Author Topic: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting  (Read 903 times)

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

Offline Trigger

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 8434
  • Engines built on reputation, not advertising.
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2019, 01:36:42 PM »
What a load of twaddle. You can use car/truck/bus oil in a bike, as long as the spec is correct  ;)

Offline SteveD CB500K0

  • Administrator
  • SOHC Jedi
  • Posts: 4442
  • Ride on the Steel Breeze...
    • View Profile
    • Steve's Blog
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2019, 02:42:59 PM »
And there, in a nutshell, lies the problem with oil threads.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
2022 Tiger Sport 660
1971 CB500K0

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2019, 02:45:24 PM »
Always gets people going though  ;)
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

Offline Trigger

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 8434
  • Engines built on reputation, not advertising.
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2019, 02:56:53 PM »
Just stripped down one of my engines, 63000 miles and it needs a light hone, new rings and a cam chain, on the same type of oil that i have used for years. Do you think the cam chain would of lasted longer if, i have used top shelf expensive so called bike oil  ;)

Online K2-K6

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 5234
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2019, 04:19:45 PM »
Agree that it's not really telling us the truth.

But to be fair most of the questions are just from a plain cosumer perspective,  as such they just get batted away with a consumer/PR / sales led answer.  Like asking a politician a question,  they'll just duck it or kick it into the weeds by saying something they think will satisfy the questioners without telling you anything of substance.   :)

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2019, 04:33:56 PM »
Just stripped down one of my engines, 63000 miles and it needs a light hone, new rings and a cam chain, on the same type of oil that i have used for years. Do you think the cam chain would of lasted longer if, i have used top shelf expensive so called bike oil  ;)

Can you prove it would not have  ;D ;)
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

Online K2-K6

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 5234
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2019, 04:54:08 PM »
Wouldn't it have worn out sooner if using bike specific oil?

If they put added friction (whatever that is) into it to preserve the clutch,  then that should in all logic wear the engine out  ;D

Offline MrDavo

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1369
  • He who dies with the most toys wins
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2019, 05:26:02 PM »
Mixed feelings here, the man from the oil company would say their oil is better, wouldn't he? He's hardly going to say that they are all much of a muchness, as long as you keep changing the oil on schedule, he wants to sell his employer's own brand.

Its like when you see the latest food story - say 'Pies help you live longer, says new research from the British Pie Council.' only reading between the lines do you realise that they are the manufacturers, and making up stuff to sell more pies. I worked for a PR company once, doing the books, and watched as, first thing on a Monday morning, on behalf of a client who sold ironing board covers, these bright young things made up some guff about men who help with the ironing make better lovers. Then they got on the phones. The next day it was in the Sun, I later heard it referred to on a phone in on the BBC. Of course the whole scheme was bollox, fabricated just to get mentions for the client who had sponsored the 'research'. I so wanted to phone in and say I'd witnessed the whole thing being made up just days ago, but that would have got me sacked.

On the other hand, I saved several pounds over the years using generic motor oil in my Harley, rather than the very expensive snake oil they recommend in their glossy adverts. When the big end failed with disastrous consequences as the metal flake oil went all round the engine, I started to wonder if that had been a false economy (crank and rods alone are £1,200, the new oil pump cost nearly as much), and now only use the genuine stuff. Mind you, before anyone has to point it out, the problem could be H-D cranks and not my choice of oil.
1969 Honda CL450 'Scrambler'
1974 Kawasaki Z1A
2005 Harley XL1200R Sportster
1985 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport
1978 VW Bay Window camper van

Offline sye

  • SOHC Expert
  • Posts: 352
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2019, 05:49:57 PM »
What a load of twaddle. You can use car/truck/bus oil in a bike, as long as the spec is correct  ;)

And that's the important bit. If the spec is correct it matters not whether it's car, bike, marine or lawn mower oil.

Offline Trigger

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 8434
  • Engines built on reputation, not advertising.
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2019, 06:26:02 PM »
Doesn't a oil debate trigger a DONATION reminder  :o Gledhill, there is a box at the top of the page for you  ;)

Online K2-K6

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 5234
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2019, 07:26:09 PM »
What a load of twaddle. You can use car/truck/bus oil in a bike, as long as the spec is correct  ;)

And that's the important bit. If the spec is correct it matters not whether it's car, bike, marine or lawn mower oil.

Entirely right,  it's when they mix up the technical requirements with branding and profit margin for their brand that it skews the apparent choice.  what they rush you for their preferred oil is just commercial,  using the correct spec is sensible but they don't often want the two separate for client interpretation.

The HD issue you had Dave is one of those examples if you can find more of these that prove the point about speciation.  It doesn't always occur but searching what brings up a similar trail more or less confirms that those components are marginal for longevity if not being extremely diligent about lubrication. Generally they become known issues a bit like bomber exhaust cam.

A friend's Buell 1200 had an ominous big-endy rattle just as you blipped it from tickover,  thought the worst,  tried to trace it,  couldn't get anything conclusive pinned down from the engine.  Then when moved away from it,  it sounded like it came from the front of the bike.  Turned out to be the horn casing rattled against the fork leg in time with that chunky firing just as you snapped throttle open  ;D It just resonated a clank like a knackered big end.

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2019, 08:34:34 PM »
Doesn't a oil debate trigger a DONATION reminder  :o Gledhill, there is a box at the top of the page for you  ;)
It's not that bloody long since I did it  ::)
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

Offline Trigger

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 8434
  • Engines built on reputation, not advertising.
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2019, 08:41:47 PM »
Doesn't a oil debate trigger a DONATION reminder  :o Gledhill, there is a box at the top of the page for you  ;)
It's not that bloody long since I did it  ::)



There is the word "long" and all you have to do is put a too in front  ;D

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Re: OIL AGAIN long read but interesting
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2019, 10:18:06 PM »
Doesn't a oil debate trigger a DONATION reminder  :o Gledhill, there is a box at the top of the page for you  ;)
It's not that bloody long since I did it  ::)




There is the word "long" and all you have to do is put a too in front  ;D
Done bloody Don Don Corleone :D
« Last Edit: May 10, 2019, 10:20:17 PM by paul G »
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal