Conflicting advice, please help (Oil question)

[swannie007]

You go boy!

[amauri]

is it better to use mineral oil or Motul 300v when "pulling your plonker" ?

[scott2ride]

is it better to use mineral oil or Motul 300v when "pulling your plonker" ?

Haha... Fair call

Personally there is no preference, provided they are the same lightweight viscosity

But mineral is cheaper, particularly as I don't need it to last long

[rocky]

Well I'm just as confused as when I asked the question.

I guess I should go with Aprilia's recommendations.

[seanie]

Aprilia recommend Agip ENI i-RIDE APRILIA RACING 5W-40 engine oil for the Tuono V4

[scott2ride]

Mineral is ok in run in. go to synthetic after 2000 miles.

Ride it hard, warm it up & vary the rev range while using plenty of engine braking. Di that with mineral oil for 2000 miles then change to synthetic

[FORZA]

JSA (the OZ Importer) use Agip or as now labelled ENI in the demo/press fleet.
I dont think they would recommend something they arent using themselves & that goes against official recommendations from Aprilia.
I was Tech. Manager there for 10yrs & my workshop is an approved service & warranty outlet.

Agip is available around Australia, I stock it & use it on all customers bikes that come in.
Nothing wrong with 300V except it is very expensive though.

Your choice what you use but please dont believe incorrect information passed on by dealers, always check.

Dave Ward
Moto Italia
Aprilia-Ducati-Moto Guzzi

www.motoitalia.com.au

0432 441 985

[rocky]

JSA (the OZ Importer) use Agip or as now labelled ENI in the demo/press fleet.
I dont think they would recommend something they arent using themselves & that goes against official recommendations from Aprilia.
I was Tech. Manager there for 10yrs & my workshop is an approved service & warranty outlet.

Agip is available around Australia, I stock it & use it on all customers bikes that come in.
Nothing wrong with 300V except it is very expensive though.

Your choice what you use but please dont believe incorrect information passed on by dealers, always check.

Dave Ward
Moto Italia
Aprilia-Ducati-Moto Guzzi

www.motoitalia.com.au

0432 441 985

Thanks Forza, that's exactly why I asked the question and your information is what I suspected. I am having some trouble finding AGIP in W.A though. Will need to look further.

[FORZA]

Mario at Thunderbikes used to stock, not sure now though.
If you get stuck locally I can send some over when you need it.

If you are in WA, say no more I understand the problem you guys face over there dealer wise.

Dave Ward
Moto Italia
Aprilia-Ducati-Moto Guzzi

www.motoitalia.com.au

0432 441 985

[Punter]

Motul 300V for the win. No problems so far. Plus it's neon green.

[slowmike]

I would stick with the recommended oil in any kind of high performance, high service interval application. I run the recommended oil in my Golf TDI with 10k mile changes and run the recommended oil in my RSV4 which is uhhh aggressively riden.....

[Jennings Junkie]

And the Aprilia mechanic that says Motul 300V is better because it warms up faster than other oils is either pulling your plonker, or doesnt understand how oil really works. If 2 oils have the same viscosity they will flow around your motor the same.

I think the point he's trying to make is that synthetics flow better than mineral oils of the same "weight" at lower temperatures (below operating temperature). While SAE ratings give us the official "weight" of an oil, the viscosity "number" is derived from a measurement taken at operating temperature (100C). This won't tell you what the viscosity of a given oil is at a temperature lower than operating temperature. Oil is not at operating temperature at cold start, and because of this the oil is thicker- the colder the temp, the thicker the oil. On a molecular level, synthetic oil has better flow characteristics than mineral oil at cold start-up, and therefore provides more protection while warming to operating temperature. When looked at in this way, it makes sense that one would say sythetics "warm faster" because they have the ability to protect well below operating temp, and perform better than comparable mineral oil at lower temps. It's easy to understand the extremes- it's how an oil behaves between the extremes is what we're talking about here.

When it comes to "Cold" (or heat) viscosity is what matters, and that's where synthtics prove their superiority to mineral oils. Synthetics retain their ability to flow much better than mineral oils at low temps, and resist shear, heat degredation, and loss of film strength at high temperatures. But they also provide superior protection in the very important zone between start-up and operating temp. Syns do everything that mineral oil does- only better. I'm at a loss as to why these topics usually turn into an argument...

[W-Dog]

Mineral is ok in run in. go to synthetic after 2000 miles.

Ride it hard, warm it up & vary the rev range while using plenty of engine braking. Di that with mineral oil for 2000 miles then change to synthetic

So what is a good mineral oil for running in ??

[uponone]

Oh Hell, I might as well add some fuel to the fire. I just picked up 4 quarts of Castrol Evo full syn 5-40 for my T. Prob gonna change it out this week since I have a little over 500mi on her. Then I will throw in my 15t sprocket, re calibrate, reset service light and ride the damn thing. I was informed by the mechanic at the dealer that the Castrol is what he's been using in the V4 motor since they came out. It's good oil. Same as any other quality syn. I use the same in my Triumph which btw is factory recommended.
After riding bikes for over 25yrs I have never had an engine problem due to the brand of oil I used. I just go by what the factory recommends as a guideline and change it at the proper intervals. I sure don't stay up at night fretting about it. Forum banter over oil is amusing to say the least. It doesn't matter the topic either whether it be bikes, cars, tractors, planes, compressors or what have you. And no disrespect for those who analyze oil for it's properties and such but in reality, what % of people are going to keep these bikes for 100k+ to see any appreciable wear from using brand A oil over brand B whereas one maybe, possibly, if the moon is low, will have greater wear protection on a molecular level over the other?

[amauri]

The only way to end the debate over oil Brand-A is better than oil Brand-B is to perform a controlled test.
Now we've all seen oil Co tests that scientifically show theirs is the best, what would you expect them to say?

First, purchase two identical and brand new bikes, take them both apart and measure every engine component.
Fill one bike with oil Brand-A and the other with Brand-B.
Then ride both bikes side by side exactly the same way for 100,000 km, changing the oil at regular intervals.
Keep track of fuel and oil consumtion for the duration of the test.
Maybe even do some Dyno testing before and after.
At 100,000 km, tear down both motors again, measure all parts and compare to previous measurements.

Only them could we say there is a difference between oils (though I doubt it would put an end to the "this oil is better than that oil" discussions).

Until I have time to perform such a test, I'll continue to use whatever oil brand is readily available locally at a reasonable price, as long as it meets the recommended specs.