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Learn how to choose the right engine oil for your motorcycle
Check out Our Engine oil Recommendation
how to choose the right engine oil for your motorcycle
Note: check the oil level frequently. Every motorcycle burns oil. Oil burn will be more noticeable after 1000km or on high mileage motorcycle. so check the oil level regularly.
Learn how to choose the right type of engine oil for your motorcycle. Follow these steps.
1: Owners manual: Search your owner's manual for the engine oil page. There you will find the specification for choosing the right engine oil for your motorcycle.
2: Recommended API Standard ,JASO MA & MA2: Look for recommended API Standard , JASO MA Rating and SAE viscosity chart. In this case, it is API-SF/CC. it means that you can use engine oil that meets or exceed API-SF standards. you can also use later standard engine oil but API-SF will work fine. But API-SF is obsolete and not available anymore so you can choose from the later or current standard engine oil.and also look for JASO MA Rating.
API Service
Classifications
Year
MA
Note: As you can see from this API Service classification chart API-SF is obsolete and not available in Pakistan. but API-SG standard engine oils are still available and made by several Famous companies like AtlasHonda,Suzuki, Caltex, Shell, etc. But there is one thing to notice, even if API-SG is an obsolete or old standard, still it is Better than API-SF, which was originally recommended By the manufacturer for this specific motorcycle. API-SG will meet and exceed the API-SF standard, so you can use it in your motorcycle where API-SF is recommended. first step to choose an engine oil is, what API standard engine oil is recommended by the manufacturers, any standard that comes later will meet and exceed those previous API standards but there is a limit to that. some newer API standards are not backwards compatible. and you also can not put old API Standard engine oil if the manufacturer recommends the new API Standard, for example, you can not use API SG standard engine oil in a motorcycle where API SL standard engine oil is recommended by the manufacturer. This will cause engine damage because that engine oil won't meet the API Standard that the motorcycle engine was designed for, over time advancements in engine oil have made it flow better, reduce sludge build-up and reduce valve deposit and in modern catalytic converters produce less emissions, that is generated when sometimes engine oil passes through the piston rings into the combustion chamber. which can occur every once in a while on any motorcycle. the latest technology reduces catalytic converter clog up and reduces valve deposit. This improves engine oil characteristics. if you put old engine oil that meets old API Standard, it will not Flow faster and will clog up the catalytic converter and will build valve deposit.
the second thing is the SAE viscosity that the Manufacturers recommend. That is best for your motorcycle in a wide range of atmospheric temperatures, from hot to cold it will work fine unless you live in a certain area where temperatures are very extreme. then you can choose different viscosity from their SAE viscosity chart depending on your atmospheric temperature.
3: Recommended vehicle: It is very important that the engine oil that you are going to use, is made specifically for motorcycles otherwise clutch slippage will occur. Motorcycle engine oil has friction modifiers in it, that prevent clutch slippage. One way to identify that with MA Tag, is there is an " MA " or " MA2 " tag printed on the motorcycle engine oil bottle that ensures that this engine oil is made for motorcycles.
4: S.A.E Grade: In normal condition, you should stick with the manufacturer's recommendation. in this case, it is SAE 20w-40. But if you live in a very hot or cold environment then you should consider choosing different viscosity according to your ambient temperature. this way you can protect your motorcycle engine against wear.
in case of air cooled motorcycle the atmospheric temperature affects the oil performance in engine. liquid cooled engines have liquid coolant inside it to keep the engine temperature between 85-105°C. but air cooled bikes engine temperature ranges between 115-137°C and above.
air cooled bikes they are cooled with air so when the atmospheric temperature rises the air cooled bikes ability to cool its self decreases.in hot weather and stop and go traffic air cooled engine can easily overheat.
so according to the chart below the 10w-30 engine oil will work fine if the atmospheric temperature is below 30 degree celsius. when the temperature rises in summer for example it is above 30°C then you will have to choose thicker oil in order to withstand the heat that will cause thinning of the engine oil.
Multigrade engine oil has two viscosity grades, one that comes before the letter w and the other that comes after - for example, 10w-30 and 10w-40.
The letter 10w means that at cold start engine oil will act like 10 grade oil but when it will get to operating temperature, it will act like 40 grade engine oil.
In the viscosity chart, we can see that it is ok to use 10w-30 engine oil for this specific bike in an environment where the temperature is between -10 degrees Celsius to around 30 degrees Celsius.
but we can't use it after 35 degrees Celsius we need to use higher viscosity grade engine oil like 10w-40 or 20w-50. this is very important because in this case if we use lower viscosity engine oil then the engine oil won't lubricate when it reaches operating temperature. and engine wear will occur.
and if we use higher grade engine oil with the higher number that is with letter w like 20w with 20w-40 or 20w-50 then the engine oil will be thicker at temperatures below 0 degree Celsius and it won't reach engines vital components such as CAM and Rockers quickly and they won't be lubricated quickly enough thus engine wear will occur.
5: Capacity: How much engine oil does your motorcycle need. it is also mentioned on the owner's manual engine oil page. overfilling the engine with engine oil will cause foaming of the engine oil. then the oil pump will suck foam into the head. thus critical parts of the head won't be lubricated.
6: synthetic semi-synthetic or regular: Synthetic or semi-synthetic. Synthetic engine oil protects your engine better than regular engine oil. it is formulated in a way so that it can withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures and can reduce engine oil sludge significantly. high performance and hard revving engines require synthetic engine oil but make sure you choose the right SAE Grade or viscosity that is recommended by the manufacturers of your motorcycle and also follow regular oil change intervals.
7: Special Additives: Sometimes your bike requires special types of additives in engine oil to protect the engine , perform better and have long engine life. look for the manufacturer's recommendation in the owner's manual.
8: Genuine Product: Every oil company has developed a product authentication system to protect their customers from buying fake products. to find out how to identify genuine engine oil visit their website.
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