Semi or fully synth?

Opinions please. I have been running my XJ600 (Pre Divvy) for 6,000 miles
on fully synthetic motorcycle oil from Halfrauds. It has had two lots of
this, once when bought and another 3,000 miles later.

I have many folk saying to me, "shouldn't run it on fully synthetic". Why
not? It's due another change as the mileometer has just tripped over 42k
this morning.

So what's the opinion? Fully synth, semi or any old shite. I had no idea
what was in it when I bought it and just bunged the full synthetic in.
The engine runs and sounds as sweet as a nut on it.

 

gazzafield emerged from their own little world to say

in an XJ600, any old shite especially if your are changing it every 3k

do Hein Gericke still have that deal going where you buy 4 litres of Motul
oil and get free air/oil filters? Thier website is still under construction
so I can't check.

 

wessie says...

They do 5 litres for the same price with the two filters, or at least
that's what I bought last week.

 

Synthetic is fine. Semi-synthetic is fine. Mineral is fine.

If you run an engine on top grade oil and change it frequently, it
will, definitely, last longer, but you'll have to keep the bike for
years to appreciate it.

Mind you, 42,000 miles is a good start. My Duke's shortly due to click
past 26,000, and that after seven and a half years.

 

If they are saying "shouldn't" rather than "don't need to", it probably
just means they're mongs who read something on the net about clutch
slip.

Fully-synth is overkill for that though - Halfords semi-synth would be
my choice, or maybe plain dino, especially if you change it every 3k.

 

I've run both my ZX6R and CB500 on Halfords fully-synth for years with no
problems (I just stock up whenever they've got it on offer). However, I
_did_ run into problems when I put in in my old CB125 (after it had been run
for years on bog-standard stuff) - it started smoking a lot more, presumably
due to (by popular folklaw) the 'better' oil dissolving all the crud that
had built up in the engine, and was blocking gaps that oil could flow
through.

So I'd say, if you've always run the bike on fully-synth, carry on
regardless. Just don't switch to it after years on cheaper oil.

 

Which I would agree with. However even the EBC direct site has this
disclaimer:-

IMPORTANT NOTE: WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF FULLY SYNTHETIC OILS WITH
THESE CLUTCH KITS

John

 

I put an EBC clutch kit in my FZR not so long ago. That's run on
synthetic, with no problems at all, as the synthetic was MA spec.

 

There are some clutches that will slip with fully synth - but if the
OP's hasn't for the last 6k miles, it's probably safe to assume his
isn't one of them.

 

Are you running a book on the 600SS engine? It had 33K
on it when it got the big-bore and it's killing the
oil at the moment, so it's off for an oil cooler post
haste.

I reckon there will be a fair few go bang at Snetterton...

 

snip

Yebut even so (i) I suspect its at least 'overkill' ... You don't need such
high spec oil unless its a fast revving motor
(ii) with that sort of mileage things getting a bit worn sludge and muck
being more likley etc semi synth is actually better because it has more
buffers and detergents in the fully synth.

Castrol used to have a good web page about this, and if you email their
technical support lot from there theyr'e dead helpful.

--
--
Nidge
ZX6R J2 Stunning in zit yellow. KX 125 MX 'I'm snot green -fly ME'. A few
bits of CB500S in Norwegian Parrot blue. BOTAFOT#63 BOMB#5

'Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand'.
Homer (Simpson).

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Bulk order of nose cleaner for a Mr Espindola, guv?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Stack the pallets over there....and there....and there. Ta.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Right you are guv. The other truck's following on later.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"