what oil?

[keith565]

sorry if this has been covered in the past, did a search but nil turned up.

i am a car driver as well as a biker. but not a mechanic,lol.

i was wondering about car and bike oils. is it possible to use car engine oil for a bike?

mine specifies 10/40 as does my car service book.

also can i use a better grade oil than specified i.e 10/50 or 5/40 etc instead of a 10/40 as the book states. thanks.

[Guest]

Do NOT use car oil in a bike big no no

it will mess up your clutch so use bike oil

[Guest]

Safest bet is motorcycle oil, and as the handbook suggests.

I understand the dilemma, but always err on the side of caution!

[Bob R1]

Stick to the 10/40 in the bike,dont use car oil in the bike it has additives that could make your clutch slip

[Guest]

Well the problem with car oil is it has synethic stuff in it which reduces ware, good for a dry clutch but as bikes (usually) have wet clutches can cause clutch slip. So as long as you get the stuff with out synthetic properties then you should be okay.

I'll be sticking with motorcycle oil thought, just incase

[Ingah]

Well the problem with car oil is it has synethic stuff in it which reduces ware, good for a dry clutch but as bikes (usually) have wet clutches can cause clutch slip. So as long as you get the stuff with out synthetic properties then you should be okay.

I'll be sticking with motorcycle oil thought, just incase

 

+1.

I believe they are called friction modifiers, and some car oils have them in. It does have it marked on the bottle (but it's not written as "friction modifier" - there's a special abbreviation or other). Most car oils are OK, but some will cause clutch slip (which will screw it up in no time) due to this friction modifier.

Basically, if you don't know, don't risk it. I don't bother, i just shop around for cheaper motorcycle oil / eBay etc. At least then i don't have to concern myself with this.

And 10W50 is NOT "better" than 10W40. It's simply thicker at higher temperatures. Which isn't going to do your engine a great deal of good if it means that you've got insufficient oil lubricating the top end as gravity's helping it stay at the bottom. Stick to the recommended grade and type, and ensure you change it more often instead of worrying about "better" oils.

[keith565]

many thanks for the info guys. i'm now looking for 10/40 motorcycle oil.