I'm sold

I have heard of a number of people using Shell Rotella T oil in their bikes. I never thought much of it but I needed to do an oil change and figured I would give it a shot. Man am I sold. Shifting is so much smoother and the stuff is so darn cheap.

 

What weight out of curiousity?

 

Interesting you ask that. I was intending on buying 15w-40 but accidentally picked up 10w-30 and didn't realize it until I had put it in. I checked the manual really quick and it said to use 10w-30 up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm rarely riding long distances over 60 degrees right now so I figure I'll just leave it in for another month or so then do another oil change.

Thoughts or comments on that plan anyone?

 

I run the same since last year and really like it the 15-40 that is. Like you said cheap seems to work well and readily available.

 

What does the 15w40 replace? My manual says to use 10w30 for up to 60 degrees and 20w50 for 40 degrees and above. So when would the 15w40 be used?

thanks,
mikeg

 

From what I understand most people use it instead of the 20w-50. I'm not even sure if Rotella T comes in a heavier weight. I'll have to look into that.

 

I'll be doing my oil change tonight, Rotella 15w40 I'll let you know how it goes for me. All I hear is good from that brand.

 

I checked Shell's website. The organic Rotella T only comes in 10w-30 and 15w-40

 

There is a logical reason why cheap oil works well in our bikes. Expensive oil usually is more expensive because it has super duper chemicals that reduce friction. Usually less friction is a good idea but because the clutch and the engine use the same oil in our bike less friction makes for bad shifting. So word of the wise, when buying oil... cheap out. Don't get the high efficiency stuff because you will get a lot of clutch slippage.

 

buy cheap & change often.

 

After doing some research, that is where I am going next. For $10.50/gallon, I don't see anything else that can touch it.

 

Here is a post i found from a Rotella site:

Motorcycle usage

Though marketed as an engine oil for diesel trucks, Rotella oil has found popularity with motorcyclists as well. The properties of heavy duty engine oils tend to map to the same requirements of motorcycle oils, particularly those whose engine and transmission share the same oil. (This is called a "shared sump" design, which is unlike automobiles which maintain separate oil reservoirs - one for the engine and one for the transmission). The chemical additives found in heavy duty engine oils work well with motorcycles. In addition, the lack of "friction modifiers" in truck oils such as Rotella means they do not interfere with proper wet clutch operations.

Motorcycle specific oils tend to cost between $8 and $10 per quart. Shell Rotella T 15W-40 costs about $10 per gallon (or about $2.50/quart). The price economy of Shell Rotella T allows a motorcycle owner to change oil more frequently, thus matching the "extended change interval" value of motorcycle specific synthetics.

[edit] JASO-MA

JASO is an acronym that stands for "The Japanese Automotive Standards Organization." Among other things, they set standards for oil to be used in motorcycles.

One standard, JASO-MA, specifies a set of characteristics an oil must meet to be certified by JASO. It includes such things as the amount of sulfated ash, the foaming tendency, and the degree of friction provided by the oil.

The friction test is what is of particular interest to motorcycles. An oil that provides too little friction has a tendency to allow wet clutches -- those bathed in the engine oil -- to slip. An oil that demonstrates too much friction does not provide the lubricity needed. The JASO-MA test specifies a range of friction the oil must fall within to meet the specification.

The new Rotella T CJ-4 15W-40 and 5W-40 packaging does not officially state compliance with JASO-MA.

However, posts in various motorcycle-related forums cite e-mail confirmation from Shell that Rotella 15W-40 and 5W-40 CJ-4 has been tested and shown to meet the JASO-MA friction test. The belief is that the new CJ-4 oil does in fact meet JASO-MA, but the packaging does not carry the certification, nor does Shell advertise it as complying with JASO-MA.

Testimonies from many motorcyclists on different forums confirm the applicability of Shell Rotella T as effective for motorcycles. Numerous "Used Oil Analysis" (UOA) on bobistheoilguy.com show acceptable wear metal numbers for Rotella T in motorcycles for oil change intervals from 1000 miles all the way to 8000 miles.

Speculation is that Shell focuses on Rotella's primary market of heavy duty trucking. Emphasizing a motorcycle certification might detract from the primary marketing. No confirmation or denial of that speculation has been offered by Shell.

The Shell Rotella website does have a category in the "Ask the Expert" section with four articles on Rotella usage in motorcycles.

I will try it myself this weekend and see how it works.

 

Everything and more than you want to know about motor oil can be found here. It's a large file, so give it a bit to download. It's free now, so make sure to grab it soon. I think the guy is going to start a business and start charging for it.

Motor Oil Bible

 

for you guys who still drive old cars (anything with a flat tappet cam) rotella is (until the epa destroys THAT oil too) one of the few oils left on the market containing anywhere near the appropriate amount of zinc and phosphorous to prevent premature wear. ESPECIALLY on a car with a long cam/crank like a V10 or a straight six. i don't believe that's an issue for our bikes, but i'm no expert there yet...