Oil change.....is this decent stuff?

[aaronrkelly]

When I got my bike it came with a very rounded drain plug - since it was messed up I took it to the shop with new drain plug in hand and had them do the oil change.

Now the question is to let them keep doing it or do it myself.

The stuff they used was



CASTROL Act-Evo 4-Stroke Motorcycle Motor Oil

* A premium quality, synthetic based 4-stroke motorcycle engine oil.
* It's Active Protection Molecules cling to the engine and transmission parts, leaving a protective film that is active in any condition.
* Gives continuous protection during start up and warm up when other oils are not fully effective.

and the filter was EMGO brand, which looks kinda cheezy but after reading about them they seem decent.

The cost isnt a factor....just wanted to know what anyone thinks of this oil and filter....decent, so-so or crap. I know oil is very user-opinionated.....but I though I would ask anyways.

They charged me about $28 for the oil change.....$5 a quart x 3...$15 + $5 filter + 1/4 hours shop rate $8 = $28.

[suegip]

i have no "lab analysis" to back this up but, the castrol actevo oil i do have experience with. i have used it for the last two oil changes in my 1500 classic and am pleased with how it has made shifting gears smoother and quieter. i compare this to the kawasaki conventional oil i always used before. i am going to keep using it, for me it has been a good product. when i change the oil in my suzuki i'm putting it in it also.

[jbsmd]

I use the same oil at 3.99 a quart and a K&N filter 13.00, my bike uses 3.8 quarts..plus I get to keep the used oil.....your cost sounds pretty good, no oily hands, no tools, no left over oil to deal with. You just have to make the appointment, take it in, wait.....never heard of that filter though, so no comment on that one!

[RichLockyer]

Castrol in general is good stuff.
It's not quite up with M1 and Amsoil, but it's better than average.

[antiq]

I've used Castrol oils for many years without any complaint or issues in my cars and trucks. Never tried that stuff yet. Haven't seen it at the local parts stores here. I'm currently running M1 in my 750 and so far am quite pleased. I'm a total novice to synthetic oils.

[dropdfocus]

You're likely going to run into clutch slipping with a full synthetic oil. The 10w40 that is recommended in conventional oil is a non-friction modifier oil. The wet clutches need the friction to maintain good clutch grip. My buddy's dad used M1 in his Intruder to drop the engine temp. It did just that, but he immediately began to get the clutch slip from using a synthetic. 3 oil changes later an he's back to using standard conventional oil.

Just this oil change I used Maxima Racing's Maxum4 Premium 10w40 on recommendation from a good friend who works at a trials bike shop. So far so good. Very firm shifts and the engine is extremely quieter using that oil vs. the KawiChem the dealership used before I bought the bike in the spring.
Maxima Racing Usa - Maxum4 Premium

Next oil change I'm thinking about trying out their Maxum4 Blend:
Maxima Racing Usa - Maxum4 Synthetic Blend

[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by dropdfocus

You're likely going to run into clutch slipping with a full synthetic oil.

In general, this is an incorrect statement.

Synthetic is no more "slippery" than conventional.
It is stronger in shear stability and has a lower cold-pour point for a given weight.

That's all.

SOME synthetics, just as some conventional oils, will cause clutch slippage, but to say that you are more likely to encounter it with synthetics is incorrect.

ALL 10w40, 14w40, 20w50, and 25w50 are non-energy-conserving products.