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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihu1m!gadfly
From: gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: What oil do you use?
Message-ID: <282@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 11:01:28 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.282
Posted: Thu Feb  7 11:01:28 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Feb-85 02:07:01 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 38

--
I asked about this a few months ago, but got no replies.
Since spring is now, in theory, just around the corner,
and it's getting to be that time when (fair-weather) riders
think about pulling the beast out of the garage and reviving
it, maybe there will be more interest this time around.

Unlike cars, motorcycles use the same oil in the engine
and in the transmission.  Some motorcycle oil manufacturers
claim that because of the added shearing forces on the oil
by the transmission gearing, automobile oils do not provide
sufficient protection.  One letter to a cycle magazine last
year (can't remember which or when, dammit) stated that
an SAE-40 automobile oil in a bike will degrade into SAE-30
in short order.  The letter came from a MC oil manufacturer,
of course, hardly a disinterested party.

I've been using an automotive oil, Valvoline 20W-50 super racing,
in my 90, 200, and 500 for years, and have had no problems.  But
the engines do complain mightily when I go to start them in below-0
weather--their poor guts are swimming in molasses.  10W-40 doesn't
look much more fluid on a frosty morning, though.

Some questions, then:  Should I worry about lubrication failure
at low temperature startups?  If so, is such failure more likely
than from a lower viscosity oil becoming too thin at operating
temperature?  So what if your SAE-40 turns into SAE-30? Is that 25%
worse, or catastrophic?  Does anyone use straight-weight oils?
Has anyone had any problems with depolymerization of multi-grade
oil under hard riding?  What oils do you use, and what experiences
have you had with them?
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  07 Feb 85 [19 Pluviose An CXCIII]
ken perlow       *****   *****
(312)979-7188     ** ** ** **
..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken   *** ***