~~~you're getting older Jeff, and more forgetful=:-)...you've already sent me that link. I read it (before), agree with most of his prostylizing (is that a word?=:-)
I'll stick with what the factory recommends for my motors...both the new 2010 Ford diesel truck and my KTM 950A, recommends 10/15 for the lower engine oil weight
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
A
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 09:01:05 -0800
From: jeff@...
To: sh8knj8k@...
CC:
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Oil Thread Alert
#ygrps-yiv-646363178 .ygrps-yiv-646363178ExternalClass p {} It is a common misconception that thicker oil provides better protection. In most cases, including in motorcycles, thicker is not always better. You should run the thinnest oil possible that maintains oil pressure. You should also go for the lowest cold pumping number you can find to reduce wear at startup, where most wear occurs on your engine.
Please read "Motor Oil 101" at
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ . It will change your whole view on choosing the grade of motor oil for your cars and bikes.
[quote]
I would never put a 15W- or 20W- in my bike even if I lived in the Sahara.
My personal vote is Rotella T6 5w-40. Full Synth, Good weight, JASO MA certified for wet clutches, $19.00/Gallon.
-Jeff Khoury
[b]From: [/b]"sh8knj8kster"
[b]To: [/b]"DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com>
[b]Sent: [/b]Sunday, December 5, 2010 11:42:21 PM
[b]Subject: [/b][DSN_KLR650] Re: Oil Thread Alert
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Kevin Powers wrote:
>
> Fleet Farm has Mobil Delvac 15w40 diesel engine oil on sale for $10.99per
> gallon. Would that work or us the 15 part too thick for cooler temps?
>
~~~I'd run that in any bike I own, and not think twice. $2.50 a quart?, how could you go wrong? We don't have Fleet Farm here (wishing we did=:-), I would use that in my diesel truck too!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26137108@N04/4828665472/sizes/l/in/photostream/
I don't know if I ever mentioned it here but I used Mobil One 15/50 for 70 K miles in the wet clutch Honda ST 1100 motorcycle I rode a while back. The wet clutch never slipped, despite using synthetic 'car' oil
Jake
Reddick Fla.
I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there.
-- Herb Caen
http://www.shakinjake.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26137108@N04/
> On Dec 5, 2010 9:00 AM, "Jud" wrote:
>
>
>
> I think 5w30 is too light. I also think 5w30 Mobil 1 is one of the oils with
> a lot of friction modifiers, which might make your clutch slip.
>
> --- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Jeffrey" wrote: >
>
> > OK so my engine is in good shape but 31k miles. > > Pep Boys had car Mobil
> 1 on sale for 4 bucks ...
>
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I have been surprised no one has mentioned NAPA synthetic 15w50 oil in any of these threads. I am generally able to get it when it is on sale for $3.49 a quart. Even on my trip this summer I got it twice for that price. Most I have paid for it is less than $6.
After riding Kawasaki's for something like 500,000 miles(only around ~80k on KLRs) my indication of when to change the oil is when I start missing shifts. If I that doesn't happen when I get to 6,000 (even on my old 99) then I changed it.
Did have an oops moment when I realized this summer that I had gone 9k+ and hadn't changed it but it was still shifting fine no signs of slipping clutch or anything. No major metal filings on the mag oil plug or anything. In the 9k I had added 2 quarts of oil but that rate is easy to put up with.
Other indication for need of an oil change on this bike is when it starts using more than a quart per thousand miles. Which happened as soon as I added Castrol 5w50 for $10 because I couldn't find a NAPA store. That quart was gone 500 miles.
During the trip was traveling with my sister. She was on a BMW RT 1200 and her oil light was just starting to come on once in a while @ 9k. Her bike is real finicky. If the oil gets down a cup the light comes on. With the old Castrol Synthetic 20w50 at 6,000 miles the light was winking at her much more frequently.
YMMV