Discussion on Appropriate Crankcase Oils for the V-Max

Over the past several weeks, we've all seen a deluge of questions about engine oils on the
VMOA technical boards. Which oil to use, when to change oil, whether to use synthetic,
when to switch to synthetic - we've all seen hundreds of posts on the subject. We've also
seen a lot of misinformation being bandied about as well. Old wives tales still persist with
regularity, including the "your rings won't seat if you run synthetic too early" line, and
the old "synthetics will make your seals fail" saw, or perhaps the "your clutch will turn
into a pumkin" hoo-ha. A lot of bunk. And the purveyors of it repeat it like gospel, so it
can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff in the debate. So, being the Internet
"aficionado" that I am, I used the tool, and got good and greasy on the net, to find out
what the truth was for myself.

This short paper is an attempt to get closer to the truth of the matter, and throw a little
light on the matter. You'll probably note, that there really can't be a one-size fits all
recommendation. But we also know, that the variations must start at an optimum choice.
And right now, there is no agreement on which oil works best in this bike. And lets face it
- before we can really talk sensibly about the subject, we need to know a little more
about oils in general.

So the following is what I put together after reading a butt-load of articles, and staring
at a bunch of oil analyses submitted by the posters on "BobIsTheOilGuy.com" and
"oilanalyses.com". All this information is out there if you google for it, and spend some
time reading, and that's just what I did. Thankfully, there are actually a bunch of serious
gear-heads out there who have really gotten deep down into the science of lubricating
motors, and there's also some industry scientists that continue to throw in their unique
knowledge and help a brudda out.

So hopefully, when you've finished reading this little missive from me, you'll at least
have an idea what you want to run in your scooter, and why. And with any luck, you'll be
able to ignore the bunk spouted off as fact when you see it. Just remember this -
lubricating your V-Max, and keeping the fluids maintained appropriately, is the single
most important thing you can do to keep your engine running well, and make the bike
last a long time. It only makes sense, to be smart about what you are doing, find out
what the right thing to do is, and then do it.

Modern day motor oils, all share some basic characteristics in common. First, and
foremost, is that they must fall within a certain viscosity range to be useful in
lubricating a motor. The standard used to measure viscosity is usually the SAE
(Society of Automotive Engineers) scale, and the reasonable range is between
0 and 50 units. The lower the SAE number, the lighter and runnier the oil is.
Higher numbers, mean heavier and slower running. This is important, because oils
behave differently at different temperatures. At a given temperature, an oil may
be too light to hang around long enough to provide adequate lubrication, or it may
be too heavy to be able to penetrate into all the surfaces that need lubricating.
Heavy oils also resist being pumped by the motor's oil pump, and it takes work to
do so. So, getting the right viscosity for a given operating temperature is a lot
like tasting porridge at the three bears house - this one is tooo light, that one
is tooo heavy. But this one is just right!

Most motor oils today are made from one of two different general methods. The
"Dino" oils (so-called because they are the remnants of things that were alive
millions of years ago), are refined from crude mineral oil by being separated
from the rest of the crude by boiling point, or by molecular weight. These oils
can have different properties based on the type of crude that was used to refine
them, the technique used to refine them, and many many other factors. But the
bottom line, is they all originally sprang from dinosaur poo, or other such nastiness
(ok, actually diatomaceous or planktonic hydrocarbon residue, but you get the
point - old dead stuff).

Synthetic oils are manufactured by design, from other molecular substances.
Usually by reacting gasses, or something of the sort. A true synthetic oil is
composed of all molecules of the same molecular weight - a property which greatly
increases their resistance to temperature changes, and reduces the inter-molecular
resistance to flow. There are several base stocks produced this way, but for our
purposes, the most common one is called PAO (Poly Alpha Olefin). You'll also occasionally
see Ester-based synthetics, and these can be superior to PAO base stocks (and equally,
can be worse, especially to silicon seals), but most of the consumer stuff you see
comes from PAO.

Certain manufactures have recently begun to call their dyno oils "synthetic"
because they've been processed using hydro-crackers, or other advanced refining or
reconstructive techniques. Very naughty. You'll be surprised to learn, that a
considerable number of oils currently marketed as "synthetic", really aren't
synthetic oils at all, but are part of a group usually referred to as "Group III"
(or hydrowax) oils. They still came out of the refining process, but manufacturers
wanting to cash in on the reputation enjoyed by synthetics as high-performance oils,
just plain cheat, and call their class III oils "synthetics." Shame, shame, shame.
In fairness, Group III oils can come very close or even exceed the performance
characteristics of PAO based oils. But most of them don't. And we shouldn't be
expected to pay PAO-class prices for oil that is vastly cheaper to manufacture.

All this is great, but it's only half the story. These base stock oils still aren't useful
as engine lubricants. You have to add a bunch of chemicals to the oils in order to make
them useful in your V-Max. It's the additives that make the difference between brands
of oil, and each recipe of additives is formulated for a specific purpose. It's very
important to get the right mix for your application, or you risk nasty wear and
icky stuff building up inside your V-Maxe's guts. Very bad scene. Thankfully,
we have lots of decent choices, and so the issue becomes "which of these decent
choices, is the best choice?" Choosing an oil is all about choosing the right additive
package, in the long haul.

Viscosity Enhancers: If the base stock of the oil is SAE 30 weight, and you want to make
an oil that can behave like a 50 weight oil, you add VI compounds to the oil, and hey
presto! Multi-weight oil. Multi-weight oils are the most commonly used these days, and
provide a real boon to riders needing oils to accommodate a wider climatic variety
than mere 30w would provide. But this comes at a price - bear in mind, that when
stressed hard by pressure or temperature, the VI additives can be overstressed,
and the oil reverts back to it's base weight. So that nifty 15w-50 oil might really
be running as a 20 or 30 weight, when you are running your RPM's in V-Max grin
country.

Anti-Wear Compounds: These are compounds designed to protect the motor from
metal-metal contact. ZDDP is the most common of these and is composed mostly of
Zinc and Phosphorous. Note, that recent EPA actions have set maximum amounts of
phosphorous that can be present in oils marked as SJ or SL, because the Ph has a
tendency to cause premature failure of catalytic converters. However, fear not,
for the restrictions apply only to weights less than 30 as a rule. Therefore 10w-40
or 15w-50 oils are exempt from the restrictions. However, since these additives cost
money, many oil companies are putting fewer in them in their oils now. It's a good
thing to have respectable levels of these in oil used in motorcycles, because of the
stress the oil is put to, and the tendency for oil molecules to "shear" (get chopped up)
by transmission gears and other sharp high speed surfaces, and the occasional
laziness of the owners - who wait too long to change oil.

Detergents - These chemicals prevent various acids and free radicals from forming
varnishes or other deposits inside your engine. They are usually made of various
compounds of calcium, Sodium, or Magnesium, and act to neutralize acids, and
prevent carbon from compounding in the motor.

Friction Modifiers - Molybdenum (Moly), Lard, Boron, various other compounds
that act to reduce the coefficient of friction of surfaces treated with the oil.
Too many of these can make your clutch slip, but they also provide benefits to
horsepower and motor efficiency. So too few is bad too. There's a lot made of
clutch slipping, particularly with regards to moly - but real world results have
shown that sometimes moly in oil causes no problems at all - and moly is a mighty
good anti-scuff agent to have in oil.

Bear in mind, that about 20% of your motor oil is composed of all these additives,
and they are the single most important factor in determining which oil is "best" for
your application. It's also important to understand that PAO (synthetic) base stocks
have a lower coefficient of friction to start with, and oxidize much more slowly than
refined (Dino) oils.

The first, is the type of motor we are working with - a big 1200cc V-Four, water
cooled, working at relatively low RPM's compared to the latest crotch rockets, but
at a high piston speed. So we need a fairly low coefficient of friction, to protect
the cylinder walls and rings. We need an oil that can pour and pump well, to get
lube into those big jugs when we start it, and those big sized pistons produce a
lot of carbon, so we need some detergents for sure. We also have a wet clutch,
so we want to go light on the friction modifiers, but we need good anti-wear
compounds because we have a lot of close tolerance metal to work with. Water
cooling means we operate at lower temperatures than say, a Harley, so we can
get by with a lower viscosity and gain something in motor efficiency and horsepower
in the process. Too heavy an oil just wastes energy, and makes the oil harder to
pump than it needs to be. Lastly, the heavier the oil, the more susceptible it is to
shearing, and we need an oil to be fairly shear resistant, what with all those
straight cut gears churning away all the time.

First of all, synthetics maintain their viscosity better, and this is a critical function
in an engine in which the transmission, cylinders, and clutch all share the same oil.
Those square cut gears really play hell on oils, chopping the oil molecules up into
smaller bits, and causing the viscosity to breakdown (called shearing). Synthetics
are considerably more shear resistant than dyno oils, and maintain their viscosity
over a much wider temperature range than mineral oils do. They also oxidize much
slower, and therefore, last longer in your crankcase.

Second, dino oils are refined out of a witches brew of molecular polymers, and even
the best and most careful refining processes still leave a lot of contaminants in the
final result. Dino oils contain a fairly wide range of molecular sizes, including lots
of parafins. They also contain sulfides, and other nasty bits that can help contribute
to sludge in the engine when the oil begins to oxidize out. Synthetics oxidize much
more cleanly than dyno oils, and produce very little sludge or varnish. The PAO-based
and Ester-based oils are also uniform in molecular weight, and that's the big reason
they maintain their viscosity so much better.

Third, synthetic oils maintain a lower coefficient of friction than Dino oils, and that is,
after all, the primary purpose of an oil - to reduce friction in an engine. They do this
because their uniform molecular weight assists in maintaining the sorts of properties
oil needs to be a good lubricant - including superior surface tension (resulting in higher
film strength), and improved ability to develop boundary layers.

Fourth, synthetic oils maintain their properties over a significantly wider range of
temperatures than dyno oils - as you would expect, since synthetics were originally
developed to run in jet engines, which burn very very hot, and yet operate in very
very cold places (i.e. 40,000 feet up - it's friggin cold up there). No dyno oil can
compete with the temperature sensitivity of a synthetic oil.

Fifth, the superior lubricating properties, and improved pumpability of synthetic
oils means your motor spends less work keeping itself slick. That translates directly
into increased horsepower, and improved fuel mileage. In some cases, dynamometers
have shown horespower increases of 2%-3% gained, simply by switching to a synthetic
oil over an existing dyno oil (which probably gains you more than a lot of bolt-on
"performance" parts do!) That's not sales hype either - I found several guys that
ran dyno tests on their own bikes, and verified the increases for themselves.

All this translates directly to factors that are important to us in choosing an oil
for our V-Max. Our cylinders need oils with a high film strength, to withstand the
pressures produced by our rather long stroke and fast moving pistons. We've got
very large square cut gears churning the oil like mad, and testing our oil's resistance
to shear-induced viscosity breakdown. We run a wet clutch, that tends to toss off a
good bit of particulate matter. And we have small areas of localized high temperature,
which test an oils temperature sensitivity - and fight against our oil pumps ability to
pump the oil up and into our jugs well enough to keep things slick in there. Lastly, Honda
machines these motors to fairly close tolerances in many places, so some good anti-wear
compounds might be a damn good idea.

The only concern in this area is the clutch size, which is rather small compared to the
large torque our Max produces, but in my opinion, Synthetic oils do not make the clutches
life more difficult, since they find the Synthetic an easier oil to expel once the plates
contact each other.

Another item of interest, is the long running debate over motorcycle oils versus auto oils
. It's a fact, that manufacturers charge hefty premiums for cycle oils, leading most of us
to wonder if the differences are worth the money. The manufacturers have worked hard
to instill the fear in us, that failing to pay those premium prices means that we will be
harming our bikes with inadequate lubrication. This quote from a Motorcycle Consumer
News study, pretty well sums it up:

The campaigns promoting motorcycle-specific oils have successfully indoctrinated an
entire Generation of motorcycle riders and mechanics. The doctrine is now so ingrained
in the industry that questioning its veracity instantly marks you as an ill-educated
outsider. Even MCN has fallen victim to the hype, espousing the superiority of such
products in these very pages. Our own technical experts from the American Motorcycle
Institute have repeatedly advised our readers against the dangers of straying from the
straight and narrow path.

There have been several reports done on this subject, but to sum it all up - there isn't
much difference. The primary thing manufacturers add to cycle oils, appears to be higher
levels of ZDDP, but studies show that both oils break down at approximately the same
rate, and that the differences between auto and motorcycle oils from the same manufacturer
are minimal or even non-existent. So, spending that extra cash doesn't really buy you anything
, if there's a comparable auto oil made by the same folks, with the same basic properties.
The problem is, you're going to have to face down this fear-inducing hype to get over it, a
nd save yourself some dough. Since ZDDP appears to be the big sticky point, keep this in mind
: "ZDDP is a "last line of defense"-type anti-scuffing additive, generally only coming into
play under extremely severe conditions where actual metal-to-metal contact occurs within
an engine, something that should never happen under normal operating conditions" - MCN.
It's vastly more important to get oil through the pump quickly on startup, and to keep oil
with it's viscosity intact in your crankcase, than it is to load the oil with anti-scuff compounds
you shouldn't ever need unless you screw up and let your oil oxidize down to sludge, or use oil
too thick to pump when it's cold, or the motor is just starting up.

And besides - oil analysis run by lots of enthusiasts through laboratories like Blackstone Labs
, has pretty well proven that many auto oils, in an appropriate viscosity range for the V-Max
(i.e. 10w-40 or 15w-50) have just as much ZDDP as motorcycle oils do. Re-read that sentence
as many times as you need to. We've been bullshitted.

Well, that's because your dealer is either A) Ignorant, or B) trying to sell you his overpriced
dyno-based motorcycle oil that he makes a huge profit margin on. But here's the fact brothers
- This isn't 1950 anymore, and there aren't many engines now running chrome-faced rings in
steel cylinders. Most modern motors come from the factory pretty well broken in, and the
V-Max should probably be considered "broken in" within the first hour of run time. If your
chrome-faced rings haven't been worn pretty much all they are going to by your Nikasil
(silicon carbide) coated cylinders, then you're probably going to have a problem anyway,
and which oil you run isn't going to change the issue for you.

Bottom line - use cheap oil for the first two changes, and change it fast - about 600 miles
for each. That will flush out all the early wear particles from various moving parts like
bearings, clutch plates, and so forth. Then, switch to a good synthetic oil, knowing you've
just done the smart thing for your motor. Regardless, the sooner you get synthetic in there
, the better off your motor will be, and the longer it will last. If anyone argues with you
about it, just say "Well, Tapper said.". After all, it's not like they're going to know I'm
just some joker who spent three weeks reading really dull scientific pontifications about
oil, now are they? Quoting some assumed authority always makes people shut up, especially
when they don't really know if your authority is really all that.

Meat and potatoes time. If you've ever walked down the oil aisle at Wal-Mart, you know
there's just a big pile of choices in oil. Ultimately though, the choices narrow down to just
a few that are ideal. Of course, absolutely everyone you talk to is using some oil or other
that "works for them", but the reality is, using a crap oil usually won't show negative results
for a long time. So just because Joe Bob is using Wal-Marts recycled dyno oil today "with
no problems" doesn't mean his bearings aren't going to fail tomorrow. If Joe Bob is using
junk like that, you can be pretty sure his advice is worth about as much as the oil he's using
. The idea here, isn't just to find something that works marginally, it's to find the "best"
oil for the V-Max.

Dyno Oil - Well, the lower priced spread. If bucks matter, you'll be looking here. I can
afford the extra 10-15 bucks per oil change for my Max, so I go synthetic, but different
strokes. It isn't really going to save you any money in the long haul, but it's up to you man.

Mobil DelVac 1300, 15w-40 - Ok, you're short bucks, and want to get the best you can on a
limited budget. I suggest you try this one. It's a heavy duty oil (often called "diesel oil", and
contains an excellent additive package, as well as a high TBN number. Good stuff. Various
people have reported excellent results with this oil, and it's engineered into the range we
need. The shifting will be clunkier than with a synthetic or Group III oil, but the price is
right. Change interval should be about 2500-3000 miles or so. Don't be tardy. I would
definitely suggest this oil for the first two drain intervals on the bike, which you should
try to do at 600 miles, and 1200 miles, just to get all the initial wear particulates out of
your engine.

Shell Rotella T 5w-40 - This is labeled as a synthetic, but its really a hydrowax oil (Group III).
However, it shows pretty good properties for a dyno oil, and is available over the counter.
It is reputed to aid shifting nearly as much as a full synthetic, but your mileage may vary -
those big square cut gears on the X will put it to the test. Slightly more expensive than
DelVac, but less expensive than a real PAO oil. Change interval should be about 3000 miles
, and you can expect it to shear back to 30W viscosity pretty quickly.

Synthetic - There are a bunch of pretty much equal choices here, and it's hard to go too
far wrong, if you stay within the basic needs of the V-Max. Ideally, we want at least a

10w-40 and a 0w-40 might be an even better choice to get the oil up the jugs quickly,

or if you are in Canada (eh?) or in the far frozen north of the U.S. (poor bastage).

We need a good additive package, and we want to stay away from an energy conserving
(i.e. friction modifiers added) oil. We'd also like to avoid the ridiculous premium tacked
on just for the privilege of being a "motorcycle oil", if possible.

Mobil One Red Cap 15w-50 is a good choice, if perhaps a bit heavy for a water cooled
bike. You'll loose a fraction of energy pumping the heavier oil (but only for the first
1000 miles or so, see below), but experience has shown it to be a good choice overall for
the Max. Please note - "Super Syn" is basically just a marketing change of name of the
additive package, rather than a new "secret ingredient". It most definitely is not Moly,

and appears to work just fine in wet clutch bikes. Price-wise, it's the best all-around choice.
Beware though - this oil has been known to shear back to about 30W viscosity within the first
1000 miles. Don't do extended drains with it. Change oil at 3000 miles, with religion.
Usually sells for between $4 and $5 a quart. Has a dose of ZDDP, but could have more.

Mobil One MX4T is an excellent oil for the Max, except for the almost doubling of cost over
the other M1 choices. The (20w-50) is too heavy all around - it's formulated for air-cooled
engines, and that ain't what we have here Gomer. MX4T is probably the ideal over-the-counter

oil, with the exception of the price (damned motorcycle tag on label). You can expect somewhat

longer drain intervals with this oil, perhaps in the region of 5000 miles. Watch for this oil on
sale, and grab a batch if you find it cheap.

Amsoil High Performance 10w-40 is another excellent choice, and a lot of guys use it. If you
shop around, you can bag it by mail for a little less than 6 bucks a quart. A bit more than Mobil
One Red Cap, but it gives you bragging rights for using a "boutique oil" that has to be mail-ordered.
It's excellent stuff, by all reports. Ignore the motorcycle label, and get the regular - they are
exactly the same oil. If you can stand the mail-order hassle, then this is probably the best all
around choice. Drain intervals should be pretty good, expect to change oil every 5000 miles.
Possible it could last longer, but I'd test it first. If I don't find a Schaeffers oil I like the
looks of, this is probably the oil I'll put in my bike the next time I change oil.

Royal Purple, Schaeffers, others - These boutique oils are often outstanding choices.
A little more pricey, and you have to mail away for them. But if you really really want
the best, then go for it. Shoot for a 10w-40 and avoid moly, and you can hardly go wrong.
I haven't used it, but I've seen some very knowledgeable people bragging hard on Schaeffers.
Your mileage may vary here. Using one of these oils means getting smart about monitoring your
oil. It may be a wonder oil, and it may not be. Beware - many boutique oils use a lot of moly
and boron. May not be wet clutch friendly.

One last word - Yomama recommends change intervals for oil that are just stupid-long.
Spend 20 minutes reading oil analyses on bobistheoilman.com and you'll see what I mean -
Oils just don't last that long, and especially not in motorcycles. Forget the service
manuals recommendations, and change according to the actual working life of the oil
you are using. For most dyno oils, that's going to be 2500-3000 miles and no more.
Some synthetics will go longer, and some won't, so get to know the oil you are using
before you gamble. If your oil viscosity is gone, or your additive package wears out,

you are now burning engine life at a rapid rate. Don't be a dope.

I've provided a few recommendations above based on published oil analysis in similar
applications to the Max, but only actual testing in a V-Max will give completely
reliable data, and only testing in your Max will give you accurate data. Regular
oil testing will also give you a very accurate picture of bearing wear inside your
motor without ever cracking the case, so it might be worth the $20 a test cost,
if you're as anal about your bike as I am (for example).

There you have it. I'll modify this document as I learn more, receive test results
that matter, or new stuff gets released. Unfortunately, there hasn't been any oil
test data published for the V-Max by anyone that I have been able to locate.
I'll be sending samples of my own oil out to Blackstone labs as I pile on the miles,
but it would be nice if more people would do the same with a variety of different oils
. These big 1200 v-fours cry out for their own testing and information.

If you feel there's an error in this article, point it out. But be forewarned -
provide some kind of backup with your corrections. And I'll be right up front here
- I don't give a crap what your local Dealer's salesman, or jakeleg mechanic has to
say about anything. Show me scientific evidence, or make a fully logical argument.
But don't repeat someone's "sage advice" (it's usually crap). But if I'm wrong,
I want to correct the bad info, so fire away.

And I encourage you to learn more. Since you're reading this, you've got access
to the net. Try www.google.com - there's enough reading there to last you a good
long while. Some good, some (ok, a lot) bad. I found a ton of anecdotal articles by
"learned" jakelegs that were just bullpucky. I've provided a few links I found
especially useful at the bottom of this article to help you get started.