engine oil question

I currently use yama lube oil in my bike.
Whats the pros and cons of switching to a synthetic oil?

Thanks
Ron

 

I wouldn't recomend it! Our clutches are wet clutches and the synthetics don't play well with the clutches. Lots of posts floating around here that would go further into explantation on the topic.

 

Yamaha doesn't make oil. They have somebody package oil in their containers.

Any good, conventional, motorcycle specific 20W40 or 20W50 is fine. Castrol 4T is widely available, as are motorcycle oils from Valvoline, Havoline and others. Just be sure it's motorcycle oil, not car oil.

Synthetics also play havoc with the XJ's starter clutch; they're too slippery to allow the rollers in the sprag to grip properly. Stick to conventional oil.

 

Get "Diesel Service" oil by the gallon at Wally-World - it has ZDDP
Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates

Rotella - T , Delvac , Delo 400 , (conventional, 15W 40)

It works out to $2.50 a quart, so you won't worry about wasting money on frequent oil changes. The tranny gears slice-up and destroy the molecules that "thicken" oil when hot, reducing the "40" down to "20" if you leave it in there long enough.

Zinc - Linc

I'm a believer in Synthetic oils, but (unfortunately) the advantages of full syn are thrown away at the 2,000 mile oil change interval.
+1 on the starter clutch issues.

 

Just curious what the difference between car and moto oil is.

 

Friction modifiers are now present in ALL automotive oils; which also causes clutch and starter clutch issues.

 

This subject has been widely covered in other forums. Consensus is don't use any oil that says "energy conserving" on the label, as the additives in such oils will not work well with wet clutches on your motorcycles.

However, the Shell Rotella brand oils, both conventional and synthetic, will work well on motorcycles - I've used them for years on both of my bikes, no problems - they widely available at Wally World for significantly less than oils at motorcycles dealers.

 

They test better than most motorcycle specific oils too. Rotella 15W-40 conventional has a nice amount of Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphate (reduces cam wear), and is JASO MA certified, where the synthetic is not.