The result was an invitation to a one-day seminar/training on pretty much all there is to know concerning Motorcycle oils. Our trainer was Mr. Chitprong Prasit a specialist on everything oils (Plus I kinda got the vibe that he rides too but that's another story for another day). I will do my best to convey as much as I can via a series of frequently asked questions below, but if I don't directly answer questions you have in mind, kindly ask below and I would have Mr. Chitprong Prasit respond to you directly.
First of all: Pictures Lol!
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| With Mr Chitprong and Mr. Olayemi both of Motul |
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| A cross section of the class. |
Now to the questions:
1. What is the function of engine oil in a motorcycle?
To lubricate moving parts, reduce (in the engine) or increase (In the transmission and clutch plates) friction and in some cases cool the engine and reduce operating temperatures, protect the transmission and clean and cool the clutch plates. Plenty work huh?
2. …and what if I have a dry clutch?
A dry clutch does not mean your clutch does not require any lubrication. This would have been taken into consideration by the manufacturer before prescribing an oil grade or standard for you.
3. Can a car engine oil serve in a motorcycle? If no, kindly state the disadvantages.
Yes you can but is it the right thing to do? No it isn't.
Older motorcycle engines weren't built to differentiate between car and motorcycle oils but then the oils being manufactured were also not of the standards they are today.
A car Engine oil will not be able to handle the high rpms, quick gear shifts, clutch and transmission lubrication and do so effectively. Will the effects be immediately visible? No but in the long run, the engine in question will wear out quickly and heavily.
4. What if the oil is of the same weight as prescribed by the motorcycle manufacture? E.g Manufacturer prescribes a 10W40 and I use a 10W40 car engine oil.
The numbers indicated on the jars and containers of oils indicate a measurement of its tolerance and resistance to high and low temperatures. It is also clearly apparent in how thick or thin an oil is at different temperatures.This comes into play when the engine has been on or off for a prolonged period of time. It has nothing to do with the type of engine is performing at those temperatures.
Long story short: A 10W40 car engine oil is different from a 10W40 motorcycle oil.
5. What are the most critical areas where the oil flows?
Pretty much everywhere...
6. What’s the function of the oil filter?
In the course of use of an engine, wear and tear will definitely occur. The function of an engine oil is to minimise (not eliminate) wear and tear hence the need to drain oils and refill after an amount of usage time. The function of the oil filter is to sieve deposits, sludge and other particles which may have found their way into the engine thus leaving the oil tidy enough to do more lubrication.
7. Can an engine oil improve performance or is it only for engine protection?
In a nut shell, same way the wrong oil can reduce performance and life-span, the right oil can increase performance and life-span of course to the maximum of the performance for which that engine oil was manufactured. Hence the motorcycle manufacturers recommendation and the special class of oils for high performance race bikes and cars right?
8. Why do some OEM’s recommend low viscosity oil?
Viscosity is a a quantity expressing the magnitude of internal friction in a fluid, as measured by the force per unit area resisting uniform flow and who knows best what viscosity will be best suitable for an engine and allow uniform lubrication? The manufacturer right? OEM's usually prescribe an oil that's not too thick as to not be able to squeeze in between moving parts and not too thin as that will leave the engine grinding a lot more metal than it should. So these recommendations are made with considerations of materials used to manufacture the engine, the frictional spaces and a lot more in mind.
9. What do all the numbers on the oil container mean (20W/50 or 10W40 etc, viscosity, API classification and so on)?
Viscosity of oils is measured from two ends of a spectrum with the numbers separated by a W (which stands for weight). The first number indicates its viscosity at low temperatures and the second number indicates viscosity at high temperatures. so a 10W50 oil is 10 weight at very cold temperatures (important to note for cold starts) and 50 weight at extreme operating temperatures.
JASO stands for the Japanese Automotive Standards Organisation and is a standard for the measurement of properties such as minimum lubrication, minimum detergency, maximum smoke and maximum deposits. JASO classifications come in MA, MA1 and MA2 for motorcycles with MA2 being the highest/best quality and MB for scooters.
API stands for American Petroleum Institute and is a different standard of measurement. API classifications range from SA,SB,SC all the way to SN. With SN being of the highest standard.
10. What is the major difference between Synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral oils and are they any engine conditions to consider (engine age or engine capacity) when deciding which to use.
Synthetic oils or 100% synthetic as Motul refers to theirs, are oils derived from entirely chemical processes and as such are developed specifically to cater to the engines they have been built for. These are naturally the best kind of oils to use no matter the age of your engine. They're quite refined and keep your engine alive the most. These also have the ability to be used the longest within your engine.
Semi-Synthetics on the other hand are a mixture of oils derived from crude and synthetic chemicals to give a good blend of performance and durability. However their life span within your engine are slightly lower than full synthetics.
Mineral oils belong to the 3rd and lower cadre of oils and last the least within your engine. Don't get me wrong, they will do the job, but you will need to drain and refill in much shorter periods of time than the semi synthetics or synthetics.
11. What does ‘deposit’ mean? Relative to oils.
Deposits occur mostly when an oil has been burnt or used at extreme temperatures and has degraded. This mean that the components of the oil in use has lost some of its bonding properties and as such has unbonded to form some particles and some much lighter mixture of oils. Deposits are most common in cases where low grade oils are used or oil used is over-due for a change.
12. What effect can a very thick or very light oil have on the engine/gearbox/clutch?
A thicker oil than that recommended by the manufacturer of the engine will find it much harder to push through tiny grooves in the moving parts of an engine/gearbox/clutch (especially between the pistons and piston housing) thus leaving room in such parts for more friction. More friction = more resistance to motion = more fuel consumption, more wear and tear etc. A thinner oil on the other hand will sleep through these spaces more easily and leave without lubricating efficiently especially at high temperatures thus leaving the moving parts in much more contact than required. Hence the need to use the recommended level of viscosity and the reason manufacturers make it so bold on the labels.
13. Can I mix viscosity grades?
For long use? NO but if you're short of oil and need to get your motorcycle to a shop where you can drain and replace, then i guess you can get in a bit of another grade of viscosity as it is more important that the engine be properly oiled.
It is imperative however that you drain and refill with the proper oil as soon as you can.
If you ask me, I'd never put in more than 1 litre of another viscosity grade and if I'm short by 1 litre, I should probably start looking at an overall check up of my engine.
14. Should I use a straight weight or multi-viscosity product?
As stated above, straight weights only preferably please. Thanks
Like we used to say in the debate club back in secondary school: I hope with this few points of mine I have been able to
convince.... Never mind! LOL!!
Kindly leave any further questions or comments below and I would personally see to it that Mr _____ responds directly!
Ciao!!!
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