Synthetic Oil - What Mileage to Start

[doveboat]

I am sure there will be many opinions but when have you or would you switch to synthetic oil.

I have 2,600 miles and plan on changing to Mobil 1 15/50 (not energy conserving) at 3,000.

Thanks for all the great tips I lurked for a month before I bought my 04.

Additions so far:

Corbin Heated Seat w/Backrest (came with bike)
Pannier Liners
Helmet Guard
Jacko Foam Grips

On Order:

Heli Risers
Kuryakian Throttle Rocker

[crazykz]

Do it now. I changed out at 4000 with no issues but you could do it sooner. You can read what others have done but sooner is better than later, IMO.

Curt

[Austin city limits]

As Mark Lawrence told me years ago while he changed oil in a garage on a brand new bike and was switching it over with about 300 miles to Synthetic,,, that one of the "myths" that will not die is the Synthetic oil waiting period... I can tell you that Mark forgets more by noon everyday that I will know,,, in a lifetime so,,, I try to listen to him...

And,,, also,,, he has had about 30 bikes,,, changes to Synthetic after less than 100 miles,,, and rides,,, A,,, L O T,,, of miles and his motors are almost,,, always,,, perfect examples of how a motor should be... Here is straight from Mark,,,

Corvettes and Porsches come from the factory with Mobil-1 in their engines. Remember, these engineers have designed world-champion engines for F1, Indy, Le Mans 24 hours, etc.

There's a lot of mythology surrounding break-in oil. It's simply not the case that synthetic oils are more "slippery" than conventional oils. Also, break-in of a modern engine is completely different than break-in of an engine made before about 1980. Modern engines, by comparison to something made in the '60s, are pretty much already broken in from the factory due to the fact that today we hold much tighter machining tolerances. The exception, of course, would be the Ural, a motorcycle made on a production line unmodified since about 1935.

I recommend you change your break-in oil at 75 to 100 miles, 100 to 150 kilometers. Your engine does shed a fair amount of metal particles in the first 20-50 miles, and I really can't understand why you would want this stuff floating around your bearings for the first 600 miles, 1000 kilometers.

I put Shell Rotella "synthetic" (87% group III) oil in my DL650 at 75 miles. It burns no oil, gets great gas mileage, and runs great. I recommend you switch to a good synthetic at your first oil change.

[Jeff F]

Here's some advice. http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/index.html#BreakIn
I waited until about 5000mi if I recall, for no particular reason. Earlier than that (as per calsci) makes sense.

[Jeff F]

Ha! I posted and saw that you'd beat me to it. Great minds ...

[Austin city limits]

As an added note... Even though I am great friends with Mark and all,,, I am hard headed too... On my ST 1300 I was ready to drop the oil,,, and had already dropped it even and went over and realized that I was out of Rotella Synthetic... I had a gallon of Rotella NON-Synthetic and decided to put it in... I can tell you that for me,,, the shifting compared to the break in oil was bad... It took a LOT of effort to get it to shift compared to before with the break in oil...

Rotella Synthetic went in after just 200 miles or so and,,, SHAZZAM!!! Shifting was perfect again,,, and the motor was even quieter...

The Synthetic oil in my old Connie did the same thing... The Connie was a shift "Clunker" and it had Synthetic in it... It was a synthetic high $$ oil too... I switched to Rotella Synthetic and SHAZZAM!!! Quiet/smooth shifts,,, and the motor was noticably quieter even...

[dond]

Went M1 at 500 miles. 67,215 now and she no burn oil. Change every 5K. :03biker:

[pdfruth]

Charlie, Don,
I have never run synth in any of my bikes before.
It's time I give it a try.
I'm fixin to switch to synth, and I'm wondering....
Other than viscosity, are there different kinds of Mobile-1? Rotella?

Or do you just look for a case of 10-50W Mobile-1, and buy it?

[AgSTreak]

I changed to Rotella dino oil at 600 miles and then to Rotella synthetic at 1700. :03biker:

[Mellow]

I switched to Rotella T syn at the 5k mark. :03biker:

[dond]

Charlie, Don,
I have never run synth in any of my bikes before.
It's time I give it a try.
I'm fixin to switch to synth, and I'm wondering....
Other than viscosity, are there different kinds of Mobile-1? Rotella?

Or do you just look for a case of 10-50W Mobile-1, and buy it?
I use plain vanilla Mobil-1 15-50 off the auto parts STore shelf.

[georgeorge]

vanilla Mobil-1

Do you flavor your coffee :coffee1: with it or top your ice cream :eat1: ?.....sounds yummy!

Brian

[dond]

Do you flavor your coffee :coffee1: with it or top your ice cream :eat1: ?.....sounds yummy!

Brian
I rub it on my belly...Keeps it soft and lovely 8)

[Mellow]

I rub it on my belly...Keeps it soft and lovely 8)

:scared2: :ban1:

[lddave]

KTM sends the 950 Adventure from the factory with synthetic oil in it and I have experenced no oil consumption with it. I changed my first ST to Mobil 1 15/50 at the first oil change.

[beastie]

I changed to Rotella T synthetic (5W40) at 3000 miles. I would have changed sooner but I had some Honda oil available and Wal-Mart was out of Rotella. I use Rotella T in my cars too.

[sandman]

I adjusted my counterbalance shafts and changed to Rotella T Synthetic at 3700 miles and I've got a different bike.

The bike runs a lot smoother and the shifts are almost effortless.

I'm impressed! :hotpepper :hotpepper

Gordon

[Mark]

I'm going to change the oil/oil filter and gear oil on the '05 when get to Ohio. I already had syn gear oil and am taking 6oz of that with me; but, I asked the (soon to be) PO if we could stop at a Walmart on the way to his house and I'll pickup the Rotella T syn there.

The bike has 444m, I'm going to have to find out how the PO broke it in... I sure hope he twiSTed his wriST and seated the rings, ala Moto Man and Mark.
(I would have put in a 'cross my fingers emoticon; but, I couldn't find one... Mellow!?) :p:

Mark

[Carl_T]

Already did a trip to WalMart for Rotella T and the bike shop for the filter. I'll be changing to Rotella T syn. this weekend at around 1,400 mi. My bike shifted like butter on non syn. Rottella T (15/50) and like real clunky crap on whatever the Honda shop put in. I hope the RotellaT syn. will bring it back to it's former butter. I'm figuring with the way I've run it the rings are plenty seated by now (especially with the Honda shop crap oil in it for the last 800 mi.).

As an aside, I told the STealership (very pleasantly)that they overfilled the bike by 3/4 of a quart and that the ST has possible seal blowing issues with oil overfill, and that they also left some of the side fairing rivets unfastened. Their attitude of don't want to hear it makes me figure I'm going to the one across the river 40 miles away for repairs even though this one is only 7 miles away.

[beastie]

I have 150 on the new Wing and will probably change to Shell Rotella T either tonite or tomorrow before we head out on an all day trip. BTW the shifting is a little clunky right now.

90 miles in 2 hours of leisurely riding last evening and Swambo blessed the Wing seat. Yes :D

[Actionfigurejoe]

Dropped the oil and filter at 30 miles. Used Valvoline JASO MA certified motorcycle oil until the 600 mile serive point. Installed Amsoil 10W40 motorcycle lub.

[Dorian]

I'm curious about the other end of the spectrum. Is there a time that it is too late to switch to Synthetic Oil (assuming that there are no current mechanical or evident seal issues)?

[Carl_T]

I can't think of a reason why you couldn't switch at any time, given no leaky or problem mechanical issues.

[basco]

I'm curious about the other end of the spectrum. Is there a time that it is too late to switch to Synthetic Oil (assuming that there are no current mechanical or evident seal issues)?

I dont' think you have to worry about that. Most questions are phrased with the intent to start using synth. Once the bike is seated and somewhat broken in - now you can use it and if you didn't, say 10,000 miles, it don't make much of a difference.