engine oil

[sheepheerder]

Hi guys just wondering what everyone uses for oil in there 1100s brand and weights. The manual has 4 different options of weight and im not exactly sure what i should use.
Does anyone use regular car motor oil? Manual doesnt specify but i would think motorcycle specific oil would be better?

[Ivor]

I always use semi synthetic oil because fully synthetic oil makes my clutch slip when I wring its neck

[TerryG]

Same question really but for my 550. In the manual it says to use, SAE 10W40, 10W50, 20W40 or 20W50 and grade SE, SF or SG motor oil. This may be obvious to some but sadly I'm just a little confused. HELP!

[Eddie]

I've always used Silkolene 10/40w semi synthetic in my 1100, a good all round oil for the British climate.
Don't use car oil in a bike, a car has a dry clutch and a separate gearbox with it's own special oil separate from engine oil, so a cars oil only has to lubricate the engine. A motorcycle engine however has its clutch and gearbox all combined so thus needs its own special bike oil to lubricate everything.
Hope that explains it!

Cheers eddie

[Freddy]

I've always used Silkolene 10/40w semi synthetic in my 1100, a good all round oil for the British climate.
Don't use car oil in a bike, a car has a dry clutch and a separate gearbox with it's own special oil separate from engine oil, so a cars oil only has to lubricate the engine. A motorcycle engine however has its clutch and gearbox all combined so thus needs its own special bike oil to lubricate everything.
Hope that explains it!

Cheers eddie

You CAN use 'car' engine oil in a wet clutch motorcycle. As long as the oil is certified as JASO MA (NOT MB) it is fine to use. Look on the back of the bottle, and there will be a list of specifications the oil meets. As long as one of them is JASO MA (may read MA1 or MA2) it is motorcycle wet clutch complaint. That what JASO MA means.

When you buy 'motorcycle oil' the chance are you are buying exactly the same oil as above, usually 4 liters instead of 5, and paying about 20% more for a bottle with a picture of a motorcycle on it.

And don't let anyone tell you certain full synthetic oils (JASO MA rated) can't make certain motorcycle clutches slip, they can. As there is no standard as to what constitutes 'full synthetic oil' even discussing them as a single class is fraught with danger. Sticking with a quality 'semi synthetic' is a far safer option on older motorcycles.

[Eddie]

I prefer my simple answer to what was a simple question in the first post!!

Cheers eddie

[Freddy]

I prefer my simple answer to what was a simple question in the first post!!

Cheers eddie

And I prefer my correct answer to the first post. He asked does anyone use "regular car motor oil". Yes, it is the only thing I ever use. It is way cheaper than buying so called 'motorcycle' oil which is just the exact same thing often stuck in a smaller bottle with a picture of a motorcycle on it, and sold at a price premium.

As I said in my first post, just ensure the 'car oil' clearly states it JASO MA compliant on the front/back of the bottle. Expect many reputable brand 'car' 10W40 oils to be JASO MA compliant (which in practice means no friction modifiers have been added). 10W40 oils are generally the base from which other grades are achieved by blending and adding various modifiers. Hence the reason 10W40 car oils are often JASO MA complaint and if so can be used without a problem in motorcycles.

https://www.penriteoil.com.au/assets/te ... O%20MB.pdf