could you help me select an oil for my first service

the cats pajamas

I have a 1999 r6.
I am going to change the oil and filter (for the first time).
I am happy to use a hiflo hf303 as a filter but which oil should I use?
I know I need 10w40, but is brand important, what about synthetic? what do i need to know ?

Please and thank you for any advice

roadsmart

I'd use a semi synth for your bike, any bike specific oil will do. Motul is good, as is halfords own brand. The secret in oil changes is not in the name of the oil brand, but in how often you change oil. Mine gets changed every 3000 miles with a filter every second change.

Wonda-Boy

I found Yamalube quite good when I was on the FZ6, I have Castrol high end stuff in my bike now but next oil change I am gonna get Yamalube or Valvoline. Motul oil is specified in my manual for the bike.

the cats pajamas

I might try the yamalube.
I don't give the bike a hard life at all.
I doubt ill need anything amazing oil wise

roadsmart

Just be aware that yamalube isn't made by yamaha, it's made by the company who meets the specs required by yamaha for the lowest price. Not sure who's supplying it this year, but for the last few years it's been Chevron afaik. Yamaha make a fortune selling their own branded oil to people who think it's specially made for yamaha a so must be the only oil to use. Any 10w40 semi synth bike oil will do the same job, but for less money than yamaha will charge you.

neamhspleachi

I find Yamalube to be very reasonably priced in MegaBikes in Dublin (I'm in no way affiliated with MegaBikes, just a heads-up)

Wonda-Boy

roadsmart wrote: »

Just be aware that yamalube isn't made by yamaha, it's made by the company who meets the specs required by yamaha for the lowest price. Not sure who's supplying it this year, but for the last few years it's been Chevron afaik. Yamaha make a fortune selling their own branded oil to people who think it's specially made for yamaha a so must be the only oil to use. Any 10w40 semi synth bike oil will do the same job, but for less money than yamaha will charge you.

I did not think for one minute that Yamalube was made by Yamaha, I had used 3 other oils before Yamalube on my FZ6, 2 of them high end brands and found that the bike was better with the Yamalube oil. Gear changes etc seemed more fluid....

Use what ever oil you want, the only oil I would stay away from is Rock Oil. But you will get a rake of lads saying that is great stuff so its all subjective.

CJhaughey

I use Motul. Its reasonably priced and high quality oil.
Lots of manufacturers specify a brand of oil to use in their engines, KTM spec Motorex at the moment, Others spec different brands, that I guess have a deal with the oil company involved.
No surprise that Honda probably spec Repsol for their EMEA machines anyway.
But in my experience good oil is worth paying for, it does a lot of work in modern bike engines and the difference in price between good and just mediocre oil is small in my experience.

the cats pajamas

I chose "castrol power one" for all who are interested

blade1

Motul here aswell.

the cats pajamas

Service is done and all went OK except the mess.
but there was a kind of grit in the old oil.
Can anyone tell me should i be worried and or what was is?
ill get a picture tonight but if i had to my best to describe it.
It was sparse but course. courser than sand , like a gritty hand wash

jimgoose

the cats pajamas wrote: »

Service is done and all went OK except the mess.
but there was a kind of grit in the old oil.
Can anyone tell me should i be worried and or what was is?
ill get a picture tonight but if i had to my best to describe it.
It was sparse but course. courser than sand , like a gritty hand wash

It sounds like sludge. Check out the crankcase venting, and make sure the engine is running hot enough - start with the coolant temp sensor.

Whatever oil-change interval you're using, halve it. Stick with good quality full-synthetic oils, like what you have. Next time you change it, flush with a gallon of diesel.

Any sign of white, mayonnaise-like stuff in the oil?

the cats pajamas

there was no sign of white.
I'll get a picture tonight .
better than explaining i think

Wonda-Boy

jimgoose wrote: »

It sounds like sludge. Check out the crankcase venting, and make sure the engine is running hot enough - start with the coolant temp sensor.

Whatever oil-change interval you're using, halve it. Stick with good quality full-synthetic oils, like what you have. Next time you change it, flush with a gallon of diesel.

Any sign of white, mayonnaise-like stuff in the oil?

Fully synthetic oil? Not all bikes like the full stuff I taught.......?

jimgoose

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Fully synthetic oil? Not all bikes like the full stuff I taught.......?

They don't like the friction-modifiers in car oil. In the past some Ile-Biler Suzuki clutches got a little grumpy with full-synth, but that's rare.

Wonda-Boy

jimgoose wrote: »

They don't like the friction-modifiers in car oil. In the past some Ile-Biler Suzuki clutches got a little grumpy with full-synth, but that's rare.

One of the lads I ride with put the good castrol fully synth oil in his bike, clutch was slipping all the time. It wasnt a Suzuki it was a Honda.....not disagreeing with you just throwing it out there.

jimgoose

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

One of the lads I ride with put the good castrol fully synth oil in his bike, clutch was slipping all the time. It wasnt a Suzuki it was a Honda.....not disagreeing with you just throwing it out there.

Fireblade, yeah? It can depend on the oil brand. Always look for JASO MA/MA2 compliance on the label.

CJhaughey

Full synthetic has differences as well, Ester synthetic is different from Hydrocracked synthetic.
They label them differently, Motul has HC and Ester listed on the front of the bottle.

jimgoose

CJhaughey wrote: »

Full synthetic has differences as well, Ester synthetic is different from Hydrocracked synthetic.
They label them differently, Motul has HC and Ester listed on the front of the bottle.

Aye. Ester technology is relatively new - for years they were mostly polyalphaolefins (PAO). And, the base oil in a full-synthetic, despite the name, usually comes from petroleum gas, although Mobil are using reformulated ethanol.

TeaBagMania

Have been running Castrol dinosaur oil in all my vehicles since the beginning of time without issue.

jimgoose

TeaBagMania wrote: »

Have been running Castrol dinosaur oil in all my vehicles since the beginning of time without issue.

Big, lazy V8s and a couple hogs, right?

TeaBagMania

jimgoose wrote: »

Big, lazy V8s and a couple hogs, right?

Lazy V8’s, hell yeah. Hogs… Never, I don’t ride Russian tractors missing two wheels