Oil specs for a Hot Climate

[jonathanrowley]

Bike really deserves an Oil Change - think it still has classic 20w50 style Engine Oil.

Any recommendations for using in the Desert - what spec?

It reaches 40 degrees C here, currently 35 degrees and it's April.. Never really drops below 20 degrees.

[mrclubike]

It gets that hot here in Missouri USA and My R65 will have 20W50 Mobile One in it  (full synthetic)
You may want to look into an oil cooler

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
20W50 is definitely the way to go. You may also use monograde 40 or 50 weight oil if you can find a very good quality engine oil of this grade.
As per synthetics, versus mineral, there is a whole war on this subject. Half of BMW airheads user swear by the synthetics, the other half say it is terrible and leaks.
Whatever technology you choose, buy a very good quality oil and monitor the change in color as you use it. If it becomes cooked, time to put something better into the bike.
bear in mind that the 50 value here is the KEY factor. you want the oil pressure to stay high when the temperature goes very high. Think about the value the temperature gets after one hour ride at the main bearing under this outside temperature...

[Tony Smith]

Bike really deserves an Oil Change - think it still has classic 20w50 style Engine Oil.

Any recommendations for using in the Desert - what spec?

Not as hot as where you are, but we have a "warm' climate in sunny Far North Queensland.

I have been using Penrite 20W/50, 20W/60 and even straight 50W in my R100 for more than 35 years.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/


Mine is an earlier R100RS (1978) that does not have an oil cooler. A very long time ago I reasoned that i could save the cost and additional potential failure points of an oil cooler by simply not installing one and running 1st class oil.

That my now mothballed R100 was running suggests I was right.

[Bob_Roller]

Jonathan, I reside in a similar climate as yours, Phoenix, average summer temp of 41 C, sometimes it even gets hot here !!!!

I've been using 20w50 for the 23 years I've lived here .

I tried a full synthetic about 17 years ago and got severe leakage from the rear main seal after a few months .

Went back to a semi-synthetic and no leakage since .

[Barry]

The main benefit of fully synthetic oil is wide viscosity index and the ability to withstand very high temperatures without degrading but you don't need the viscosity range and your oil may not get that hot. If it doesn't and you are doing relatively low miles there is no real advantage to synthetic. In any case the distinction between mineral and synthetic has become so blurred with most oils advertised as fully synthetic being highly refined group 3 or  3+ mineral oils. Only very expensive group 4 and 5 oils are truly synthetic and they are the ones that might cause problems with seals.

Of the mineral oils Valvoline VR1 20W50 would be hard to beat and it is as heat resistant as most synthetics.

[jonathanrowley]

I've been using 20w50 for the 23 years I've lived here .

I tried a full synthetic about 17 years ago and got severe leakage from the rear main seal after a few months .

Thanks - good choice then, this is classed as "Classic" Motor Oil - non Synthetic. I'll stick with something similar then... and look for quality...

[jonathanrowley]

Of the mineral oils Valvoline VR1 20W50 would be hard to beat and it is as heat resistant as most synthetics.

Thanks Barry - I've not visited the Garage for Oil yet, but I live in the land of Oil so it should be available!

[jonathanrowley]

I have been using Penrite 20W/50, 20W/60 and even straight 50W in my R100 for more than 35 years.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/

Nice one, thanks Tony - looks like I'm OK then. I'll take a look at the Garage shelves next time I fill up... Classic oil it is.

[jonathanrowley]

I tried a full synthetic about 17 years ago and got severe leakage from the rear main seal after a few months .

Thanks - Classic it is, 20W50