Paul Hyland
Turbocharged
The Wal-mart by me sells Mobile 4t in the motorcycle Accessories Isle for 8$ and some change a quirt.
The Wal-mart by me sells Mobile 4t in the motorcycle Accessories Isle for 8$ and some change a quirt.
Question: Motor Oil for a Triumph Bonneville
I have a 2005 Triumph Bonneville. The factory recommends Mobil 1 Racing T4 fully synthetic API SH or higher and JASO MA, 15W-50. Locally I have found Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15W-50 that meets APISL/CF but does not mention JASO spec. Does this satisfy the factory specifications? If not please recommend the specific Mobil 1 product that does. Thanks for your help. -- Paul Weidmann, Boulder, CO
Answer: Mobil 1 Racing 4T 15W-50 is marketed specifically for Triumph motorcycles. Another choice is Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50, which is designed for motorcycle requirements and may be more widely available than Mobil 1 Racing 4T 15W-50.
Question: Difference Between Car and Motorcycle OilsWhat is the difference from motorcycle oil than car oil? -- Matt Coffman, Attica, NY
Answer: Motorcycle oils and passenger car oils are very similar, with the exception of a couple of areas that are key to motorcycle operation. The first area concerns common sumps, or the use of motor oil, to lubricate and cool the transmission. As you know, in a passenger car the transmission is lubricated by an ATF fluid, which has frictional properties required for transmission operation. In a motorcycle, where the transmission may be lubricated by the engine oil, an engine oil that does not have the same level of friction modification (for fuel economy) of a typical passenger car engine oil will provide better transmission performance in terms of transmission lock-up and slippage. So motorcycle engine oil does not contain the friction modifiers of a passenger car engine oil. The second area of concern for motorcycle engine oils is that they tend to shear (breakdown viscosity) more quickly than a typical passenger car. Mobil 1 motorcycle oils are designed to provide exceptional protection against viscosity loss.
I get my Mobile 4t at Autozone, and it does carry the jaso-ma rating. 8 dollars and some change a quart. I prefer 10-40w. I don't like to think about my poor oil pump trying to pump that thick stuff on a cold morning.