Now I’m getting confused…
I put the Valvoline premium blue in, so I don’t have to worry about the clutch. I really don’t want the down time on the bike.
I’m not trying to stir the pot.
No worries.... and this is why oil threads get poor reputations. They will inevitably reduce themselves to personal opinion.
I've been in and around the motorsport industry my whole life. My 2 cents, any company would have a hard time avoiding legal action if they state that the product meets the requirement and then lists JASO MA/MA2 specifically and it doesn't meet it. It is just too easy to not specifically state it, and they don't on other formulas.
The facts as I see them, T6
5w-40 is clearly a different formula than the
15w-40, and Rotella even compares the two on the back of the bottle showing some differences. The 15w-40 shows meeting the JASO rating as does the 5w-40. Most of the 15w40 are having better experiences than the 5w40. The Valvoline Premium Blue 15w-40 is not stated to meet JASO requirements, but some have had good luck with that.
As part of my work I participated in an oil sample test of quite a few oils, but this was NOT motorcycle related and (without looking them up) many of them would not be good choices for a wet clutch. Surprisingly, the Walmart house brand of SuperTech tested as one of the best, if not the best, out of all of the name brands (there were something like 25 or 30 total). However, looking at the current available SuperTech options, none of them state meeting JASO standards.
I think Igofar's reputation speaks for itself. If his opinion couldn't be considered as an "expert" opinion, I'm not sure who would else would qualify. He would also have the access to a large data pool of information just on shear volume alone.
Back to you
@OldMcClelland, it's very easy to get information overload. As a person with an engineering mind, I like to stay within parameters that can be defined and measured, and the rating system works for me. I look for the rating. I'm currently riding an FJR, so what I'm using isn't probably pertinent.
If you are really worried about it, NAPA has some Valvoline that says right on it... Motorcycle Oil, Excellent for Wet Clutches, Full Synthetic, JASO rated. ORielly's has Castrol and Lucas brands. Advanced Autoparts has Valvoline and Castrol. These should be the no-brainer pick that you wouldn't have to worry about.