Single grade oil?

[KawaJAG]

I'm curious to know what the Amsoil guys have to say about this...

I know several people that live in the southern US where temperatures rarely drop below 60 degrees F at night in the summer that use a single grade oil in their engines.

The logic has been explained to me that a multi-grade oil's base oil is the weight of the first number... so 10w40's base oil is a 10 weight oil with additives that make it act like a 40 weight oil at 100 degrees C.

If you just use a straight 40 weight oil and leave out those additives, you either have room for more base oil or more of another type of additive(s) to prevent corrosion, sludge, etc.

Has anyone heard of people doing this before?

[JasonDMX2]

Multi-grade oils give superior start-up and cold temp protection. Single grade oils are very durable and thus used in many types of racing. Mostly because warm-up and getting groceries is of little concern to a racing team especially when they rebuild their engines after every few races if not each one. You'd be ok running a single grade oil in a warm temperature, but with all the advanced multi-grades out there... Save your motor especially on the cold days.

[Hammerhead]

Single grade oil is thicker than multi-weight of the same film strength, therefore, it strains your starter, oil pump, reduces fuel mileage, and is not as good at getting into tiny clearances where wear occurs. I have never seen a single grade oil recommended for a liquid-cooled, high-rpm engine.

[Stroker]

Except every oval track, drag race engine, top fuel...etc

[Hammerhead]

I just posted in another thread how ignorant it is to think racing stuff is good for street use. If it was all that great, the OEMs would be reccomending it. Racing oil is for racing. If you had ever been to a GNC flat track race, you would have smelled the bean oil they all run despite the stickers that say different. Bean oil varnishes rings and sticks piston over time. This means nothing when the motor is rebuilt after every race. On the street, it's death.

[Stroker]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

I have never seen a single grade oil recommended for a liquid-cooled, high-rpm engine.

I was just responding to this sentence. No harm done

[villian88]

Let's put it this way:

Don't use a single weight oil in your motorcycle. Your friends are making a mistake, but will most likely never know because 99.9% of them will sell their bikes and buy new ones so often that they have no clue as to the "Real" performance implications of using yesterdays technology on tomorow's machines.

[Hammerhead]

Originally Posted by Stroker

I was just responding to this sentence. No harm done

I stand by what I posted. Racers do their own thing and don't give a damn about factory recomendations. Racers don't tell others what they do if there's any advantage in doing something. One way to keep a leg up on the competition is letting them think something is being done or used that's totally untrue or backwards. This only one of the reasons applying racing components to street machines is ignorant.

[Amsoil Dealer Group]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

I just posted in another thread how ignorant it is to think racing stuff is good for street use. If it was all that great, the OEMs would be reccomending it. Racing oil is for racing. If you had ever been to a GNC flat track race, you would have smelled the bean oil they all run despite the stickers that say different. Bean oil varnishes rings and sticks piston over time. This means nothing when the motor is rebuilt after every race. On the street, it's death.

You pretty much nailed it... I am running AMSOIL 15W-50 Dominator Racing Oil at the moment in my Ultra Classic and will do an oil analysis on it pretty soon. I can do this as I don't have a common sump. Just wanted to try it and see..

Bean oil is usually used where they use Exotic Fuels as it will blend with the fuel that gets into the crankcase. Only reason a car running on gasoline would run it is because, why else ? "I saw Racers Use It"

Originally Posted by Hammerhead

I stand by what I posted. Racers do their own thing and don't give a damn about factory recomendations. Racers don't tell others what they do if there's any advantage in doing something. One way to keep a leg up on the competition is letting them think something is being done or used that's totally untrue or backwards. This only one of the reasons applying racing components to street machines is ignorant.

Yep, you nailed it again...

Run the proper product... MOTORCYCLE SPECIFIC OIL.... It doesn't say Motorcycle for the hell of it...

A Straight viscosity oil will cause oil starvation at start up. An engine, all it's components and the lubricants are designed to run at operating temp. Approx. 210 Degrees F. 60 degrees is not 210.

Don't do it, your buddies are dead wrong... These aren't Harley's from the 60's and AMF Days.

I always say:

Regardless of Brand, Synthetic or Petroleum, I always recommend a Motorcycle Specific oil with a JASO Rating of MA, better yet, MA 2, but Never MB.

Reasonable results can be had with a good petroleum oil and a good filter.. Superior results can be had using a Premium Synthetic and a Premium Filter.

If anyone tells you that there is No difference between an Auto/Diesel oil and a Motorcycle Specific oil, they have been greatly misinformed.

Bob

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