Best oil change interval.

[koko64]

Penrite oils (local brand), are emphasizing how they are using extra zinc in much of their range. My M900 uses minimal oil with Penrite compared to full synth Motul, which uses 500+ml over 5000 km.  Dunno why. Im not the only person to notice this. With the Penrite oil, at least I know the gearbox has some wear protection.

[Howie]

May be that their synthetic product is a blend of PAO and ester.  Different molecular chain. I believe most synthetics are pure ester.  Could be wrong.  Any chem experts out there?

[koko64]

Its above my education level.
I like it when the bike doesn't use oil, shifts well, sounds quiet and runs cool in summer. Something concrete to measure. I have to trust the experts on occasion.

A builder of race motors said he had the same issue with Motul with excessive blow by and loss through the breather on air cooled race motors. I also get less oil consumption with old Yamalube! Might as well get the cheaper oil compared to Motul.

[jduke]

Penright is available in the US of A, not cheap though....
http://snailperformanceracing.com/index.php/fluids-and-lubricants/motor-oil.html

[Langanobob]

May be that their synthetic product is a blend of PAO and ester.  Different molecular chain. I believe most synthetics are pure ester.  Could be wrong.  Any chem experts out there?

Not a chem expert or any kind of expert but in the USA most of the oils advertised as "synthetic" are highly refined petroleum based oil, categorized as Group III oils.  Redline, some Amsoil products and some of the other high end or "boutique" oils are real Group IV oils (PAO, ester) and are actually true synthetics, along with European and Asian synthetic oils.  In the USA the marketing guys won some sort of legal case some years back and are allowed to advertise that  their oil is synthetic even though it isn't. The principle being some sort of legal definition of the term synthetic.

Very hard to get the US oil manufacturers to tell us what their synthetic base oil is, if they won't tell you it's pretty conclusive evidence it's a Group III oil and not a true synthetic. 

Like anything to do with an oil thread, some of the details of what I posted above may not be absolutely scientifically correct, but I think that I have the basics right.

Bob

[oldndumb]

.....

Like anything to do with an oil thread, some of the details of what I posted above may not be absolutely scientifically correct, but I think that I have the basics right.

Bob

I think you have it right. Believe it had to do with a lawsuit which Mobil lost and Castrol won. End result was a judge making the decision, instead of a tribologist.

One more lesson as to why you should never depend upon a court.

[Howie]

Yep, there should be a group III or IV label requirement.  Motul full synthetic claims to be ester. 

[lightspd]

There's never been a lawsuit, it was NAD of the BBB. So no real legal authority. Here's a link to an old car and driver article on it.

[Langanobob]

Good article, thanks.