosity of oil of indicated grade at 100 C .

Ok, thanks for clarification.
btw, I dont think there's any oil available which can't be poured even in -10'C

[dazz_xbhp]

actually there is a big confusion in the minds of the indian bike engine oil consumer regarding oil grades(i was confused just like you two years back). I have mentioned it earlier also in my posts.. If your engine manufacturer says 20w40 you can easily use 10w40, 15w40 and 20w40.. If there is a problem in using these oils in place of 20w40 why will the manufacturer of engine oils make only three four grades of oil? They will make an army of oil based on territorial engine manufacturer - like bikes in india recommend 10w30 - HH, 20W40 - YAMAHA AND HONDA Etc. 20W50- bajaj pulsar etc etc.. but the oil grades from oil manufacturer like shell (as you have researched) comes in 10w30, 10w40 and 15w50.. Why will they make an oil 15w50 for pulsar which is the maximum selling sportz bike? The answere is it is 'better' than the oil recommended by manufacturer i.e 20w50. The same story is for castrol oil grades and many others.

There is also a general query about when can i use synthetic oil in my bike - answere is from the distance (not time) mentioned as your second oil change. Like in yamaha the second oil change happens at 3000 km. You can put synthetics right from that point. (there would be lot of argument on this i know thats why i am explaining this answere)
in cars you do the same thing at 10,000 km as which is usually the case with many car manufacturer's second oil change service! But if you put that logic here it is completely out of place logic. Cars have dry clutch hence the synthetics and other ss oils contain lot of friction reducers. If you put that oil before second oil change the engine may not have set in properly and you glaze it with them.
Its totally opposite in bike oils.. These oils contain no or very minimum friction reducers as clutch is wet type and the friction reducers will just kill it if friction is less than or more than optimum.
Your odo is 5k which has already passed the second oil change interval as per my knowledge.. Go try whatever bike oil you want.
With castrol power 1 i meant ss i.e power1 and not power1 racing.. You can use any oil, if you can find a genuine power 1 racing bottle there would be nothing like it.

Thanks! it cleared many doubts in my mind. I will try shell ax7 first.

[psr]

Ok, thanks for clarification.
btw, I dont think there's any oil available which can't be poured even in -10'C

Mono Grade SAE 30 and SAE40

[SriKi.GSpian]

hi guys..this is krishna from chennai!
i own a gs150r.. i have completed my run in (3000kms) !
my idea is to drain the present oil(shell ax7) and pour a good synthetic oil(20w40)..please pour in tour thoughts..is it worth a try?please tell me as to which synthetic oil would suit my bike best? and please give me the options!! and please let me know about the best 20w40 mineral oils available in the market!

[Honda_CBF]

Mono Grade SAE 30 and SAE40

True. But i was talking about multi-grade oils..
Sorry for my misleading statement

[psr]

hi guys..this is krishna from chennai!
i own a gs150r.. i have completed my run in (3000kms) !
my idea is to drain the present oil(shell ax7) and pour a good synthetic oil(20w40)..please pour in tour thoughts..is it worth a try?please tell me as to which synthetic oil would suit my bike best? and please give me the options!! and please let me know about the best 20w40 mineral oils available in the market!

Stick with the present oil grade and type till you cross 5,000 Kms.

True. But i was talking about multi-grade oils..
Sorry for my misleading statement

No probs..no need to say sorry..
I am just wondering which grade oil will be used by the Russian trucks in Siberia and the Poles wherein,-40 C is normal ....and for every long halt, the tires are burnt with gasoline to bring it to operating temperature , before starting to move.

[sachin1111]

The trick with oil grades is to use the oil with the least amount of additives it can get away with and stay in the middle portion of your oil's working range , and avoid the extremes ends as far as you can . That is where a multigrade oil works best

+1 for that...thats why i prefer 20W40 in summer when ambient temp touches 40 degrees and more....and the 20W40 would work better towards the end of its life cycle as compared to 10W30.

[punarvasu]

hi guys..this is krishna from chennai!
i own a gs150r.. i have completed my run in (3000kms) !
my idea is to drain the present oil(shell ax7) and pour a good synthetic oil(20w40)..please pour in tour thoughts..is it worth a try?please tell me as to which synthetic oil would suit my bike best? and please give me the options!! and please let me know about the best 20w40 mineral oils available in the market!

Krishna,
I am using Castrol Power 1, 15W-40 SS from the second servicing of my GS. Now it has covered 22,320 kms and, according to the engineer in the SC, has better pickup than his newer bike.
My other experience with this oil is using it in my Fiero for 1,00,000 kms. It is still in excellent condition.
If ready to test SS oil, try Castrol Power 1, 15W-40 which costs Rs. 319/- a liter. Buy it from an authorized dealer.

[MSN1]

hi guys..this is krishna from chennai!
i own a gs150r.. i have completed my run in (3000kms) !
my idea is to drain the present oil(shell ax7) and pour a good synthetic oil(20w40)..please pour in tour thoughts..is it worth a try?please tell me as to which synthetic oil would suit my bike best? and please give me the options!! and please let me know about the best 20w40 mineral oils available in the market!

Hope PSRji and punarvasu's clarification is enough for you to choose the apt oil.

to find the genuine castrol dealers try this link loadmovie

Requesting you to kindly provide your feed back on the present oil [Shell AX7], just want to know how it goes with GS150R

how many kms you have done on your GS with AX7 oil

[muztariq]

Running synthetics is not expensive at all. example..

Honda mineral 1L costs rs230 changing oil every 2000kms means.. for 6000kms it costs almost 690(3*230) + labor costs of 60(20+20+20) if you go for a mechanic. where as ELF or Castrol synthetics cost Rs 600~700 and can work very good for 6000kms.
If it is the case with Gulf pride which costs 240~250 the price can go still high.
And the smoothness by synthetics is worth every penny.

the best thing about runninh synthetics is their capability to run in a long range of temperatures and there minimal use of additives.
75 percent of the engine damage happens at cold start.. Synthetics minimises that damage to a good extent. Also the main reason why an oil becomes unsuitable for use is the regular attrition of VII polymers in the transmission, synthetics uses less of these polymers.
Why does manufacturers cant make mineral oils with spec like 5w40!!? They would actually love to, but the reason is they cant get hold of a mineral base oil that can be poured at low temeperatures like -30 deg celcius. And somehow if they can, they cant put so many additives in the oil i.e 8 times in comparison to a 20w40 which just uses 2 times. Now you will ask why they cant? They cant because amongst all the testing these oils go through there is an ash value test. I think it is 1.8 percent limit. This new oil will fail in that test without doubt.
The best oil to fill your bike with is the oil grade enlisted by the manufacturer. If he lists ambient temperatures and gives you a choice, there is nothing better you can ask for. If he lists grades stick to them. If you want to experiment like more power, more smoothness etc. Go for semisynthetic or fs oils with lower (preferable) or same XXw rating and strictly same wYY rating(except w30 which falls short in indian summer) presribed by your manufacturer.
Due credit for this compilation goes to my fellow xbhpians which are helping me evolve more on this topic.
Would appreciate any difference of opinion, this will help me rectify mistakes!!
Thanks.

[SriKi.GSpian]

Hope PSRji and punarvasu's clarification is enough for you to choose the apt oil.

to find the genuine castrol dealers try this link loadmovie

Requesting you to kindly provide your feed back on the present oil [Shell AX7], just want to know how it goes with GS150R

how many kms you have done on your GS with AX7 oil

Krishna,
I am using Castrol Power 1, 15W-40 SS from the second servicing of my GS. Now it has covered 22,320 kms and, according to the engineer in the SC, has better pickup than his newer bike.
My other experience with this oil is using it in my Fiero for 1,00,000 kms. It is still in excellent condition.
If ready to test SS oil, try Castrol Power 1, 15W-40 which costs Rs. 319/- a liter. Buy it from an authorized dealer.

thanks for your instant replies brothers! i have used shell ax7 for 2000kms now and the gear shifts have just changed a bit(a bit notchy)
i use shell ax7 and my friend had used castrol power1 and after my recommendation used shell in his bike and am sure that its better than power1 for sure! and he is very much satisfied with the oil..but according to me MOTUL 20W40 IS THE BEST mineral OIL !

[psr]

the best thing about runninh synthetics is their capability to run in a long range of temperatures and there minimal use of additives.
All Dino( oil formed at Dinosaur times) oils start as monograde and become multigrade depending on the amount of esters and additives added to it...the wider the range more the additives..ie., a 20w40 mineral contains less additives compared to a 10w40 or 15w40. A Fully Synthetic oil is Man made from combination of Chemical,and additives..A SS is a base oil with additives of Esters to make it multigrade.
75 percent of the engine damage happens at cold start.. Synthetics minimises that damage to a good extent. Also the main reason why an oil becomes unsuitable for use is the regular attrition of VII polymers in the transmission, synthetics uses less of these polymers.
This is another myth to be kept at bay..No oil can neutralize combustion acids or prevent friction at start up...All oils are pulled by gravity to settle in the engine sump if the engine is not running......To minimize this problem it is recommended to idle the engine after startup for 30 seconds,and not to Accelerate and drive away.
Why does manufacturers cant make mineral oils with spec like 5w40!!? They would actually love to, but the reason is they cant get hold of a mineral base oil that can be poured at low temeperatures like -30 deg celcius. And somehow if they can, they cant put so many additives in the oil i.e 8 times in comparison to a 20w40 which just uses 2 times. Now you will ask why they cant? They cant because amongst all the testing these oils go through there is an ash value test. I think it is 1.8 percent limit. This new oil will fail in that test without doubt.
While resultant Ash content is a stringent specification for 2 T oils of 2 strokers, in 4 strokers the engine oil is not supposed to be burnt,unless the oil leaks into the combustion chamber, due to faulty engine parts.It is the many additives in the Multi grade oils that are detrimental to the oil's temperature rating and stability.The wider the oil range values the more the additives...Heat is the single most important factor ,which destroys the engine oil's specification.Many Air Cooled engines consume oil on a long hard drive than ,the same engine in cooler/moderate driving condition..The Liquid Cooled engines which have better control over engine Temperature, have longer oil change interval,and engine oil remains good for longer time than Air Cooled engines.
The best oil to fill your bike with is the oil grade enlisted by the manufacturer. If he lists ambient temperatures and gives you a choice, there is nothing better you can ask for. If he lists grades stick to them. If you want to experiment like more power, more smoothness etc. Go for semisynthetic or fs oils with lower (preferable) or same XXw rating and strictly same wYY rating(except w30 which falls short in indian summer) presribed by your manufacturer.
Due credit for this compilation goes to my fellow xbhpians which are helping me evolve more on this topic.
Would appreciate any difference of opinion, this will help me rectify mistakes!!
Thanks.

Replies in bold....
Synthetic Oil Explained - Aircooled.Net Tech Article

Motor Oil Breakdown What really Causes It? : Motor Oil

[muztariq]

Replies in bold....
Synthetic Oil Explained - Aircooled.Net Tech Article

Motor Oil Breakdown What really Causes It? : Motor Oil

I dont agree with the second point. Synthetics are better than mineral in cold starts and it is not a myth its a reality.
I meant, when you use synthetics the oil has better flow characteristics than a corresponding mineral. Synthetics come as 5w40 whereas mineral comes like 20w40. 5w has ofcourse excellent flow characteristics than 20w.
Even if you intend to warm up the engine for 5 mins to minimise poor flow during initial run you will have to start the engine in the 'cold' unless you decide to take out the oil in a cool winter morning, warm it and again fill it back and then start the engine.. Which no one will like to do.
You will still need to warm up even a synthetic to come to w40 viscosity but the initial crank is where the maximum damage happens and synthetics minimise that to a good extent. If we can get hold of a 5w or 0w mineral, the mineral vs synthetic is a draw (if we replace the mineral before the VII additives breakdown, other additives are more or less the same).

https://www.motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

[Noor]

Thread approved and merged