Advice please on synthetic oil

[Kopia]

I was going to put synthetic oil in my airhead gs for the first time. It has 65k on it. A friend says it's not advised..? Does anyone know if it's okay?

Thanks

[lorazepam]

I would not do it unless you want the bike to run cooler, quieter (sp?) and maybe get a bit more mileage. I run synthetic in everything but the lawn mower.

[Bob_M]

My brother in law, who is more than a little knowledgable about machines, sez that there is a difference between synthetics and that Red Line synthetic is the only one worth using. It is reputed to last longer and make the engine run cooler.

Others say that the synthetics leak out of every pore and seam, but I have never heard of an owner reporting it first hand.

After my rings seat I am going to start using Red Line.

[Kopia]

Cooler and quieter sounds good but "leaking from every pore"...? The bike is lightly marking territory now!

[TZOLK]

Dont Fret Kopia. If your gaskets leak a little now then they will weep more with the synthetic(been there..oil pan.. pushrod seals). All you have to do is replace the leaky gaskets with new and it should hold fine. Havent had a problem here with synthetic leaking once the bad gaskets were replaced. Does burn it though- just a little. I use valvoline 20-50 syn in the PD now, or you can put a blend in like syntec 20-50. These motorcycle only synthetics like the Amsoil or Mobile cost way too much. You only need 2.5 quarts so just change it every 3 or 4k. The valvoline 20-50 syn is the only one ive found at those auto stores that isnt as much as those other two mentioned. 20-50 syn is hard to come by unless you go to an MC shop. If you do a lot of stop and go in the Blazin summer it might be a better way to go.

[James.A]

I switched my /5 airheads to synthetic oil 3 years ago. I've noted more weeping that appears to come from the front main seal. Not enough to notice on the service interval, or to cause trouble, other than the un-sightly stain. I'd say"go for it". I'm using Torco 20w50 racing synthetic. The bikes run great with it.

[bprigge]

I run Castrol 20-50 'Syntec' synthetic oil in my 76' r75/6. No leaks either.
I also use synthetic gear oil in my tranny and rear end, I think its Valvoline 75-90. I use synthetic because a friend of mine that operates a small automotive machine shop says he observes less wear in cylinder bores on
high mile motors that were run on synthetic.

I think that business about synthetic oil leaking more is an urban legend.
My R75/6 doesnt seem to use any more synthetic then it did non-synthetic oil. I just got back from a 4500 mile 3 week trip and used a quart and half
of oil. Some of that went on the ground do to lack of a proper funnel and a couple ounces were lost when setting the valve lash about 3500 miles into
the trip. I think guys that love their airheads (who doesn't?) should use
synthetic unless it means skipping lunch. :) Bruce

[pmdave]

If you find that your bike leaks after changing the oil, it's probably because it was leaking before you changed the oil. Synthetic oil isn't any better at leaking than mineral oil--of the same viscosity.

Whenever there is an oil seminar (say at the International rally) I suggest spending the time to attend. I've participated in a number of oil seminars, and it's much better to get the facts straight from someone in the industry than listen to your brother-in-law or buddy who heard from someone that...

Motor oils are very good these days, so the reality is that it doesn't really matter what brand you use, but it does matter what viscosity. Motor oils of less than 15 wt. are generally formulated for "mileage improvement" in automobiles, but at a cost of potentially increased wear. For motorcycles, especially airheads, I use a multi-vis oil with a minimum of 20W, i.e. 20W 50. That's because as the additives in the oil evaporate, the oil eventually becomes the lower number. And the additives can evaporate within about 3,000 miles in very hot conditions--say riding in the Mojave.

Of course, different brands contain more or less of the desirable anti-wear, viscosity stabilizing, and acid-neutralizing chemicals. So, I pay attention to the oil reports (MCN for instance) to help make decisions.

My personal preference these days is for a semi-synthetic oil, say Valvoline Durablend, or Castrol Syntech. The synthetic part retains it's viscosity better than mineral oil, and the mineral part keeps the cost down, so I don't have to avoid changing dirty oil because I paid so much for it.

And there is nothing wrong with buying your oil from the BMW dealer. You'll get good oil--very similar to the Spectro oils--although typically BMW-pricey. But if you're only using 3 1/2 quarts, we're not talking about a major investment here, and it's what BMW recommends.

One other issue: synthetics and semi-synthetics are compatible with mineral based oils. If you're using a name brand oil, don't worry about the old oil not mixing with the new synthetic or synth blend.

pmdave

[bigb]

I've used a few different oils and the one that my airhead really seems to like is Golden Spectro 20W50 synthetic blend. I definitely notice that it is a lot smoother and quieter. Here is some info on oil. http://www.airheads.org/old/index.php?Technical%20Tips+Oil%20Discussion

[bigb]

This one is from ibmwr.org http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html

[riderR1150GSAdv]

My brother in law, who is more than a little knowledgable about machines, sez that there is a difference between synthetics and that Red Line synthetic is the only one worth using. It is reputed to last longer and make the engine run cooler.

Others say that the synthetics leak out of every pore and seam, but I have never heard of an owner reporting it first hand.

After my rings seat I am going to start using Red Line.

From personal experience with my 04 RT, I can say that Red Line oil is good and it dropped the oil temp on the RID by one bar during normal riding.
Some say it's all snakeoil but synthetic does hold up better when the summer heat is trying to fry your engine.
On my LT, I have not noticed a temp drop but this engine is also watercooled so I have no oiltemp gauge (yet). YMMV

[lkchris]

There is no end to rationalizations as to how cheaper is better.

Synthetic is more expensive because it's better.

Beyond cost, there is NO downside, and even then it can cost the same if you leave it in as long as recommended.

In the fantasy world Redline is great, but in the real world Mobil 1 is the best. In the real world Castrol Syntec is NOT synthetic, but is advertised as such via regulatory loophole.

Learn about oil here:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi