[AZ636]

Well my bike came with kawi Chem full syn oil , and i just didnt like that oil , Didnt like the way the bike shifted , or the sound it made when it did, ive also used Rottela Full syn oil in it , and didnt like that either. Overall just didnt like either oil. Im a motorcycle tech by profession ( MMI graduate) and i had heard realllllllly good stuff about the Castrol R4 oil ,that its just about the best stuff you can buy for a street bike. In the Past in my other bike i usually used either Repsol full syn or Mobil 1 Full syn. Anyway after work i bought this oil ( kinda pricey , 10.95 a quart) , and a filter and changed the oil. Im now on my second oil change using this stuff , and i cant say enough about it , this is EXTREMLY GOOD OIL. Some of the MAJOR things ive noticed , is with the kawi chem syn and shell rotella syn , here in phoenix on hott days , it would run about 215 sitting in traffic, 190 moving , on days 90+ plus and at night when it was 75-80 out , about 165-180 degrees. With the Castrol R4 in there , The biks run coool, when its 95 out and sitting in traffic it never got over 195 , and when moving in 95 degree weather it runs about 175-180 , at night it runs about 160. With this oil the bike runs about 20 degrees cooler than other oils. Also now that i have flushed the coolant system when i did the second oil change and added engine ice , it sits about 185 sitting in traffic and runs about 175 when moving on hottt days.
The second thing i noticed about this oil is the transmision wayyyyy smoother. Using the rottela or kawi chem , it would click , or clunk a lil bit , notorious for kawis , not with castrol R4, It quited the tranny up a great deal , shifting is smooth and easyyyy, it almost power shifts shifting normally because its gear changing is smooth. The motor and top end also idles a lot quiter with the castrol R4 in it, sounds great.
With the Castrol R4 Syn Oil in it , It Also Revs up A lot faster , in neutral it rev free"s up quicker than with the old oils , Also Revs up a lot faster when throttling it on the highway. Ive heard and people say the Castrol R4 adds a few horsepower to motors , but im not sure i believe it , maybe 1 or 2 hp , but the bike definitley runs faster with this oil because its revs up a lot quicker.

If some of you guys want to try a quality synthetic oil , you should try the Castrol R4 super bike oil , it is really good oil.

 

[Draco3]

cool. new type of oil change for me now.

 

[cory1848]

At $10.95 a quart, they can keep it....

 

[crotchrckttl]

At $10.95 a quart, they can keep it....

:stupid.. I pay like 12-15 bucks for a gallon of Rotella synthetic....But to each there own I suppose..

:O

 

[AZ636]

:stupid.. I pay like 12-15 bucks for a gallon of Rotella synthetic....But to each there own I suppose..

:O

Yeah i have used the Rotella synthetic , didnt like it really , and the bike didnt perform the way it does with the castrol R4. You figure the Average Car Owner pays 40-50 to have there oil changed , and the average bike owner pays anywhere from 40-75$ for a oil change ( my shop charges 55$ and we use dino castrol oil). So 40 Bucks a oil change for some of the best oil you can buy isnt bad. I just found a store online who sells it for 9 a quart with free shipping , 1.95 less than my work.

Also how am i stupid ? because i spend a 40 bucks of my own money on high performance quality oil? Ask other members on the board and im sure they are spending between 8-14 dollars for other quality high performance oils. As a Motorcycle tech by trade i know and have seen what cheap oil can do to bike motors,transmissions,& clutches , being as that my bike is my only mode of transportation , and i love my bike , Pardon me if I dont cut corners but saving a few bucks on Mediocre maintenance items as important as oil

 

[crotchrckttl]

Being a motorcycle Tech has nothing to do with it... Expensive oil does not make it any better then a Lower price oil.. here is a 1997 TLS motor that had 60,000 miles plus or minus a few miles Maybe it was 65,000 :confused .. The owner did drag race, Changed the oil regulary and used a fram filter, he used the regular cheap DINO shell rotella.. Looks pretty damn good to me...:O

I could go on and on with these OIL THREADS.. but I really got tired of arguing with people about it about 2 years ago... like I said to each there own.. BTW.. Doesn't everyone change there own oil?:O

 

[crotchrckttl]

Also.. Since your a "motorcycle tech" by trade, please do post up pics of motors and clutches damaged from using "cheap" oils, and not damaged from abuse...... Im always willing to learn!!

 

[Wesley Randles]

Where did you say you found it for $9 a quart, I'm due and am willing to try it out.

 

[Steve_TLS]

Is your thermostat working?

The lowest engine temperature should be dictated by the thermostat not your oil, so on your night runs the temperature should not drop lower than the thermostat setting, I don't see how oil affects that? i.e on my bike, no matter how cold it is outside, it runs at 78C (172F) as ambient warms up then engine sits at a steady 83C (181F) then when sitting in traffic it will rise, but come back to the 83C when moving. :dunno

(I used to do a lot of work for a Castrol blending plant here in Melbourne, the R4 wasn't done there, but I can tell you some stoies about their other stuff, labels, bottles and blends. :laugh The line would be happily churning out expensive 20W/50 and then next minute the same blend was being put into super cheap supermarket brand containers :crazy)

But I always put expensive oil in my bikes because it helps me to sleep better :laugh

 

[AZ636]

Being a motorcycle Tech has nothing to do with it... Expensive oil does not make it any better then a Lower price oil.. here is a 1997 TLS motor that had 60,000 miles plus or minus a few miles Maybe it was 65,000 :confused .. The owner did drag race, Changed the oil regulary and used a fram filter, he used the regular cheap DINO shell rotella.. Looks pretty damn good to me...:O

I could go on and on with these OIL THREADS.. but I really got tired of arguing with people about it about 2 years ago... like I said to each there own.. BTW.. Doesn't everyone change there own oil?:O

I never said being a motorcycle tech had anything to do with oil, However being a motorcycle i have a lot of expierence seeing messed up motors from cheap oil. Scorched clutch plates , shims , lower end bearing , do what you want its your bike. thats ONE motor that didnt fry , i never said OMG IF YOU USE SHELL ROTELLA YOUR ENGINE WILL FRY , did i ? i said i PERSONALLY dont like it , i dont like the way the transmission shifts/sounds with it , just because use it , and someone said they dont like it , dont freak out and get all but hurt. I have seen many motorcycle engines/trannys/clutches absolutley toasted using car oil though.

 

[AZ636]

Is your thermostat working?

The lowest engine temperature should be dictated by the thermostat not your oil, so on your night runs the temperature should not drop lower than the thermostat setting, I don't see how oil affects that? i.e on my bike, no matter how cold it is outside, it runs at 78C (172F) as ambient warms up then engine sits at a steady 83C (181F) then when sitting in traffic it will rise, but come back to the 83C when moving. :dunno

(I used to do a lot of work for a Castrol blending plant here in Melbourne, the R4 wasn't done there, but I can tell you some stoies about their other stuff, labels, bottles and blends. :laugh The line would be happily churning out expensive 20W/50 and then next minute the same blend was being put into super cheap supermarket brand containers :crazy)

But I always put expensive oil in my bikes because it helps me to sleep better :laugh

oil has a lot to do with your bikes cooling effeciency. Oil is like 1/3 of your cooling efficiency. The thinner oil , and oils with lower viscosity run cooler. thats why when u look the eye glass of a bike that was just running , using cheap oil like say regular dino kawa chem, its looks all bubbley and foamy , and when you look at good sysnthetic oils you dont see that. Thermostat has nothing to do with it , if the thermostat was stuck it would over heat regardless , it was stuck open it would take longer to warm up but would not over heat.

 

[crotchrckttl]

Some good reads on oil here...

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Consumables.html



Also thats just one of the MANY motor's that use "automotive oil" that particular engine thats disassembled in those pic's is from a Guy on www.tlzone.net.. there is alot of people on there that use the shell rotella, and I know quite a few other people who do use it as well.. Everyone that I know of has never had a problem.. most of the engine problems are due to abuse, just like whats in the pictures on whats on your myspace page..:O

 

[Quarkz]

BTW.. Doesn't everyone change there own oil?:O

:lookaround:

Umm.

 

[Steve_TLS]

Are you saying a cheap 10W/40 is a different viscosity comapared to an expensive 10W/40? :dowhat (or 5W/40 for the R4)

Agreed a thick oil can cause the engine to generate more heat due to pump issues, friction and other internal losses, but oils of the same viscosity will have the same pumping losses and internal friction issues. If they don't I'd like to hear more about it. It must be good stuff to make the engine run cooler than the thermostat minimum temperature. (Unless the minimum is still under 160 or so).

A thinner oil = less top end and engine noise at idle? That's a new one. Usually a thicker oil causing a higher pressure at idle makes thing quieter, must some oil :dunno

I'd love to be able to afford to buy some Castrol R4 and some of my regular oil and put the regular stuff in the bike then dump it and try the R4 and run my bike on the dyno with it back to back, same as with other tests I've done in the past with old vs. cheap vs. new and the differences were negligible. :dunno

(The hotter an engine can run the more efficient it is. Cooler doesn't always = better. Hotter is better. Boiling is bad because it causes hot pockets due to lack of cooling. There is a trade off of - pressure. Engine temperature is limited to the pressure the cooling system can handle, and the pressure it can handle is the most economical one.)

 

[AZ636]

Some good reads on oil here...

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Consumables.html



Also thats just one of the MANY motor's that use "automotive oil" that particular engine thats disassembled in those pic's is from a Guy on www.tlzone.net.. there is alot of people on there that use the shell rotella, and I know quite a few other people who do use it as well.. Everyone that I know of has never had a problem.. most of the engine problems are due to abuse, just like whats in the pictures on whats on your myspace page..:O

that picture on my myspace is me on my old stuntbike. Way to throw that in there though. Automotive oil is not good for your bike , and extremely bad for your clutch , so if your using using energy conserving oil , or non MA oil , go ahead keep using it , when youve bought 5 clutches in 5 thousand miles post up and ask why, ill tell u .

 

[crotchrckttl]

:lookaround:

Umm.

:bitchslap... :rtfm




:lol.... Just kidding

 

[crotchrckttl]

that picture on my myspace is me on my old stuntbike. Way to throw that in there though. Automotive oil is not good for your bike , and extremely bad for your clutch , so if your using using energy conserving oil , or non MA oil , go ahead keep using it , when youve bought 5 clutches in 5 thousand miles post up and ask why, ill tell u .

:bitchslap


I have 10,500 miles on my current bike and I bought it new.. Does not slip what so ever.. you really need to do your research on oil.. Not all oil has friction modifiers in it..:coocoo





Same is true with all my TLR's I have owned.. and they are torque MONSTERS so if it was going to slip it would have on the TL.. I have road plenty of miles over several of years with out a problem..


Please do tell me how you believe all automotive oil is bad for your bike?

 

[Steve_TLS]

Kawasaki's need little oil :laugh http://www.ninja6zone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204

 

[AZ636]

Are you saying a cheap 10W/40 is a different viscosity comapared to an expensive 10W/40? :dowhat (or 5W/40 for the R4)

Agreed a thick oil can cause the engine to generate more heat due to pump issues, friction and other internal losses, but oils of the same viscosity will have the same pumping losses and internal friction issues. If they don't I'd like to hear more about it. It must be good stuff to make the engine run cooler than the thermostat minimum temperature. (Unless the minimum is still under 160 or so).

A thinner oil = less top end and engine noise at idle? That's a new one. Usually a thicker oil causing a higher pressure at idle makes thing quieter, must some oil :dunno

I'd love to be able to afford to buy some Castrol R4 and some of my regular oil and put the regular stuff in the bike then dump it and try the R4 and run my bike on the dyno with it back to back, same as with other tests I've done in the past with old vs. cheap vs. new and the differences were negligible. :dunno

(The hotter an engine can run the more efficient it is. Cooler doesn't always = better. Hotter is better. Boiling is bad because it causes hot pockets due to lack of cooling. There is a trade off of - pressure. Engine temperature is limited to the pressure the cooling system can handle, and the pressure it can handle is the most economical one.)

no im not , im saying the lower viscosity of the 5w40 R4 makes my bike run cooler. This oil is preety thin when hott and it runs cooler with it , but for some reason it runs about 10-20 cooler , for the most part im averageing 180 degrees, at night my bike is running the 160-170"s now. I dont know about hotter engines running better , i mean i dont want my engine averageing 200+ degrees , id rather keep it in the 180-190 range , which is where it is now during the day , and in my eyes is perfect opertating temperature. Yes i know thicket oil usually quites a engine idle , but for some reason , and i dont know why , it doesnt make sense , but my bikes idles quiter with the castrol
R4 than it did with the 10w40 kawi chem , no idea why , but it sounds better , and runs a ton better. The biggest thing i like about this oil is how it takes to the tranny , i love the smoothness of the shifting using this oil , no more noise , no more trouble finding nuetral on occasion , no more missed shifts on occasion , it is a really good oil on your tranny.

This is directed toward you but everyone who is knocking it. I didnt post this thread for it to be knocked , just as information for people who might be thinking of trying a new oil , if its to expensive for you , or you dont wanna run it good , dont run it , dont sit there and knock or complain about it , just keep using your rotella and forget about the R4. For people running quality synthetics and might be wanting to try a new oil , try this one out and let us know how you like it .

 

[Steve_TLS]

All this time I didn't mention I did run R4 once around 1992 or so, it came in a nice pretty steel 4 litre steel container.

I put it in my old '89 GSXR750 and it dropped a big end before it's next oil change. I guess I could say it's shit oil because I blew an engine up with it in it. :dowhat But I don't blame the oil. Just like I can't categorically say auto oil is bad for you bike. Too many 100K+ mile testimonials out threre by auto GTX users etc.

The rest of my oil debates are trying to tell TL owners that there clutch is responsible for slipping, not the motorcycle specific full synthetic oil they just put in the engine :laugh