Anyone else using 5w-50?

[NeoGenesisMax]

Where I live the temps range from just over one hundred degrees and down near ten degrees.  I just want to find one tough all year round oil.  I realize all Kymco calls for is synthetic and an API above sj and there are two or three higher API ratings I think.  I am mostly currious about what brand people have been using and what they thought about it's performance.

[kbshaq]

     yes any full syn. oil will do,  very little difference in there quality,

Thanks, de dee.  I (finally) found some 5w 50 oil, although it was synthetic (see pic).
I'm still in break in mode with my 300i and my dealer mentioned to start using synthetic at 1,500 miles.
Question:   is there any reason *why* I couldn't use the 5w 50 Syntec that I just bought at, say, my 500-600 mile oil change?

[de dee]

you have to let the rings break in , full syn. oil will take for ever for that to happen,.

[NeoGenesisMax]

That's the oil I'm using.

[mrmike]

you have to let the rings break in , full syn. oil will take for ever for that to happen,.



  I'm not sure about that. I changed my scooter over to full synthetic at 122 miles. I have about 2500 miles on it now and it runs like a top. I get 68 to 70 mpg.

[ophelia]

There are manufacturers that use synthetic oil as the factory fill, and synthetic can be used to break in an engine. Just relatively expensive when you end up dumping it out at the first service. But break it in with conventional if you feel strongly about it.

I use 5W40.

[MassScoot]

You should use conventional oil for @ least 1,000 miles before you use Synthetic. Those rings need to seat properly over time. This is a "well known" fact. What's the rush anyway? Hell...dinosaur oil costs less as well. I moved over Mobil 1 Synthetic 10W-40W after that. It can be had for around $10-$12 a quart almost anywhere (including Walmart) Any fully Synthetic oil will work fine. I found Valvoline synthetic motorcycle oil @ Walmart for around $7-8 a quart, but they were inconsistent with their inventory with stock on this product.

[Stanley1950]

I installed Castro 5W50 synthetic in mine. No issues at all. 

[kbshaq]

This is exactly what I did, but at ~500 miles.  Put in 10w-40 conventional oil.
Will change the oil again at 1200 miles, use the same 10w-40 conventional oil again till I get to 2K miles.  At 2K miles and beyond that's when I'll use the 5w-50 syntec. 

You should use conventional oil for @ least 1,000 miles before you use Synthetic. Those rings need to seat properly over time. This is a "well known" fact. What's the rush anyway? Hell...dinosaur oil costs less as well. I moved over Mobil 1 Synthetic 10W-40W after that. It can be had for around $10-$12 a quart almost anywhere (including Walmart) Any fully Synthetic oil will work fine. I found Valvoline synthetic motorcycle oil @ Walmart for around $7-8 a quart, but they were inconsistent with their inventory with stock on this product.

[mrmike]

  Went to WalMart today too get oil . I use full synthetic in everything I own, and usually use Mobil 1. I buy the 5 quart jugs for $22 and change. That's under $6 a quart. In the past, I used 10w40 in my scoot. It seems Mobil no longer puts their 10w40 in 5 quart jugs. After doing some checking, I've decided to run 15w50 in my scooter and garden tractor. The temp range is -10 to 100 F. I won't be using my scooter or mowing my lawn in either of these extremes.

[de dee]

 I changed the oil and gear lube today at 50,000 km.on my downtown,  there was shell rotella T6 0W40  on sale here,. so I put it in the scooter to try it out,  I use mobil 1,   5 W 50 in the lawn tractor, all year  because I have a snow blower for it and it get down to 50 below here some times, I have a PGT 9,000 craftsman tractor  28 hp. with a 44 inch snow blower,.
 I have to get busy, finishing my cabin for the tractor, be for it gets to cold to work

[ophelia]

None unless you're riding in temps colder than 2 degrees F.
Looking at the chart in my owners manual, It states that 5W-50 oil is used for temps between 2 and 100+ degrees F. It does not list 0W-50, but the 0W would indicate you could use this oil in temps below the 2 degree F mark. I doubt if this is a issue. I don't believe anyone rides their scooters in that cold of weather. Look at your chart and pick the right viscosity for your area. I live in central New York state and 10W-40 works fine for me. I also strongly recommend a full synthetic oil.

For what it's worth, a thinner colder grade of oil may start flowing and lubricating faster than a thicker oil during engine warmup. The oil is too thick to lubricate at full flow whether 0W or 5W or 10W until it warms up and becomes thin enough to flow at optimal rate through the oil galleries. Ideally, the engine would be started once and kept running for a long time so the oil would never have to cool and thicken. An ideal oil would be the perfect viscosity at all temperatures, but that is unfeasible.

In the future as oil technology progresses, maybe 0W30 or 0W40 oil will be the norm in motorcycles. Stick to the owner's manual, but someone who wants the absolute best in protection shouldn't shy from thinner when cold multigrade oils.

[NeoGenesisMax]

Well so far this oil is holding up just fine. My Like 200i burned through oil like i couldnt believe. I think it was ever 12 or 14 hundred miles it had to be changed. I think this Castrol will be just fine.

[de dee]

Well so far this oil is holding up just fine. My Like 200i burned through oil like i couldnt believe. I think it was ever 12 or 14 hundred miles it had to be changed. I think this Castrol will be just fine.

   what did you see in the oil to make you change it? at 1,200 miles

[NeoGenesisMax]

The owners manual and the fact that the oil would be jet black and spent. Im at about 1400 mile on this oil and its still golden in color.