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OIL Simplified
Hey all,
I have been researching oils lately as I want to have the best fluids for my bike throughout her life and I thought i'd try and share some knowledge while I was at it, i started taking notes as I was reading an it turned into this post. I have tried to simplify the science and explain things in as many laymans terms as possible to help everyone easily understand the best oil selection for your bike. Understand I am not a mechanic but just a dude who has rode bikes for the last 18 years, used all sorts of oils in all sorts of vehicles, and finally took the time to understand the science behind this foggy mist of engine oil ratings and catch phrases.
Here we go, you might want to grab a coffee...
What kind of Oil should I put in my bike?
Is synthetic Ok?
What brand?
Ever had this discussion before? Everyone tells you something different, and noone is necessarily right/wrong. The information I am giving you here is from a collection of articles I read around the net, including several from oil company sites, as well as other independent articles and some of my own personal experience. For the most part I found that the consensus between them all was very similar, to my relief.
Lets get to it.
Viscosity
Basically, we rate oil based on viscosity.
What is viscosity? Simly put, the resistance to flow a fluid has AT A GIVEN TEMPERATURE.
The last part about the temperature is important, from honey to high grade synthetic motor oil..We all know a fluid's flow characteristics can change with the temperature; as such... a fluid's viscosity rating can only have meaning when the temperature is also defined.
When discussing viscosity:
Higher viscosity = Thicker, Heavier, more viscous (honey)
Lower viscosity = Thinner, lighter, less viscous (water)
Now, Viscosity is very important because it is directly related to a fluid's load-carrying capacity. The greater a fluid's viscosity, the greater the loads it can withstand before breaking down. This would lead one to think that the more viscous a fluid is, the better it can lubricate and protect.
Unfortunately it's not that simple.
At a bare minimum, the viscosity (thickness) of a fluid must be adequate to separate the moving engine parts at its peak operating temperatures. If it is too thin (less viscous), the oil will break down and fail to protect engine components. Imagine if you filled your engine up with WD-40!! Exactly how long would it run and still protect your cylinder walls?
Likewise, the usage of extremely high viscosity (thick) oil can be just as detrimental as too thin of an oil. Wait a minute....that doesn't make sense, thicker oil should coat and protect better..right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
While the usage of thicker (higher viscosity) oils should in theory reduce friction better and resist breakdown, this very thickness can also reduce the quantity of oil flowing past a bearing or between two tight surfaces, resulting in oil starvation at that point (defeating the reason for using a thicker oil to begin with) and you end up with metal-to-metal contact, poor sealing and increased oil consumption. For example,lets take some hot tar....Imagine how well tar would protect your engine at 13750 RPM, the redline of the 04-08 R1 motor. It would just sit at the bottom of the sump bubbling around a bit, and your rings and pistons would instantly fry. Another case of more not always being better. Also, the usage of *too* high viscosity oil (thick), results in increased fluid friction, reduced energy efficiency (worse gas mileage & pumping losses) higher operating temperatures, and hard starting - particularly at cold temperatures.
The key is to select a fluid that is not too light and also not too heavy.
The SAE Rating
The next variable to add to the oil equation, is that not all oils behave the same when the temp changes. Some oils thin out less as the temp rises, and stay thicker, thereby protecting more... also some flow more easily than others at lower temperatures. Some even do both! Hence the SAE rating system was born, which is for example the standard 10W-30 rating you see on the label.
In the SAE ratings system, a higher number means a thicker (more viscous) oil. But wait didn?t we just discuss viscosity means nothing without temperature? That's right; the SAE system rates the oil at both cold and warm (100 Celsius) engine temperatures. So what does this value mean? The numbers can be considered the MULTIGRADE WEIGHT of the oil, i.e. it's thickness at different temperatures. Multigraded oils perform better (greater viscosity stability) than monograde oils across a wider temperature range.
The W actually stands for winter.
20W-50 means 50 weight SAE oil that flows like a 20 SAE at lower temps.
Now, keep in mind that oil will always thin out at a warmer temperature...so how can it flow like a 20 (THIN) when it is colder and 50 (THICKER) when it is warm? This would imply the oil defies physics, which it obviously does not. the rating does not literally mean that 20W-50 flows more easily at cold temperature than at 100 C. One way to envision the meaning is that the rating is a comparison of flow to monograde oil at 2 different temperatures.
20W-50 means the oil flows similar to an SAE 20 monograde oil if both oils are at the cold temperature specified.
i.e.
20W-50 and
SAE 20W can have the same viscosity at 0 degrees.
at 100C, 20W-50 behaves like a monograde SAE 50 (50W50) while the monograde SAE 20, would become far too thin at this point. Likewise a monograde SAE 50 would be brutally thick at cold temps... 20W-50 is the best of both worlds, a multigrade oil.
Multigrade oils are the best suited fluid for widely varying operating temperatures.
An even more simplistic way to think of it, is the first number in the SAE rating implies the start-up protection in all conditions for your motor along with cold weather fluid performance...a lower and less viscous number is more desirable. Once heated... the second number becomes the more important factor, and a higher number has the potential to protect more. But only if indeed your engine design can benefit from running a higher rated SAE (i.e. 50) oil. perhaps the engine is rated for 20 SAE... than SAE 40 could potentially harm the engine (oil starvation remember) so be carefull!!!
At first glance it is a misleading rating system in my opinion, and only now I just have my head wrapped around it, but once you fully understand how it works... it is easy to indentify the oil's characteristics from this system at a glance.
To help you understand the ratings a little more....Some quick viscosity Q @ A:
Which of the following oils are thinner?
Example 1:
A) 5w-30
B) 10w-30
Answer: A) 5w-30
Example 2:
A) 10w30
B) 10w40
Answer: A) 10w-30
Example 3:
A) 10w-30
b) 5w-50
Answer: depends on the temperature... A) is thinner (less viscous) at warmer temps, B) is thinner at cold temps, and at certain temperatures in between they will perform the same....this is the miracle of modern science, and the key advantage of multigrade oils.
So now that you understand the rating system...what would be your dream oil??? Ideally what we want is oil that flows easily at cold start-up, but does not break down too quickly or become too thin at high temperatures. Also thinner oils have been shown to provide a slight HP boost, up to 3 HP in a modern 1000cc sport bike. These extra thin "racing" oils are just that...for racing. They provide the bare minumum viscosity requirements at operating temp, in the lightest fashion possible, and also tend to break down very quickly...causing the need for very short oil change intervals. Your engine will perform temporarily better, then wear out faster.
The bottom line?
Is a 3 HP gain worth having to change your oil more frequently, and causing excessive wear on your engine? Not to me and my investment. I love my bike and want it to run forever in tip top shape. So, what's that leave us? Something like a 5W-50 right!!! Slippery when cold, but thick when warm? Unfortunately there's a little more to it...
The Disadvantage of Multigrade oils.
Multi-grade oils are wonderful because they can prevent excessive engine wear at cold start-up (some estimate 90% of engine wear occurs at this key moment) by providing more instantaneous oil flow to critical engine parts especially in sub zero temperatures. However, there is a drawback. To achieve this chemical feat additives are required. The different types are beyond the scope of this article... but eventually these additives "shear" back in high heat or during high force operation and break down, (sound like an R1's engine environment?) eventually causing sludge to form. What's worse is once the said additives begin to be deplete... the motor oil no longer resists thinning like it was designed to do....so now you possibly have an extremely thin oil at operating temperatures (A straight monograde oil would be superior at this point!). Your 10W-30 motor oil can become 10W-20 or even SAE 10 (10W-10) motor oil once the additives break down and form sludge.
See the Danger?
Your expensive multigrade amazing all-weather oil turns to WD-40 after awhile....and if the engine survives...leaves a bunch of sludge behind...Yikes.
The more additives, the worse the problem becomes, which is why most auto manufacturers steer owners away from more exotic viscosities like 10W-40 and 20W-50...to achieve these characteristics, the oils must be loaded with additives.
Crap!!! So how do we win?
Synthetics to the rescue
Hooray!
... but wait... Not all synthetics are alike.
Synthetic oils were originally designed with the desire to create a very pure base oil with excellent properties. The original synthetics were designed for the Army Air Force in WW II for their high performance turbo-charged radial engines. Modern synthetic motor oils fall into namely 2 categories, group III and Group IV. Group III oils were developed in the 90's due to superior refining technological developments. There were heavy legal battles between major oil companies due to the labelling of Group III oils as synthetic, because as you will learn in a moment they are not truly synthetic.
One more advantage of synthetics is that because motorcyle engines share oil with the clutch and gearbox, a good synthetic can noticeably improve shifting. However oils with excessive additives, have been rumoured to cause clutch slippage...but from personal experience not myself or a single other rider i have ever personally known has experienced clutch slippage from synthetic oil in a modern (2000+) sportbike. That doesnt mean it can't happen to you, just that it is unlikely i think.
Moving on....
One process for making synthetic base oils is to start with a chemical called an olefin, and make new molecules by attaching them to each other in long chains, hence "poly." The primary advantage of Poly-Alpha-Olefin "PAO" base oil is that all the molecules in the base oil are pretty much identical, so it's easy to get the base oil to behave exactly as you would like. PAOs are called Group IV base oils, and are a true manufactured synthetic oil.
Group III synthetics are basically highly refined petroleum oils which can definitely resist wear better than a traditional multigrade oil, and can perform similar to a real group IV synthetic...but to achieve the more desirable and exotic viscosities...they still require some additives and as such are still susceptible to engine sludge and breakdown like traditional oils, albeit to a much lesser extent. Some tests put a group III "synthetic" performing like a true group IV synthetic at temps above 40 C. Below that, which is where most engine wear actually occurs...true synthetics PAO oils still reign supreme. Because group III's are not chemically manufactured and are refined petroleum oils, these "synthetics" have a significant price advantage in the marketplace, and have gained massive market share.
"True" PAO Group IV synthetics are a miracle of modern chemistry and can perform like traditional exotic multigrades...without the additives. They resist breakdown and wear, can be run for extended life cycles, and it?s pretty much impossible to form sludge in the engine without the ingredients for it floating around the crankcase.
You must be wary, or at least understand and accept the risks of PAO Group III rated synthetics when considering your oil, but keep in mind a group III is still a very advanced, pure and superior oil to what most engines are running, and it is good enough (and the price is right) for a lot of people. There are rumoured reports of CBR's running 200,000 kms on Group 3 "synthetics".
Some examples of oil brands:
Group IV : True PAO synthetic oils
Amsoil
Mobil-1
Group III : Highly refined Petroleum Based
Almost everything else labelled synthetic including Castrol etc.
Group II : Standard petroleum based oils.
the remaining Non Synthetic branded motor oils.
Engine soup du Jour...which oil should I use?
To truly answer this question, you have to take a few factors into consideration. This list can be applied to any engine, not just your motorcycle.
1) The mileage of your motor. Many recommend running less slippery traditional non synthetic oil to help break in the rings of your motor. It seems like a good piece of common sense to me, and I choose to follow this line of thought.
2) Your MFG recommended oil viscosity.
3) The temperatures you will be operating the bike in. I live in Canada, you sometimes ride in pretty nippy weather, if I was rolling in Florida.. Cold temp performance not as important.
4) The type of riding you mostly do : Street, racing? Start stop traffic when commuting to work?
5) The frequency and $$$ amount you are willing to spend on oil changes.
So for me my answer goes like this :
I ride a 2007 R1. My bike is successfully broke in sitting at the 5000 km mark. I had a peek in my manual, the recommended oil quoted from the book is :
YAMALUBE 4,
SAE 10W30 in -10 to +20 Celsius conditions
OR
SAE 20W40 in +10 to +40 Celsius conditions
Also another note in the oil section is and I quote:
"Engine oil also lubricates the clutch and
The wrong oil types or additives could
Cause clutch slippage. Therefore, do not
Add any chemical additives."
i live in canada, it gets cold here.....I ride pretty hard when i go out with the boys and i frequently take the engine to the redline, I visit the track only on occasion... To me money is no object, and I am willing to change oils as frequently as required...she is my baby, and I want her to last as long as possible.
Now, if I want to stay within MFG. Specs and "play it extra safe" ...that puts me desiring a true group IV 10W-40 Synthetic.
Why?
A pure multigraded synthetic will give me protection for colder operating temperatures if need be, superior cold start protection in all conditions, plus adequate viscosity for up to 40C ambient rides. All in one.
A group IV 10W-40 has no viscosity additives, and doesn't exceed any of the recommended SAE ratings Yamaha deems ideal for this motor. I have ridden many times when the ambient was around 0 degrees C up here, and several times this summer it got to 37-38 C outside. The 10W30, would probably give me a few more ponies on the dyno, better mileage and a cooler engine....But hey after 20C Ambient I would be putting potentially excessive wear on the engine.
Now if you are willing to experiment further out of spec, you could try and find something like a 5W-40, 0W-40... in my opinion these oils would protect even further during start-up and perform better in cooler ambient temps, and still provide the required protection at operating temps. Sounds perfect for the Canadian rider or Americans closer to our border riding in spring or fall eh?Just be wary of the additives, i think above all, no matter which oil you chose excessive additives definitely have the potential to do the most harm in the long run.
If I was in the desert I would probably further up the weight of my oil, and something like a 15W-50 or 20W-50 would be my choice.....that oil could survive higher engine temps and hotter ambient better than the 40 weight...but also come along with more pumping losses, and in my opinion potentially be more susceptible to oil starvation, especially when it was cooler out during a wheelie or something.
The first number in the SAE rating, in my opinion, is the safer one to go out of spec on, as it can only help cold start-ups...as long as the particular brand is not pumped full of additives to achieve the exotic rating. Group IV PAO for the win!
All that said, I ran 15W-50 in my 99 for over 50,000 kms with no *major* adverse effects, but who knows... if I had run 10W-40 the whole time perhaps she would have kept better compression and power, which did drop off later in the engine's lifespan. (Around 35,000 kms mark I started to notice she just wasn't quite as fast anymore. Due to the oil? Who knows, but its possible it contributed.)
I think this time I`ll just roll with 10W-40 Group IV synthetic.
That leaves me with these two choices:
www.mobil.com/Canada-English/...bil_1_MX4T.aspwww.amsoil.com/storefront/mcf.aspxGood luck choosing your oil!!!
Found this while on the R1 forum,Full of knowledge so figured id post here since derbys put oil to the real test lol
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