Manga VFR-750 filter equivalents

[Greg Cothern]

I am not sure of the specific "brews" used in motorcycle specific and regular automotive oils but I have noticed a difference in my experience between the 2.  
I have always been a Valvoline person, awhile back they put out a MC specific blend so I tried it and it made a noticeable difference in the shifts less noise and easier.  
However on the Valk it was still too clunky and not smooth so I went to synthetic on a recommendation from a long time Valk owner and the shifts are quiet and smooth.
I personally do not believe it is the same stuff totally I think they have added something that our wet clutches like better.
No offense taken always value others knowledge and experience.

[MagnaMan]

Greg, based upon my limited experience with my bike I would have to agree. I ran the Honda GN4 "dino" oil for my first 3,000 miles of ownership. After that I switched to Royal Purple synthetic car oil. I have noticed a definite difference in the amount of clunk/rough on the 1st to 2nd shift.  It may be because my bike only had 1100 miles on it when I first changed the oil and now it has 6,000 so it's done a little more breaking in, but I'm definitely going to switch to a moto specific oil on the next change (if not sooner) and see what I hear!

[rjb/AKA Bob Barram]

I was told by a metric mechanic that once you changed from the honda specific oil to something else it was not a good idea to go back. I have had riders tell me that is just a wives tale. What ya' think?
Bob

[kdf9511]

One thing I have learned with wet clutch bikes is do not ever use automotive oil that has friction modifiers.  It will cause the clutch to slip.

[Greg Cothern]

Kerry you are absolutely correct NEVER use friction modifiers.

[MagnaMan]

I was told by a metric mechanic that once you changed from the honda specific oil to something else it was not a good idea to go back. I have had riders tell me that is just a wives tale. What ya' think?
Bob

Bob, I haven't heard that about bike motor oil. The closest thing I have heard is that on high mileage cars it is not a good idea to switch the viscosity of oil if you have been running a certain kind for most of its life. That however does not mean you can't switch from a "dino" oil to a synthetic, just so long as you keep it within that viscosity range.

[roboto65]

I guess I am the lone wolf I am happy with my royal purple but I also use straight 40w oil I don't have any clunking well nothing more than the usual and if you think your bike clunks then go test drive a hardley heheheheheheh it will give you new meaning to clunk heheheheheheheheh when you shift

[Wayne]

Let me come right out and say it:  Oil and Fiters is more opinions and very little science.   Very few true analysis are done, which is why little guys who cut open filters or do oil analysis on the web are nice to see.

The only hard science I've seen on it is Consumer Report's oil test
http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.shtml
Not a huge sample, but the largest scale, most unbiased mass-test I've seen so far. Bob is the Oil Guy has some good info as well, and I also suggest you take things into your own hands--I've asked Lucas several times about Bob the Oil Guy's page, his demonstration, and his claims.  Lucas refuses to even send a "no comment" back. Based on Bob's documented tests and Luca's refusal to respond, I no longer use Lucas's products.

Why do race car drivers use certain oils?  Because they get the oil for free, and actually get paid money for it.  Besides, explain to me again how a carburated, alcohol burning, super-high RPM dragster that only has to run once for a few minnutes to a few hours is a perfect match for a fuel injected, gasoline burning, relativly low RPM car that had hundreds of stops and starts in -25 to +125 degree temperature?  I admit race cars are a tough environment, but
a. if the tiny bits of additives in oil make a huge difference, and
b. regular car divers have different needs and get slightly different oil formulations, then
c. I can logicly conclude those tiny bits of changes in the oil that make a huge difference say that the huge difference means the race track is not a realistic test for what I need from an oil.
QED.  (for you math geeks)

I've been using the Shell Rotella in my Magna for years, without problem.  You can get it at the Wal-Mart by the Texas Instruments plant (635/75) for about $13.50 if I remember right.  Wal-Mart varies price (slightly) and stock by the part of town it's in.  Buy things in the run down part of town and certain items are cheaper.  They also vary what they carry by store; I've seen lots of synthetics in upscale wal-marts (including wal-mart synthetic brand--go figure!) but I don't see that in poor area wal-marts.

I've been using the Purealator Pure One becuase it gets great reviews in all the spots online that literally cut filters apart.  I've been very happy with it and haven't had any problems.

30k miles so far, 0 problems.

[chrislarue]

Before I switched a former car of mine from organic to synthetic oil, a trusted mechanic friend told me to pour a small bottle of transmission fluid into the oil and run the car for no more than a 50 miles, then change the oil.

The purpose was the transmission fluid's higher detergent make up will "strip" the oil from the interior engine parts - hence the "no more than 50 miles" warning. Then, when the organic is drained and the synthetic added. the engine has much less organic residue with which to potentially coagulate.

Have any of you heard something similar to this?
If so, do any of you do anything to "strip" the organic oil from your bike motor prior to switching to synthetic?

POSTING THIS ON MARC'S NEW OIL POST...