Forum

[papasmurf]

I don't know what the fuss is about either. I have used lawn mowers with more powerful engines.

[Rattlebattle]

Yes, it’s not just these bikes; every forum I’ve been on has a lot of oil threads. It’s the same with fuel (what octane etc?) and, to a lesser extent how to check oil level. Those with sight glasses want a dipstick, those with dipsticks want a sight glass it seems. To me a lot of these posts are pointless because you will never get a definitive answer, only opinions. Take oil for example. There are those who advocate the same brand and/or type of oil that they’ve used for years in all their bikes and possibly cars, irrespective of engine type ( air or liquid cooled, unit construction or separate gearbox, wet or dry clutch etc). These are like conspiracy theorists who would have you believe that motorcycle oils are type of snake oil designed solely for the benefit of oil companies, conveniently ignoring economy of scale as an explanation of why bike oil is dearer than car oil (same with tyres). At the other extreme we have the manufacturer knows best lobby, some of whom won’t even use a different brand of oil than the one specified by the manufacturer, even though there are cases where the manufacturer changes the preferred supplier to another brand for the same model of bike. At best all these threads do is set out the pros and cons of the options, though none is scientifically proven. I have yet to see any evidence that using some old multigrade oil prolongs the life of the engine and/or gearbox relative to using the specified oil, or indeed the reverse. Who is to say that an engine run on Halfords finest that did 75,000 miles before blowing up wouldn’t have done 100,000+ miles on fully synthetic? That there are so many opinions around only proves the lack of facts. There must be more interesting topics; oil threads have been done to death. Use the search function. I’ll be glad when the twins are out; at least then there will be new things to discuss...

[Alan R]

Ah-ha !!----Did someone just mention Snake Oil ??........ What grade SAE is right for my ageing Bullet / Body ??.....Will it cure my Verbal Diarrhea ?? ( Didn't on der missus ).........Just how do they extract it from our slippery friends ??.........Here's my favourite brand}-----

[Leon Novello]

For the records, I don`t know what type/grade or brand of oil goes into the 2001 Mazda 626, as it is always serviced by the Mazda dealer since new, it is always clean looking and never needs topping up, so I miss out on all the fun. Unlike the 2000 Bullet, which almost got an oil change every time I rode it.