Wilsons Sandbox

The specialty MOTORCYCLE oils made by the oil companies (Castrol, Valvoline, Mobil, Pennzoil etc) are rated SG, but the price is high, $7(US$) & up per quart. I just bought Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic automobile oil at Walmart (5 quart container, 15W-50 for $15[US$]). Don't put off changing your oil too long, just to find the SG oil. Changing your oil every 2-3K miles is one of the best things you can do for the longevity of your KLR. Professor A9 Federal Way, Wa. [USA] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --- TLrydr@a... wrote:

> Dude, > I went to the local bike shop and all the oil i saw on the > shelf was SJ rated, Suzuki Kawasaki Yamaha > All said SJ rated, > The sales man kept saying BelRay was still SH rated but he was > out of BelRay . > > Mike > In a message dated 5/10/00 7:48:19 PM EST, msfaul@d... writes: > >

certifies it API compliant.Kawasaki oil is also recommended by a lot of BMW mechanics,FWIW >>

Skip, Thanks for your reply.  As a former m/c mechanic & one who has worked on bikes for 30+ years, I understand better than most the importance of proper m/c maintenance.  I tend to keep my bikes a long time and I want to maximize reliability and engine life.  I found that Castrol synthetic blend (auto: 20W-50) noticeably improved my KLR's shifting, it no longer is in the same category as my R90/6 beemer, but there is still room for improvement.  A while back I posted a suggestion about "pre-loading" the shifter before dis-engaging the clutch to help eliminate the balky shifting & false neutrals. Cost is always a consideration in every aspect of what we do.  I don't mind paying $2-4 (US$) per quart of oil, but hesitate to pay $8-11 & still do frequent oil changes.  I don't want to be penny-wise & pound-foolish, but until I've seen proof that the SJ rated oils WILL shorten my engine life, I can't justify the higher cost.  If the SJ oils would DEFINITELY cause the wet clutch to slip, then I would have no choice but to pay the piper for the high-priced spread. I have researched the SJ vs SG matter a bit, & my lay conclusion is that the clutch slippage problem is related to "hard" riding, especially with hyper-bikes.  The fact that our water-cooled KLRs are not subjected to the same operating temperature extremes as an air-cooled engine, leads me to believe that engine life will not be compromised by using a good quality SJ rated oil.  Clutch slippage however ...

I am going to try SJ rated Mobil 1,  15W-50 automotive oil, hopefully to further improve my "character-enabled" BMW-like tranny.  Any further info on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Professor       A9        Federal Way, Wa. [USA]

ps: how come your messages have such tiny type?  By next year I'll need a microscope     attachment for my reading glasses!

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Skip Faulkner wrote:

 The specialty MOTORCYCLE oils made by the oil companies (Castrol, Valvoline, Mobil, Pennzoil etc) are rated SG, but the price is high, $7(US$) & up per quart. I just bought Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic automobile oil at Walmart (5 quart container, 15W-50 for $15[US$]). Don't put off changing your oil too long, just to find the SG oil.  Changing your oil every 2-3K miles is one of the best things you can do for the longevity of your KLR.

Professor     A9      Federal Way, Wa. [USA] I agree 100%. The changing frequency is just as if not more important than the addition or lack of lubricating additives. Dirty SH or SG is worse than clean SJ. BUT, for the additional benefits and since I plan to keep my bike for many years, I`ll pay the small difference for bike specific oil. Skip