Some information on Rotella T4

[gunslinger_006]

I used rotella t6 in many bikes over the years.

These days i use motul 7100 10w40. It costs more but i really like how it makes the bike shift.

I figure oil is cheap compared to a clutch or engine.

Id go back to t6 if my budget got tighter.


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[Eville Rich]

I like Motul 7100 10W40, too. It smells the best of all oils I've sniffed. But also like the pour spout the jugs and bottles come with. Makes me feel good and its suitable for mine and my wife's motorbikes. I've been a fan of Rotella T6 5W40 and keep it around for other small engines.

Our other vehicles all need their own flavors of oil; ust having one for the motorbikes is kinda nice.

 

[RCinNC]

I certainly agree that motorcycle oil is optimized for performance in a motorcycle, but I don't agree that means that non-motorcycle specific oil (car oil) is going to be harmful to the bike (i.e. accelerated wear).

I ride more than a lot of guys. There's now 101,000 miles on my 2014 S10. At 88,000 miles I had an oil analysis done. At that point, I had ridden the following distances using what would be called "car oil":

30,616 miles, O'Reilly Auto 10W-40
4,038 miles, Quaker State 10W-40
1841 miles, Valvoline 10W-40
22,864 miles, Rotella T4 15W-40
2,106 miles were with an oil that I forgot to record what brand it was.

With motorcycle specific oil:

9,973 miles. Yamalube 10W-40
17,527 miles, with Castrol GO 4T

So, up to 88,965 miles, 69% of them were ridden using "car oil". Blackstone Lab's report showed that wear metals were low next to averages, and their opinion was that the internal parts were getting along well.

I ride year round, and average about 11,000 miles per year. It gets hot here in summer (not like Texas hot, but hot), so riding conditions can be a little rough. I'm a pretty sedate rider; no bouncing off the rev limited, or popping wheelies. I change the oil often, sometimes even before it's due.

None of this proves anything, of course, other than as an anecdotal data point. But my own particular experience had shown me that using "car oil" in a bike (as long as it isn't energy conserving oil with friction modifiers) isn't a first class ticket to disaster.

And yep, when I changed the oil last week, I put Rotella T4 back in.

I'm replying to my own post since it's too late to edit it. Jekyll pointed out my error, so in the interest of accuracy, I redid my math.

I included the Rotella T4 in my calculations for how many miles of my total mileage was done with "car oil". While it isn't marketed that way, it still carries the JASO certification for wet clutch engines, so I shouldn't have included it in my calculations.

41% of my total miles at 88,965 was ridden with a non JASO certified oil. I also left off the unknown oil, since I can't for sure what oil it was (though at the time period I used it, I'm pretty sure it wasn't JASO certified).

 

[Fennellg]

Our oil change interval is frequent due to the one oil hole (trans, engine, clutch) all use the same oil. I believe as long as you don’t aggravate your clutch plates with the wrong oil you will be beyond ok. Must of us don’t wear these things out. We get boarded change bikes or get old and find we are worn out not our bikes.

 

[jeckyll]

I'm replying to my own post since it's too late to edit it. Jekyll pointed out my error, so in the interest of accuracy, I redid my math.

I included the Rotella T4 in my calculations for how many miles of my total mileage was done with "car oil". While it isn't marketed that way, it still carries the JASO certification for wet clutch engines, so I shouldn't have included it in my calculations.

41% of my total miles at 88,965 was ridden with a non JASO certified oil. I also left off the unknown oil, since I can't for sure what oil it was (though at the time period I used it, I'm pretty sure it wasn't JASO certified).

Lot of miles no matter how you slide it

 

[cyclemike4]

I used Pennzoil in my FJ 1200 for almost 180,000 miles. I used 20W-50 in the summer and 10W-40 in the winter. I would also feel notchy shifting when the oil needed changing. In 2009 or 2010 when I bought my 2005 FJR I started using Amzoil. I really liked that oil. I could get it easy and it was not too expensive at the time. then when I bought my Super T I started using Yamalube 10W-40 in everything. Including my truck now. I used that for any warranty issues I may have had with the Super T. Found out it was as good as anything I had been using. Guess I will continue using that till I can't find it any more. I started using it in my truck because I can't find just regular oil any more. Not sure why that is. I was told because the old dino oil didn't meet the requirements any longer but the Pennzoil I started using in my Jeep met all the requirements for it? Oil can be very confusing with all the letters and numbers. It is for me anyway.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . Oil can be very confusing . . . .

Got a question for y'all oil gurus. Just saw that the Toyota Prius takes 0w-16. 16? Why would their motor require exactly that weight. I'll have to assume that's so you have to buy your oil from a Toyota dealer? I'm sure that if a person uses 0w-15 or 20, it will void the warranty. Any other manufacturers requiring odd oil weights like this?

 

[WJBertrand]

Not sure why Toyota is doing this but I suspect it has to do with MPG bragging rights more than anything else. You don’t have to buy this oil from Toyota, I know Mobil 1 and probably others offer oil in that weight. I can’t imagine that using 0w-20 would void a warranty, and I heard some dealers were using that weight anyway.


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[gunslinger_006]

Our prius is older and still calls for 10w30 but my 2018 tacoma uses 0w20.


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[nd4spdbh]

Not sure why Toyota is doing this but I suspect it has to do with MPG bragging rights more than anything else. You don’t have to buy this oil from Toyota, I know Mobil 1 and probably others offer oil in that weight. I can’t imagine that using 0w-20 would void a warranty, and I heard some dealers were using that weight anyway.


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Most definitely MPG things.

Toyota and most manufactures are doing it to eek out mpg ratings with low hanging fruit. Im sure the manual for the prius gives a few different weight ratings that are acceptable.

 

[jeckyll]

Most definitely MPG things.

Toyota and most manufactures are doing it to eek out mpg ratings with low hanging fruit. Im sure the manual for the prius gives a few different weight ratings that are acceptable.

I think the initial number has more of an impact on start up emissions IIRC.