Oil type

[Higgins13]

castrol gtx 10w40 motorcycle oil

[DoD#i]

Well, I haven't bought any recently, so the price has likely gone up, but I think the last 5 quart bottle of Wallys-dang-mart SuperTech 10W40 was all of $7.99 - I expect the next will cost a bit more.

If it's 10W40 and has an API "full seal" its exactly as good as you'll ever need. Anything beyond that is paying too much for advertising and probably comes out of the same tank. The upcharge for synthetic is mostly for advertising...

The turbo had some reason to waste money on synthetic, since the turbo bearing is unavoidably hot. The GS does not. It is a low tech engine, and wasting money on expensive oil is wasting money you could use to buy gas and ride the thing more. The cheapest oil that meets specs today is far better than what it was designed to run happily on in 1988 or whenever they actually designed the motor.

Buy oil you can afford to change, and change it when you should. That makes far more difference than what brand you have feelings for, or synthetic .vs. non.

[RossLH]

Buy oil you can afford to change, and change it when you should. That makes far more difference than what brand you have feelings for, or synthetic .vs. non.

I'm not going to go real deep into it, but I will say I disagree with just about everything you said in that post. The price does not define the oil. Generally the cheap oils are loaded with cheap additives, and cheap synthetics aren't fully synthetic, but a $50/qt price tag does not make an oil exceptional. It all comes down to application. You touched that with the turbo comment (high temp/high shear index and all that good stuff).

That said, you are right in that there is absolutely no reason to buy an exotic $50/qt oil for the GS500.

[ohgood]

Buy oil you can afford to change, and change it when you should. That makes far more difference than what brand you have feelings for, or synthetic .vs. non.

I'm not going to go real deep into it, but I will say I disagree with just about everything you said in that post.

its OK to disagree, since the gs500 engine ( or any engine really) doesn't care if you spent $50 / ounce or $50 / 55 gallon drum. if your hang up is on his cheap the additives are, do some research and find the "expensive" additives, where they're produced, and to whome they are sold.

while you're doing that, folks will ride and enjoy a very low maintenance machine.

[DoD#i]

I'm not going to go real deep into it, but I will say I disagree with just about everything you said in that post.

P.T. Barnum knew you'd be born, and you were. You are essential to many business models.

[sledge]

There must be hundreds of types/makes of oil available that is suitable for the GS5. Is anyone likely to be influenced by anothers personal choice?......more to the point does anyone actually care what someone elses personal choice is?

[RossLH]

P.T. Barnum knew you'd be born, and you were. You are essential to many business models.

Subtle. I research the physical properties of oil and religiously send both used and unused oil samples to Blackstone Labs before considering price, and that makes me a sucker? That's quite the stance you have on education.

[ohgood]

P.T. Barnum knew you'd be born, and you were. You are essential to many business models.

Subtle. I research the physical properties of oil and religiously send both used and unused oil samples to Blackstone Labs before considering price, and that makes me a sucker? That's quite the stance you have on education.

no, that doesn't make you a sucker. that makes you a sucker, THRICE.

blackstone labs (unused) sample = once
blackstone labs (used) sample = twice
worrying about physical properties of oil = thrice

there may be more sucker procedures you're enjoying, like $18/ each sparkplugs, or using a HEPA filter on your intake, only using "premium" fuel, nitrogen in your tires, replacing the frame every 2,000 'hard' miles, or any one of many other un needed expenses.



seriously though... if blackstone labs says your x metal count is too high, will you disassemble the engine and replace all the bearings ? what is the point of testing if you will not ?

[RossLH]

seriously though... if blackstone labs says your x metal count is too high, will you disassemble the engine and replace all the bearings ? what is the point of testing if you will not ?

Wow. Because you're clearly intent on being ignorant, I'm just going to answer this one question. Used oil analysis is useful for determining whether you're using an appropriate oil, determining proper oil change intervals (because people who change their oil at 3000 miles are true suckers), and if something significantly changes from one oil change to the next, you can pinpoint a problem far before it sneaks up on you.

Its a sullen day when seeking information makes a person a sucker.

[ohgood]

seriously though... if blackstone labs says your x metal count is too high, will you disassemble the engine and replace all the bearings ? what is the point of testing if you will not ?

Wow. Because you're clearly intent on being ignorant, I'm just going to answer this one question. Used oil analysis is useful for determining whether you're using an appropriate oil, determining proper oil change intervals (because people who change their oil at 3000 miles are true suckers), and if something significantly changes from one oil change to the next, you can pinpoint a problem far before it sneaks up on you.

Its a sullen day when seeking information makes a person a sucker.

aha!  no real answers just side stepping and condescending tones.

I guess that's a no.

[RossLH]

That was a very straightforward answer to your question. But if you really want me to spoon feed it to you, fine. I daily drive a turbocharged car that is very notorious for spinning rod bearings, and I like to have fun with it. You damn well better believe I keep a close eye on things. And yes, if I suddenly start seeing copper levels rise I'll be putting money aside for a full scale engine build.

[DoD#i]

Well you see, that has about nothing to do with a GS, which is the beast under discussion, and I find that the "new bike" kitty grows a lot faster when I don't overspend on oil advertising, then spend another $25 to test the new oil, and then spend another $25 to see if I "could" run $5-10 worth of oil a bit longer rather than just change it out for fresh stuff. Picking the right oil is Suzuki's job, I let them take care of that. Making it meet the standards is the oil company's job, I let them do that. Changing it as specified so the assumptions made in those calculations are valid is my job, so I do that.

I just put money away on faith that it won't last forever, and I have more money to put away if i don't go chasing after expensive information that's mostly irrelevant. 6 oil changes at your desire for information will buy a used GS engine...and I don't think anybody who actually keeps oil in it has killed a GS engine in 18,000 miles in a manner that would have been different if they had analyzed their oil. Lord knows mine has been owned by some idiots before I got it, but it's still going strong at 121,000. Valve clearance matters a whole lot more to GS longevity than how much money you sent to Blackstone labs (who are quite happy to have you, I'm sure.)

[ohgood]

That was a very straightforward answer to your question. But if you really want me to spoon feed it to you, fine. I daily drive a turbocharged car that is very notorious for spinning rod bearings, and I like to have fun with it. You damn well better believe I keep a close eye on things. And yes, if I suddenly start seeing copper levels rise I'll be putting money aside for a full scale engine build.

great!  more condescending attitude! if it makes you feel good or superior, have at it.

back to points again.... so, how do you determine when its time to test the oil again, you know, to determine when the next oil change should be? twice a month? twice a year?  manufactures recommended duration for testing? ...... oh wait..... there isn't one.

hmm, get your spoon back out and feed me again, as to how testing intervals are determined.

[RossLH]

I send a sample of the used oil every time I change the oil. The oil change interval is determined by the degradation of the oil (thus why the unused sample was needed). Every oil is different, every driver is different, and every engine is different. I tend to beat on my car pretty consistently, so the OCI doesn't really change, though it is much higher than most would expect. Also, for the record, I've been a Blackstone customer since the tests were free, and even now I pay next to nothing for tests.

As for the bike....DoD is right, none of this applies. As I said earlier, there is no reason to go crazy with the oil in an old GS500.

[ohgood]

good lord, I believe a testing snob just confirmed that

testing isn't necessary
and
oil change intervals don't change
and
they won't actually tear down an engine if the testing says its almost dead.


awesome, and its only Monday!

( if there was a "thanks" button on tapatalk for this forum, I would have pressed it for your reply )

[RossLH]

good lord, I believe a testing snob just confirmed that

testing isn't necessary
and
oil change intervals don't change
and
they won't actually tear down an engine if the testing says its almost dead.


awesome, and its only Monday!

Not at all. Conversely, you've just proven your reading comprehension is suffering. I recommend testing for oil change intervals to everyone who thinks changing their oil every 3k or 5k miles is necessary. Once you've determined an interval, feel free to stop with the tests, but in the long run you can save a lot of money knowing your oil is consistently good for 12000-15000 miles. Oil change intervals don't typically change, but for every car, driver, and oil, the interval will be different.

Also, read this again, you seem to have missed it:

And yes, if I suddenly start seeing copper levels rise I'll be putting money aside for a full scale engine build.

In summation:
Used oil analyses are not absolutely necessary, but I recommend them to everyone in order to determine their optimal change interval.
Oil intervals don't typically change, but they can be much longer than the industry would like you to think. That brings us back to the used oil analyses.
If a used oil analysis shows my bearings are going bad, I will be tearing down the engine to do a full scale engine build.

[ohgood]

good lord, I believe a testing snob just confirmed that

testing isn't necessary
and
oil change intervals don't change
and
they won't actually tear down an engine if the testing says its almost dead.


awesome, and its only Monday!

Not at all. Conversely, you've just proven your reading comprehension is suffering. I recommend testing for oil change intervals to everyone who thinks changing their oil every 3k or 5k miles is necessary. Once you've determined an interval, feel free to stop with the tests, but in the long run you can save a lot of money knowing your oil is consistently good for 12000-15000 miles. Oil change intervals don't typically change, but for every car, driver, and oil, the interval will be different.

Also, read this again, you seem to have missed it:

And yes, if I suddenly start seeing copper levels rise I'll be putting money aside for a full scale engine build.

In summation:
Used oil analyses are not absolutely necessary, but I recommend them to everyone in order to determine their optimal change interval.
Oil intervals don't typically change, but they can be much longer than the industry would like you to think. That brings us back to the used oil analyses.
If a used oil analysis shows my bearings are going bad, I will be tearing down the engine to do a full scale engine build.

nah, I'm just picking the parts I like, and enjoying the contradictions as you go.

keep talking!

[RossLH]

Feel free to explicitly point out any contradictions. So far you've managed to call me a sucker for seeking real information, completely failed to read my answers to your questions, and then accuse me of contradicting myself. If you're going to continue to beat around the bush, I'm done here.

[burning1]

I've been running UOA on my BMW since I bought it.

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325443

I found a broken clutch plate on the bike. I'm hoping that the ALU levels will fall to normal on the next change.

The GS500 follow the universal law of oil priorities. Your priorities are:

The engine has oil
The engine has fresh oil
The engine has good oil

For what it's worth, a good quality group IV synthetic oil will burn much slower than a Goup IV synthetic, Group III synthetic or Group II conventional oil. That alone might be worth the cost of admission.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Mobil1 in my lawn mower!!