Pros & Cons on 5w30 oil

[Pfloydgad]

OK....just wondering how the masses feel about this engine oil weight.
Not that i have used it, yet, but I found a very nice semi-synthetic high mileage blend at the local autozone. Hey Baby is 11 yrs in and has a little over 83k on her. I have screened the last 5 oil changes and have not found anything at all as far as shavings or debris.
Those oil changes cover almost the last 20k miles. I know Mama Kaw doesn't recommend it, any ideas on this considering the age ang state of my motor. Inquiring minds would like to know.
Stay cool this weekend, and ride safe.
Greg

[SteveJ.]

I would strongly suspect that that oil is "energy conserving", or something to that effect. This means it has friction modifiers. The friction modifiers will ruin your clutch. Use 10w40 as the minimum for viscosity.

[jim snyder]

I always try and find 15/40 when I can but I run 10/40 as a minimum rule. I ran 20/50 Castrol GTX for years with zero issues before switching to the Purple stuff.

[Lodogg2221]

Well, if you arent having issues, why use a high mileage oil?
I wouldnt in a motorcycle just for the simple fact it has other additives in it that could affect the wet clutch, besides being energy conserving.

The older an engine gets, its usually advised to run a thicker oil for consumption issues...but if yours aint usin it, run what the factory recommends. 
Or, if you must use 5w30, make sure its not energy conserving, and stick to regular oil, not high mileage or synthetic (every synthetic Ive ever seen in 5w30 is EC).

I personally like either Shell Rotella T or Mobil 1 TDT oil in 5W40. 
I used to use Mobil 1 10W40 4T but two quarts of it cost as much as 4 of the others, and it doesnt have any significant attributes to be worth the cost to me. 

[Summit670]

I'd only run 10--30 in winter in the north, otherwise, I'd run at least 40 as recommended.  Make sure the 10-30 isn't starburst rated as energy conserving.

[throb]

Shell Rotella T all the way Bay-beeee! 

[Daytona_Mike]

5w  is  too thin for the gears in the transmission.
You need to have   'shear additives' for the transmission.
You need high  zinc content for the cams.
You cannot 'look' at your oil and say  'it is  good'. You have to send it out to be analyzed (Blackstone)
 If you can actually see metal specs its too late. Damage is already  being done.
You do not want friction modifiers or you will ruin your clutch.

[Outback_Jon]

Shell Rotella T all the way Bay-beeee!

+1  Shell Rotella T6 5W40.

[T Cro ®]

I'd only run 10--30 in winter in the north....

Why would you do that? You gain absolutely nothing and in fact lose the viscosity modifiers that help hold your oil to a higher weight when hot. Your 10W30 starts as a 10 weight and has viscosity modifiers added to make the oil "think" or behave as though it were a 30 weight oil when hot whereas a 10W40 starts as the same 10 weight oil and has more viscosity modifiers added than the 30 weight oil does so that this oil "thinks" or behaves as a 40 weight oil when hot. Please keep in mind that is is these viscosity modifiers that we need extra of in our oils as the meshing of the gears in our transmissions is what "chops" up the viscosity modifiers breaks down the oil and makes the bike shift poorly. Viscosity Modifiers are like long curly strands in our oil that when cold are pulled up nice and tight to keep the oil thin enough to flow when cold but yet uncoil and expand when hot and this is what keeps the oil from being as thin as water when hot.

Stick to what the factory calls for..... Myself I run a Mobil One 15W50 year round and yes I live in MI.... Better living through modern chemistry!

[T Cro ®]

OK....just wondering how the masses feel about this engine oil weight.
Not that i have used it, yet, but I found a very nice semi-synthetic high mileage blend at the local autozone. Hey Baby is 11 yrs in and has a little over 83k on her. I have screened the last 5 oil changes and have not found anything at all as far as shavings or debris.
Those oil changes cover almost the last 20k miles. I know Mama Kaw doesn't recommend it, any ideas on this considering the age ang state of my motor. Inquiring minds would like to know.
Stay cool this weekend, and ride safe.
Greg

5W30 is too thin of an oil for an aging motor that was designed to be run on 10W40 or thicker; you will lose some oil pressure by going to a thinner weight of oil and please bear in mind that all your crankshaft is riding on is a microscopically thick hydraulic wedge of oil when the engine is at speed. Thus when you lose overall oil pressure you are running a higher risk of loss of wedge and making metal to metal contact while at speed. The Babbitt or thin bearing layer on our plain bearing is only there for start up and with oils having less and less zinc content today you have even less between you and metal to metal contact.

[timsatx]

I don't know about which particular oil to use. I have used both Rotella T6 and Mobil 1. I care not a whit about energy conserving. Back when I got my Nighthawk I was concerned about it, but between that bike and the Connie I have found that it has had no effect on the clutch. Maybe If I were drag racing it might be an issue but thus far I have had no slippage. I am currently running Mobil 1.

[Pfloydgad]

Thanks all for the input. I only read the bottle and was wondering if it could be an alternitive oil.
I was concerned with the 5 weight being just to thin for the gears.
I think I will stick to my Rotella T 10w40, it hasn't failed me yet.
Thanks again, and please ride safe all.
Greg   

[Summit670]

Why would you do that? You gain absolutely nothing and in fact lose the viscosity modifiers that help hold your oil to a higher weight when hot. Your 10W30 starts as a 10 weight and has viscosity modifiers added to make the oil "think" or behave as though it were a 30 weight oil when hot whereas a 10W40 starts as the same 10 weight oil and has more viscosity modifiers added than the 30 weight oil does so that this oil "thinks" or behaves as a 40 weight oil when hot. Please keep in mind that is is these viscosity modifiers that we need extra of in our oils as the meshing of the gears in our transmissions is what "chops" up the viscosity modifiers breaks down the oil and makes the bike shift poorly. Viscosity Modifiers are like long curly strands in our oil that when cold are pulled up nice and tight to keep the oil thin enough to flow when cold but yet uncoil and expand when hot and this is what keeps the oil from being as thin as water when hot.

Stick to what the factory calls for..... Myself I run a Mobil One 15W50 year round and yes I live in MI.... Better living through modern chemistry!

I agree.  Thanks for clarifying that.  I don't run 30, I was just saying if you must, but I agree on the W designation and what it means.

[timsen84]

Mobil 15W 50? The text on bottle now states uses zinc to conserve energy. Thought zinc modifiers were bad for bikes?
The API ROUNDEL does NOT say "Energy Conserving".
Use Mobil 1 10W 40 4T MotorCycle.
Up til now considered 15W 50 a good alternative?!

[Lodogg2221]

Mobil 15W 50? The text on bottle now states uses zinc to conserve energy. Thought zinc modifiers were bad for bikes?
The API ROUNDEL does NOT say "Energy Conserving".
Use Mobil 1 10W 40 4T MotorCycle.
Up til now considered 15W 50 a good alternative?!

Does it actually say "Energy Conserving" on the starburst label?  Id bet not...

[timsen84]

Hey Ziggy STARBURST!!
The API ROUNDEL does NOT say "Energy Conserving".

[2fast]

Mobil 15W 50? The text on bottle now states uses zinc to conserve energy. Thought zinc modifiers were bad for bikes?
The API ROUNDEL does NOT say "Energy Conserving".
Use Mobil 1 10W 40 4T MotorCycle.
Up til now considered 15W 50 a good alternative?!

Zinc is the good stuff that has been largely reduced or eliminated in car oils.

[timsatx]

From Mobil:

Question:
What's the Zinc Level Mobil 1 15W-50?
Hello, I read your answer about ZDDP and phosphorus levels. You even list the phosphorus level in your table, but you show no listing for the level of zinc. Other oil companies also list their zinc level. I would like to know the zinc content in your 15W-50 oil. I would like the level for the gold cap and the silver cap separately. I drive a car that is over 20 years old and the answer is important to me. Thank you, Jerry
-- Jerry Baer, Hollywood, FL

Answer:
The important element here is the phosphorus since it is the active antiwear additive.  That's why we show phosphorus as well as zinc.  The zinc content is in the range of 0.12 - 0.13 weight percent (1200 - 1300 ppm). (Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15W-50 [gold cap] was discontinued about May 2009.)

[2fast]

Interesting..............

I found this on a diesel truck site, so they sound about the same.



" I e-mailed Shell and asked what the levels of zinc and phosphorus are for the 15W-40 Rotella T with Triple Protection. The answer:

"Shell Rotella T Multigrade Oil SAE 15W-40 with Triple Protection Technology, our API CJ-4/SM specification product, typically contains about 1200 ppm zinc and 1100 ppm phosphorous as manufactured."

[T Cro ®]

Mobil 15W 50? The text on bottle now states uses zinc to conserve energy. Thought zinc modifiers were bad for bikes?
The API ROUNDEL does NOT say "Energy Conserving".
Use Mobil 1 10W 40 4T MotorCycle.
Up til now considered 15W 50 a good alternative?!

Not quite; you have your info mixed up... Zinc/Phosphorous Extreme Pressure Additive or ZDDP is a last resort protection against metal-to-metal contact but is not friendly with Catalytic Converters so it is been all but removed from most oils. Oil with higher levels of this compound are GOOD....

Energy Conserving oils have Friction Modifiers can/may be bad for your clutch plates. These are BAD....

Viscoisity Improver's are long chain polymers that look like a corkscrew under the microscope and are used to build your oil up to its higher weight; again these are GOOD....