Not another oil question, jezz | GTAMotorcycle.com

Not another oil question, jezz

imkruzen

imkruzen

Well-known member
Looking for an opinion on viscosity.

I have the FJ1100 air cooled.

Last week when we hit 32 deg. I was DT and when I leave the lights the oil light comes on. It's just a level indicator, so you know what's happening.

In the earlier years I had the same bike that did the same thing, so I went up to 20-50 and that solved the problem, but I had clutch drag when cold and could feel the engine labour until the oil got up to temp.

I wanted to put the Rotella synthetic 5-40 in but fear that I'll be seeing the oil light more often. There is the conventional Rotella that is 15-40, which is closer to the viscosity that the Manf. recommends, 20-40.

Question:
Should I just go with 20-50 Mobil 1 synthetic (or Amsoil) for V-twins which is 20-50 or Rotella 15-40 which is non-synthetic? Is 20-50 too thick and 5-40 too thin? I think Yamalube is available in 20-40, but I don't want that stuff, I don't know any ting about it.

Cost - Rotella - $20 /4L
Amsoil - $80 /4L
Mobil - $56 /4L

Didn't really find an answer on Bob's The Oil Guy.

Thanks Guys.
 
Clutch drag isn't that big of a deal, especially in this case as it's not actually wearing it out any faster or anything. 20w50 is in spec for the bike, right? Nonetheless I liked Rotella 15w40 for my Radian (FJ600 motor) because it was cheap, *mostly* correct (now it's 100% bike rated, even better) and being cheaper I could change it fairly often (went black pretty quick, changed at about 4K).

Just to be clear, though: You're saying your bike is burning oil faster because it's hot out?
 
TwistedKestrel said:
Just to be clear, though: You're saying your bike is burning oil faster because it's hot out?
Click to expand...

No there's no consumption. Just the oil light coming on when it gets super hot out.
 
You are paying way too much for your Amsoil.You should be able to get it for $11-12 per liter.Use Amsoil it works great .
 
The oil level flash could be due to the oil foaming under high heat causing the oil level sender to give a false reading. I would try switching to a high end oil like Amsoil. I would run 10W40 because a good portion of our riding season is cold. BTW GP Bikes sells 4L jugs of amsoil 10W 40 for $58.
 
Id go with the rotella, just personal preference. At least try it out. It can survive 20k rpm and the heat from a diesel turbo, so the heat from an aircooled bike is pretty cake. I run it in all my air cooled bikes so far, and engine temps seem lower than when i run anything else, amsoil included.

You can get rotella synth btw. Its in a blue jug at CT. Non-synth is in the white jug.
 
Remember that the first number is your cold viscosity and the second is your hot viscosity. A 5W40 has a lower viscosity when cold then a 20W40, but hot they have the same viscosity.
 
bobjohnson said:
Id go with the rotella, just personal preference. At least try it out. It can survive 20k rpm and the heat from a diesel turbo, so the heat from an aircooled bike is pretty cake. I run it in all my air cooled bikes so far, and engine temps seem lower than when i run anything else, amsoil included.

You can get rotella synth btw. Its in a blue jug at CT. Non-synth is in the white jug.
Click to expand...

I agree just go with rotella 15-40
 
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