Mobile 1 car oil weight..5w30 or 15w50?

I've thought about using this oil in my R1, but isn't it a little pricey?

Does it really matter what motorcycle-specific oil you use (synthetic or otherwise) as long as you change frequently?
 
Just changed to the MX4T 10-40 at 3000 miles and holy shitt what a difference. Smoother, quieter, more power due to reduction in friction and shifting is amazingly smooth now. Seems to go into the next gear by itself. Paid 8 bucks a quart but would have paid double knowing what I know now.
 
I called redline tonight and talked with their tech. I was calling in reguards to the fuel system cleaner they had but then got onto the subject of motor oils, which they produce as well. I asked if they had a motorcycle specific oil, like mobil does and they said no.... They reccomended their synthetic 10w 40 as best for bikes. They also said that the mobil bike oil is just the older version of mobil1 car oil. He stated that they (mobil) had problems with the new mobil 1 for cars being used in bikes, specifically the clutches. He also said that when you use a synthetic motor oil with a wide spread (ie.5w-50) that the way they achieve this is with the addition of polymers which will leave deposits in the engine. Also, you should not switch to synthetics until the rings are fully seated,
around 2,000 mi. I don't know just how much of this was true, but this is what I have been told. I hope it is helpful in some way.
 
Before this latest formula of Mobil 1 car oil came out (tri-synthetic or whatever it's labeled now) I used 15W-50 in all of my bikes with good results. Like Omega stated...much better shifting, smoother running, etc.

Now, this new formula car oil may not be best suited for a wet clutch engine or it may just be fine. It's hard to say how much Mobil's just using scare tactics to get sales of the $8.00 a quart stuff up over sales of the good old car stuff at $3.50 a quart to the motorcycle audience. I'm at 1200 miles now, when I reach 2000 I'll figure out who's full synthetic to use.

Jim
 
fyi... Motorcycle Consumer News is putting together a follow on to their exhaustive Oil testing they did in the '96 ('95?) timeframe that they promise will be publishd this summer.

I'd like to shift to synthetic but really want to see their test results. Still less than 2k miles.
 
Thanks for all the info everyone!

I think 15w50 it is then, I'm at 1,900 now, and plan on switching over to the Mobile 1 15w50 full synthetic at 2,000. I recall reading some oil comparisons that were pretty much unanimous on saying the "motorcycle specific" oils are basically more money for same thing. Not that I am terrible worried about paying any more, that MX4T stuff is just hard to find in stock anywhere. I also agree with the 2,000 mile mark before switching to a full synthetic.

You know the reason you havn't made it to 2,000 miles..????, your still reading this....shouldn't you be out riding?.. ;)

Martin
 
new mobil 1 was formulated just for bikes redline just trying sell you there oil. you can contach mobil rep at 1 800 ask mobil.
 
Mobile One
5-30 not for bikes, 10-30 not for bikes, 15-50 from my experience works great for bikes, much cheaper than the 10-40 bike oil. I use the 10-40 bike oil when available other wise 15-50.
 
Had Amsoil 20000 (Car), 20-50 was Very good,But I figure I'de try Golden Spectro 20-50, Shifts a bit better due to the more Zinc content in the oil.
Also Order from Mobil right from online.
www.Mobil1.com register at their e-store and order their stuff from the puter.
$47.00 for a case of 6 quarts of the cycle oil,,a bit pricey, but who know's I May try it someday ??.

161 ®
 
Suzuki recommends 10W40 for a reason. If you pull your first grade math book you will find the following: Mix 1 quart of 5W30 with 1 of 15W50, and the average is 20W80 divided by 2: 10W40. Bingo!!! You should be much safer that way, since thicker oil don't penetrate bearings as well.
 
Why use an expensive synthetic oil only to change it every 2000k miles? Isn't the reason for using synthetic oil in an engine to stretch the distance between oil changes making it cheaper to use in the long run?
thanks for any input on this!
 
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