I prefer AMSOIL MC oil. Whatever you use, make sure it's MC oil. MC oil has a additive that will protect your clutch & keep it from slipping. Regular automobile / car & truck oils does not & could screw up your clutch. Serious $$$$$
I prefer AMSOIL MC oil. Whatever you use, make sure it's MC oil. MC oil has a additive that will protect your clutch & keep it from slipping. Regular automobile / car & truck oils does not & could screw up your clutch. Serious $$$$$
Some MC oils actually lack an additive that could cause problems with wet clutches. Lower viscosity (<30) oils with an 'energy conserving' label on the bottle usually contain 'moly' (molybdenum disulfide) to reduce friction. Larger quantities of this additive have been known to cause clutch slippage in some MC engines, so MC specific oils usually contain less or none at all. Interestingly, Honda's MC oils contain some moly.Originally Posted by olegoat345
The other additive to pay attention to is ZDDP, a zinc-phosphorus anti-wear compound. Due to EPA concerns about cat damage, most lower viscosity auto oils now have greatly reduced ZDDP content. This is a concern for some older engines with 'flat tappets', and could be an issue with our GL1800 engines. As I mentioned earlier, Ford saw such an increase in wear with some of the new formulas that it recommends against using them in any of their diesel engines.
From what I've read, many higher viscosity (40+) oils haven't changed as much. The current spec sheet for Mobil 1 15W-50 auto oil shows slightly higher zinc and phosphorus content than their 10W-40 MC oil. I've used Mobil 1 15W-50 auto oil exclusively in my 2 Valkyries and 2 F6Bs. In nearly 350,000 combined miles those bikes have been trouble free.
Last edited by F6Dave; 12-19-2018 at 04:24 PM.
I run syn oil because on longer trips I am never sure when I will get a chance to change it.
So being able to run syn longer than Dino oil that is why for me.
I run the Mobil 1 10W-40 for motorcycles and the OEM Honda filter and change it every 3000 miles because it makes me feel good. LOL
The 10W-40 is probably a better choice for our F6Bs. I think I still use the 15W-50 partly out of habit, and so I only need to stock a single grade for all my bikes, which include an old BMW airhead. I also like that Walmart sells the 5 quart jugs for about $25.
I cannot think of a worse fate for a machine - to not be maintained.
I use Mobil 1 10W40 because I want to go an entire riding season without changing it, regardless of miles (9000 miles is best season).
Honestly, I could go with any MC dino oil under those conditions.
I am willing to bet you could never change the oil in this flat-6, and it would be gurgling down the highway just fine with 100k on it.
Former Ride:
2013 F6B Standard, black; sold 7/2019
Latest Addition:
2016 Gold Wing Level 3, red; SCT transmission stuck in manual mode
2019 Miles:
7,900 as of 10/6
I also used to think you could run just about any motor oil in our motorcycles without worrying about the consequences. That may no longer be the case as EPA mandates over the last several years have forced refiners to significantly reformulate many of the products we've depended on for years. Here's a little more info than I provided earlier.
What brought this to light for many was Ford's decision to recommend against the use of motor oils meeting some of the latest API standards in any of their diesel engines. It's unusual for a major manufacturer to take such a position. I'm sure the engineers behind the recommendation took some heat as there were obvious political ramifications.
Basically here's what happened. Significant increases in wear were observed when Ford tested diesel engines using oils that met both the latest API gasoline (SN) and diesel (CK-4) standards. Ford attributed the increased wear to a significant reduction in ZDDP, a phosphorus/zinc anti-wear compound found in all motor oils. So after the new standards were introduced in late 2016, Ford issued a position statement which said motor oil meeting the new CK-4/SN standards should not be used in any Ford diesel. They later approved some higher viscosity (40+) CK-4 oils for use. I was in Walmart the other day and noticed that Motorcraft diesel oils, which are formulated to meet the older CJ-4 standard, state 'CONTAINS MORE THAN 1000 PPM PHOSPHORUS FOR BETTER WEAR PROTECTION' right on the front label.
This is important information for motorcyclists. MC specific oils have usually contained fairly high levels of ZDDP. Many of us have used diesel oils (such as Shell Rotella) as a cost effective alternative because of their similar anti-wear properties. With these new API standards it probably isn't a bad idea to check out the specs of whatever oil you've been using. Even Mobil 1 4T (10W-40 MC oil) has had its ZDDP content reduced since 2016.
It's also worth mentioning that lower viscosity (30 and below) automotive oils have had drastically reduced ZDDP content for several years, and may not be a good choice for motorcycle engines.
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/us...pecs-guide.pdf
4T still has 1000 ppm for phosphorus, 1200 for zinc.
I notice a lot of the high mileage formulas have reduced zinc/phosphorus compounds. I wonder if the oil engineers have replaced ZDDP with another, more environmentally friendly compound that accomplishes the same goal.
I am not worried about the reduction in ZDDP.
Another notice: Mobil 1 now has a OW-16 formula for advanced fuel economy.. That is incredible. My pee is thicker, and I drink lots of water.
Former Ride:
2013 F6B Standard, black; sold 7/2019
Latest Addition:
2016 Gold Wing Level 3, red; SCT transmission stuck in manual mode
2019 Miles:
7,900 as of 10/6
From what I've read, Borates are showing up as a replacement for ZDDP.
BTW, I kept a copy of that Mobil 1 comparison data sheet from early 2016. I compared it to the current version to see which oils had their ZDDP content reduced.
Last edited by F6Dave; 12-31-2018 at 10:28 AM.
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