04-09-2011, 11:22 AM
High quality auto oil may work, but most car oils have additives that are really bad for bikes. If it says "Energy Conserving" anywhere at all on the bottle (usually on the circular API Service seal on the back), it is NOT for motorcycles. The common favorite I see online is Shell Rotella T6, I've run it myself in my bike for the last 6 or 7k miles with no problems, but I probably wouldn't notice anyway :P If you read the fine print on the T6 it even says that it meets the JASO MA standard, which is the rating used for motorcycles.
The biggest problem I've ever heard of about switching to full synthetic is that you can get oil leaks. The synthetic oil is so much finer that it will leak out of old seals and gaskets that seemed fine before. IMO, that just means that stuff would have probably gone bad soon anyway and should be replaced.
The biggest problem I've ever heard of about switching to full synthetic is that you can get oil leaks. The synthetic oil is so much finer that it will leak out of old seals and gaskets that seemed fine before. IMO, that just means that stuff would have probably gone bad soon anyway and should be replaced.