born again enthusiast needs oil info?

[808Airhead]

You will find that Kurt always has good information to share,he is a real asset in this forum.
I am using a oil that most on here have probably not used/seen/heard of.I live in Hawaii so it is 80 degrees+ pretty much year round',and that has me using a 60 wt. oil.It is made by Valvoline and marketed as non-synthetic "racing oil" with ZDDP (Zinc) additives,and is advertised as a oil designed for flat tappet motors (like ours)......it is advertised as a racing formulation due to the Zinc content in it.
I use it and like how it does not burn out of the engine quickly and motor still sounds the same as when I got it (4k miles ago)....This is what I will always use as long as it is available and change it every 1k miles.
For the trans and final drive I am using the Valvoline synthetic 80-90wt.gear oil.

[schrader7032]

Thanks...I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express a few days ago...maybe that is helping out! =))

I can see your point with the 60wt there in Hawaii...you've got a pretty steady temperature so that's something you can count on. The rest of us poor yokels have to consider the changes in temps...

It's also a good point on the ZDDP. Make sure that the engine oil has an API rating of SG or no higher than SH. This will ensure a reasonable helping of ZDDP. There are other brands that carry even higher amounts. I attended an oil seminar at the BMWMOA national rally this year, put on by Spectro Oils. I'm sure I got some of the sales hype there, but I was impressed with the lengths that they go through to create good motorcycle oil. BMW oil is Spectro oil with a different label. What I got out of the info was that they blend oils that are at the higher end of the range that defines a specific type of oil. This way, as the oil breaks down, it still remains a true weight oil, (30w, 20w50, whatever) for a longer period of time. I guess they're saying that other companies don't necessarily do that, but create an oil that might be anywhere within the allotted range. If it happened to be at the low end of that range, it won't be giving you full protection for any length of time.

You also bring up how the oil can burn off quickly. I think this is a function of the additives and how they might burn off, reducing the volume and its effectiveness. So, a good quality oil will hold up longer and there won't be as much of that reduction in volume.

[Dominic]

Thanks guys.......I'll go with 80/90 for gearbox etc.