Oil for XS

yah ! there's been reports of the clutch slipping with synthetic oil !
it's just TOO slick !!!!
......Valvoline 20-50 is what I use

Bob......
 
This may help - I recently read a couple of oil manufacture's datasheets and they were consistent in their advice regarding running-in engines. They say to use mineral based oil or semi-synthetic, but not 100% synthetics. I have not found anything regarding after the running in phase. I am using Fuchs Silkolene Super 4 20w-50 which is a semi-synthetic motorcycle oil and have not noticed any clutch slip. Fuchs also manufacture fully synthetic oils for motorcycles:

http://www.silkolene.com/motorcycle/4-stroke-engine-oils/

But one very important point is the oil must be suitable for wet-clutches. There are reports of the additives used in some car oils causing clutch slip.

I include the following link to Kopcicle's comments on another website because he gives some very sound advice regarding oil changes:

http://xs650forum.proboards.com/thread/3250/recommended-engine-oil-xs2

You will find this advice regarding oil change frequency for XS650s repeated over and over again by the experts. There is also a reference to synthetics on the Smedspeed site in the "Which Oil to Use?" section halfway down the technical page:

http://www.smedspeed.co.uk/tech.html

I hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the advice Paul. I had a semi-synth in but had to drain it as the starter motor seal is leaking. Will replace with the same stuff once repairs are done.
 
Sorry to butt in, but, the key thing to avoid is any oil with an API marking on the bottle that says: "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" or anything like that. If you look on the back of the bottle - the symbol would like be a round marking about 10-15 mm in diameter. That designation indicates that the oil has a set of anti-wear / anti-friction additives that will cause your wet clutch to slip.

So, it's not synthetic that causes the problem but rather that particular additive package.

I'm actually using a load of Harley-Davidson synthetic 20W50 the I won in a club raffle and no problemo - because it is designed for wet clutches.

Pete
 
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Thank you for that Max Pete. That ties in well with the Smedspeed website where they state no problems have been encountered with the 10w60 extended life Mobil-1 product which is fully synthetic and Kopcicle's comment regarding his Shovelhead.

Do you happen to know why the fully synthetics are not recommended for running in an engine?

Paul

Edit: Stumbled across the follow interesting article regarding running in engines:

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2014/10/break-in-oils-and-assembly-lube-needs/
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2014/10/break-in-oils-and-assembly-lube-needs/
 
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that's not thick enough to run in an engine Mick !
40 wt or better fer me ! I love thick oil !
......and all that is on the shelves at the stores is 5w30w ....who buys that junk ? it's good for sewing machines but not engines ! LOL
....
Bob........
 
Biffo said:
Anyone know of any reason why I shouldn't use fully synthetic MA rated oil in my '81 XS?
Click to expand...
Hi Biffo,
because it's a complete waste of money?
Even if you do manage to find a synthetic oil that's a perfect fit for an XS650, synthetic oil's ONLY advantage over mineral oil is that it'll go 10,000 miles between oil changes. In a plain bearing engine with a good oil filter.
Except that the XS650's roller & ball bottom end and it's cooking oil strainer mesh "filters" mean that any synthetic oil you put in it will go all black and nasty and need to be changed within 2,000 miles so you may as well stick with Bargain Harold's motorcycle-rated 20W50.
 
LOL After seeing many Fords only last 100k miles and were totally wore out I decided that the oil used must be the problem
( penzoil 30w) and indeed it was , I switched from My Dads oil to Valvoline 30w and had much better luck than he did....the engines lasted longer by about 50% then after talking to a oil rep, I changed again to Valvoline 40w for my cars and trucks .... although I now have Toyota's and not fords, they last over 300k mikes .... and are still going....
My bike get's special treatment sense it is air cooled and Hot most of the time it gets Valvoline 20-50 racing oil or 20-60 which ever I can find !
......
Right now I am retired and away from the tractor for good <GRIN> but the last I saw the tractor it was running great on straight 40w non detergent........ that Oil rep told me the additives in Detergent oil is what eats your bearings... it's sulfuric acid they add ( Valvoline has Less in it )....but they all have it.... Penzoil is the worst ! ....
...
I've never ran anything thicker than 60w in my engines because I can't find anything in bulk form less than 90w ! LOL
and that stuff is just too thick good but too thick.....
Closer tolerances of today's engines do indeed LIKE the multigrade oils so as far as I'm concerned that Valvoline 20-50w Racing oil is the best..... it's not like we are all running around in 1952 fords or the like.... they probably would have lived much longer on straight 60w oil !
but putting straight 60w in a new Honda Accord would surely Kill it ! it's just too thick for those tight tolerances !
......which reminds me it's time to change the Oil in my Toyota Pickup ! ... I laughingly call it a Cow girl Pickup because 600lbs in the back and you have a big load ! and I cannot find overload springs for it to save me !
.... HAHAHAHA!
.....
Bob........
 
Hi Paul: I think it is because most synthetics have the additive package which is incompatible with wet clutches and over the years enough people have had problems with it that the entire class of synthetics, has gotten a bad name.
 
that is probably the whole truth of the issue ! Synthetic oils MADE for wet clutches should be superior to normal crude oil as they break down slower ( supposedly so anyway) the question to me however IS synthetic oil better than the usual oil ? if you read the Hype on them they say they are but you cannot believe everything you read ! especially in advertising ! my questions would be at what point does synthetic oil burn at ? which is a critical question for something in your engine !.... Because Motorcycle engines run Hotter than car engines.... so ...if the burn temperature is lower than normal Oil I would say NO...but if it's higher I would say Yes ! ....HEHEHHE !
.....
My Dad switched to Synthetic before he died and wouldn't use anything else and at the time it was over $10.00 a quart !
( that says allot because he was a penny pincher ! LOL) he put it in his Dodge that he got from a friend and had over 300k miles on it and it was going strong ! ....
if I could afford it I would buy 100% synthetic oil for my auto's ... but I'll stick with Valvoline 20-50 for the XS650....at least till I know more about this synthetic stuff ! LOL

.....
Bob.......
 
Jeffrey said:
Made right here in my back yard
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...anced-synthetic-motorcycle-oil/?code=MCVQT-EA
Click to expand...

Hi Jeffrey,
Gawd! That write-up has about the highest hype-density I've ever seen in one place.
Sieving out the superlatives leaves us with:-
It's as good as good mineral oil, lasts twice as long and costs three times as much.
As the XS650 engine chews up synthetic oil just as quick as it chews up mineral oil you don't get to use the synth's longevity.
Which in turn means you are throwing away $8 each time you recycle a quart.
 
I think that Fred has a good point here. The real benefit of synthetic lube is that it holds its properties for so long but the 650 has such a primitive "filtration" system and and tends to use a little oil - so who cares about longevity? It just isn't that important - on OUR bikes.
 

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