Fully synthetic oil?

From doing a bit of reading on the forum, I'm guessing bikes just dont use fully synthetic oil like most modern cars require? Do most people use semi synthetic over regular synthetic then? looking at changing the oil on my 05 bike and not sure which oil to buy. I have some good 10w40 car oil, would this do the job just as well?

[jambo]

One of the sticky posts at the top of this section may be of interest to you:
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=125457

Yea that's more or less what I'm asking you guys..does no-one use fully synthetic for bike engines for any reason, is it bad for them for any reason? In terms of cars its definitly better oil, I would of thought the same for bikes. But people seem to use semi synthetic.

[NTECUK]

Just save your money and use Halfords motorcycle specific 10W40 oil

[TheRamJam]

I use Silkolene Comp 4

Never had any issues with it, and its not too expensive neither.

[timwilky]

There are significant differences between oils designed for bikes and those for cars. remember in bikes the oils must also work within the gearbox and clutch systems.

Just like with cars, you can find mineral, semi synth and full syth oils for bikes.

some bikes are designed to use a full synth bike oil. the SV is not such a bike. therefore use the oil that the SV is designed to use. A semi synth. The Halfrauds/ Hein Gerricke is good enough. If you must use a named brand use Castrol Power 1 (GPS)

[MJC-DEV]

I currently use Halfords Fully Synthetic Bike oil as it''s not a lot more than semi and is longer lasting. I have always used fully synthetic car oil in my bikes to no ill effect.

[Bibio]

do not use fully synth car oil in your bike as your bike has a wet clutch and the car oil will ruin the clutch plates due to the modifiers in the oil. only use bike specific oil in your bike as its designed to be used with wet clutches.

if you have a dry clutch bike then use what the hell you like

[Sid Squid]

I said this:

Originally Posted by Sid Squid a long time ago

There's no doubt that even if you do decide to use Spry Crispy & Dry, it will undoubtedly give best service if it's changed with appropriate regularity, it is without question that it is a horrible false economy to run oil longer than you should.

Spanner Man: I agree, generally. There is no doubt in my mind that fully synth oil is quality stuff, however - and this is the crux of the matter - it's dear, some bike specific brands are very dear, and whilst it may do a great job I do sometimes wonder if it is an un-necessary extravagance.

Using the example Spanner Man quoted, and some rough figures:

200,000 miles at 3000 mile oil changes - common figure = 70ish oil changes, (bit of rounding off to make the numbers easy). Let's say you were to use a fully synth you would typically spend about £8- 10 more per 4* litres than if you were to use semi synth which could work out at more than £500 extra spent. Hold that thought.

Now I'm well aware that you might say: A-ha! but that motor would have been scrap at, say, 150,000 miles if you weren't using fullly synth oil. Well, possibly, but exactly how many modern bikes get to anything like even the smaller figure, or even 100,000 miles?
Very few, very very few, as the bike will more than likely be scrapped for reasons other than the motor being worn past the point of use well before that time. Anyway, if you were to change the oil when you should using cheap n' cheerful semi synth I'm certain you'll get 100,000 from any sort of modern engine.

Hold on I'm not done yet, but it won't be long now.

Ask yourself: How long am I going to keep this bike?

1 year, 2 perhaps, maybe 5? How many miles am I going to do in that time? Let's be generous and say 50,000 miles, (and yes as far as modern bikes and riders go that's plenty generous), well, you could happily use any cheap oil and get well past 50,000 miles, any extra money you spend on the machine including the extra spent on high quality oil that you may put in it, might give you a warm fuzzy feeling, but will make no practical difference to your bike in the time that you own it, and probably no difference to the next two owners either.

Yes, I do understand perfectly the desire to do the very bestest for your dear darling motorbicycle, but stop emoting and start thinking, that's money that is, your money.

* Clearly this depends in part on the oil capacity of your machine, and futher true I've not fussed over any exactities, however the principle is good and the simple fact is so few of us as to not be worthy of mention run a motorcycle so far through it's life, that the necessities of lubrication will ever be a factor.

PS If you're planning to do 200,000 miles on your bike, buy the fully synth, it may well be dearer than a replacement motor, but it won't be off the road to have it fitted, this is fully synth's only practical redeeming factor, maybe.

Discuss.

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by MJC-DEV

I currently use Halfords Fully Synthetic Bike oil as it''s not a lot more than semi and is longer lasting. I have always used fully synthetic car oil in my bikes to no ill effect.

Despite no ill effects using car oils, you have now decided to use a bike oil. OK, I can accept that. After all any oil is better than no oil.


There are people on the forum who are experts in oil design. I am not one. I am by profession/training an automotive engineer who spent a number of years on engine design. We didn't design the oil for our engines. We advised the lubricant manufacturers of the day the operating parameters and they designed the oils.

Just because car oils didn't break your engine, doesn't mean they are best suited compared to oils designed for the operating conditions of a slow reving v twin motorcycle.