Which oil to use on the DRZ400?
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From: Tim H on 17 Apr 2008 15:55 On Apr 17, 11:25 am, David Kelly <n4...(a)Yahoo.com> wrote: > Wudsracer wrote: > > And, please forgive me GasGas Gods, but as part of a test, I just > > went for 16 days of riding before I noticed any difference in oil > > color, or clutch drag. > > Oil does not make the discoloration, it picks it up from the engine. > Contrary to popular belief the *faster* the oil gets "dirty" the better. > The dirt is there either way but the more the oil carries the less there > is plating the inside of your engine. Rotella-T is a very high detergent > oil. It will get dirty, quick. And in doing so keep your engine clean. > > OTOH clutch performance is a very valid indicator. In a 2 stroke application like Jim is talking about, the discoloration is all about the clutch, since there is not other source of contamination (unless something else is very wrong). In a 2 stroke application, if the oil gets dirty faster, it means your clutch is wearing faster, therefore the contention that the faster it gets dirty the better is not true. Of course, in lawnmower engines (and other 4 strokes) your comments are totally valid. Except for the types with seperate oil for the engines and transmissions, in which case both points of view have validity depending on which oil you're looking at. Tim H
From: Eat Dirt on 17 Apr 2008 23:12 On Apr 17, 9:29 am, Wudsracer <babba...(a)Lucy.com> wrote: > I think, considering your climate, that the Shell Rotella Synthetic > 5w40 ($15/gallon at WalMart) would probably give you the best > compromise of low viscosity in cold weather and protection when it > gets warmed to operating temp. > If you don't mind waiting for the engine to warm thoroughly in cold > weather, I would go with Shell Rotella 15w40 ($8/gallon) or Mobil1 > 15w50 ($?). Thanks, I am now leaning towards the Rotella given the positive feedback I'm getting here. I'm still to see if our Walizymart carries it. If I can't find it here I will likely stick to the cheap $2/litre 10-40 they carry and just change it more often. What I like about the Rotella is that it appears to be a good bet to use on both the 4 stroke and the two stroke race bike. This would mean no more looking all over the place for different containers with different labels on them. Although the comment above that the Rotella has a lot of detergent and therefore cleans the inside of your engine faster worries me. I mean, one doesn't want an oil with detergent in it when using it as tranny oil on a two stroke bike, due to clutch slippage. Correct?
From: Eat Dirt on 19 Apr 2008 02:06 On Apr 18, 10:57 pm, Wudsracer <babba...(a)Lucy.com> wrote: > *************************************** > Don't worry about the detergents in modern oil... > ...It's the friction modifiers that they put in a lot of the newer engine > oils that can give the clutch a hard time. U r correct, I had confused the two. It seems that friction modifiers are present mostly in 10-30 and by what I read, not on 10-40 and especially not on 15-40/diesel oil. Friction modifier on a 2 stroke bike wouldn't be a good thing. In fact I just did a lot of research online and learned a few neat things. For one the Shell Rotella is by far the preferred by most bike owners and for a good reason, either the dino 15-40 or the synt 5-40. Not sure how this compares to the Walmart 15-40 Super Tech brand but can't see it being too different. Even though Walzymart doesn't carry it, I'll see if I can find it elsewhere. Also learned that Amsoil themselves claim that a bike oil should be changed at at 2 to 3,000 km - and this is from the people that sell the stuff. So to those that insist on changing the oil at 700miles, you're making the rich oil companies even richer and contributing to the decay of our planet, possibly without benefitting your bike a whole lot. Also learned that synt oil can be a good thing, just not when breaking in the bike. Wife's new car takes synt oil and the warranty says it should be changed at 8,000km, which is 5,000miles. Guess it would be good on a bike too, especially to those like me that dislike the idea of changing the oil too often. The good news is, my diesel car takes 15-40. The stuff is dirt cheap, costing only 7 bux for a full 4 litre (a bit more than a US gallon). And I can use the very same stuff on the other 3 bikes. No longer need to have all those varied litre bottles laying everywhere. Cool.
From: richontheroad on 19 Apr 2008 09:26 I put a quart of Spectra Semi Synthetic in my sons XR 100 and the clutch slipped so bad, i had to drain it right back out. since then I've been using mobil 1 synthetic in all my other vehicles as my merc requires it but the oil change intervals are 15k miles. I use 29 quarts in my motorhome + a $50 filter, so that sure adds up quick. 8-/ Rich P New Hampshire DRZ400E
From: Eat Dirt on 19 Apr 2008 09:58
On Apr 19, 7:26 am, richonther...(a)hotmail.com wrote: > Rich P > New Hampshire > DRZ400E Cool we have the same bike - as per the title in this thread: which oil do you use on the DRZ400? I'm pretty much convinced that I'll try the 15-40 "diesel" oil but curious to see what you use. |