Synthetic Lubricant Advice Needed.

Hi again to all you knowledgable folk.

Just wondered whether I should change to synthetic lubricant
in my Suzuki GS500E with 7500 km on the clock. It's had a
good thrashing on mineral oil, and is probably well bedded in
by now. Runs sweet, but does have a flat spot at low revs
when accelerating. Dealer says it's normal for the model. ??

If synthetic is considered a good idea, what's the best brand?
(Mobil 1 ?) I use the bike mainly on motorways at 100 kph
but about 25% of the time it's around town.


TIA,

Frank.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 18 Feb 2004 17:08:40 +1300

Dunno. It's not a bike that's massively hard on oil, I don't think
there's a lot of need really. Your use isn't that hard either.

Changing it every 5000km is the key, dino oil or not...

If you think you will keep the bike a long time, thrash it on tours and
track days a lot, make it carry heavy weights[1] and are willing to
wear the cost of synthetic oil that often, then go for it.

If not, then buy decent normal oil, and change that every 5000km.

Zebee

[1] in other words treat it like a certain synthetic-eating high mileage
van-vulnerable spada....

 

I'de just put Motul 5100 on it every 5000 kays or so. If you want to go up
to Synthetic the Mobil Racing 4T is great stuff and not too expensive. If
you start using Motul 8100 it costs a friggin fortune!

Cam
'03 954

 

Thanks for your advice guys.
Cheers,
Frank.

 

Scuse these guys, they don't answer at a whim, they might be out buying beer or
something, so be patient ffs!!

If the bikes had about 7.5k kms on it (hopefully with regular changes), then by all
means run it on semi synth to synth. i hear that motul make some good (and expen$ive oils)

I use the shel helix stuff from a dark seagreen bottle, and dont suffer any slipage.
Mobile 1, you talking 4T (i think thats its name) thats made for bikes, or the car stuff?
Either way they both seem to go well *smirk*.


Mike.S

 

Aye, but the new Mobil 1 for cars has apparently now got friction modifiers
in it definately and once and for all making it not suitable for motorcycle
use. (dry clutch excepted I guess) Maybe this will end the debate

Cam
'03 954

 

Aye, but the new Mobil 1 for cars has apparently now got friction modifiers

When did that start happening?

Someone will charge ahead like a raging bull, i'm sure of it!

Mike.S

 

Not too long ago. Mobil have changed the car formula (so it says on the
outside of the bottle) and changed the packaging. The bike stuff also has a
change of packaging, not sure about a formula change though.

 

Go the semi synthetic
seems to work well for parallel twins .

 

Willdo. Thanks to everyone for the help.

I've been riding m/cycles for about 45 years, (yep I'm an oldie)
but am still learning, and someone had told me synthetic lubricants
can stuff clutches on some bikes, so I thought I'd ask those who
are using the stuff regularly.

Just realised the odometer is in miles not kilometres, so will
change oil at 3000 miles in future. Wonder why the speedo
has miles per hour AND kph. It's a 98 model sold new in NZ.

Cheers,
Frank.

 

if they have friction modifiers in the oil then you can have clutch slippage
probs

for the world wide market 1 less part to stock for different countries
and also useful when travelling between countries where one is MPH and 1 is
KPH