05-09-2013, 12:48 PM
Synthetics and petroleum based oils are fine if they are motorcycle specific.
Motorcycle specific oils are more resistant to shear. Think of all the gears meshing together. The oil molecules are being "sheared" apart (like scissors cutting paper). Therefore m/s oils won't break down as fast as oils meant for cars.
When I had my Kawasaki ZR-7s I used automotive oils for a while and after about 1500-2000 miles the shifting would get notchier. When I switched to motorcycle specific oil the shifting would stay smooth until the oil was changed around 3000-4000 miles.
Motorcycle specific oils are more resistant to shear. Think of all the gears meshing together. The oil molecules are being "sheared" apart (like scissors cutting paper). Therefore m/s oils won't break down as fast as oils meant for cars.
When I had my Kawasaki ZR-7s I used automotive oils for a while and after about 1500-2000 miles the shifting would get notchier. When I switched to motorcycle specific oil the shifting would stay smooth until the oil was changed around 3000-4000 miles.