Oil for your Hawk

[Traveller647]

Question for all you Hawk owners - Any opinions on oil?
From many reports I've read, motorcycle oils really not worth the money. I've used Mobil 1 in my Hawk for years with no problems. Now I read the following in a Canadian cycling mag - "Oils rated API SJ and later are designated specifically for automobiles and should be avoided in motorcycles. Any motorcycle with a wet clutch that is lubricated by engine oil uses the older API SF/SG ratings." (Mobil 1 is SJ)
I'm not a techie so any opinions would be welcomed. There's a great study done a few years ago stating that most motorcycle oils don't have the protection that some of the Mobil 1/Castrol syntecs do.

[tkm433]

Re: Oil for your Hawk

Question for all you Hawk owners - Any opinions on oil?
From many reports I've read, motorcycle oils really not worth the money. I've used Mobil 1 in my Hawk for years with no problems. Now I read the following in a Canadian cycling mag - "Oils rated API SJ and later are designated specifically for automobiles and should be avoided in motorcycles. Any motorcycle with a wet clutch that is lubricated by engine oil uses the older API SF/SG ratings." (Mobil 1 is SJ)
I'm not a techie so any opinions would be welcomed. There's a great study done a few years ago stating that most motorcycle oils don't have the protection that some of the Mobil 1/Castrol syntecs do.

Any motorcycle specific oil will do the job. 10w40 should do you just fine.

I feel that the problem with most oil is that people do not want to cahnge it as often as they should and thing that so called better oils will last longer between changes.

Go to your local motorcycle shop and buy motorcycle specifc oil that will work better with the wet clutch.

Being that you have a clutch in the same oil as the rest of the motor that is the main reason that you need to change your oil more often on amotorcycle. Ask yourself thai simple question: Where does the worn clucth material go as the cluct wears out???? If your answer was in the same oil that the rest of the motor lives in you are correct. Yes, there is a filter in the system that will protect the bearings.

Use a quality oil and filter and change often. If you do not ride in the winter change the oil and filter before you park it next winter.

[Traveller647]

Your advice is all correct, but my query centres around "why specifically a motorcycle oil?" Frequent changes and a good filter are sound maintenance procedures, but what makes a motorcycle oil a motorcycle oil? And how would a motorcycle specific oil be better for the clutch than a good quality motor oil? I can see not using products like Slik 50 because of clutch slippage but what specifically makes a motorcycle oil different than motor oil, especially if one is comparing synthetics with the same temp ratings?

[Copytech]

Google is your friend

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=difference+between+car+oil+and+motorcycle+oil&btnG=Google+Search

[MrDude_1]

the main problem with modern automotive oil is that it creates a wonderful moly-coating.... this makes the engine have very little wear... but if this coating gets on your clutch.. it slips easier and burns up.

not all oils are like this, but alot of the better modern ones, like mobile 1, are.