Difference between revisions of "What Motor Oil Should You Use?"

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===API Grade===
===API Grade===
[[Image:API-donut-BAD.JPG|right|thumb|Do NOT use this oil in your motorcycle.]]
[[Image:API-donut-BAD.JPG|right|thumb|Do NOT use this oil in your motorcycle.]]
To the right you'll see an example of the API Service Symbol, also known as the API Donut.
To the right you'll see an example of the API Service Symbol, also known as the API donut. This is on most bottles of motor oil sold in the U.S.  If it ''isn't'' on the bottle, that means the oil has not been certified to meet API standards. 


This tells you three things:
The API donut tells you three things:
#API Service and Grade
#API Service and Grade
#SAE weight
#SAE weight
#Whether the oil is "Energy Conserving"
#Whether the oil is "Energy Conserving"


This label is controlled by the [http://www.api.org/ API].  Manufacturers are required to submit samples of their oil for testing by independent (from the manufacturer) labs to certify that the oil really does meet the requirements to carry the API Donut, and what that donut says.
This label is controlled by the [http://www.api.org/ API].  Manufacturers are required to submit samples of their oil for testing by independent (from the manufacturer) labs to certify that the oil really does meet the requirements to carry the API donut, and what that donut says.


The API publishes a [http://new.api.org/certifications/engineoil/categories/upload/EngineOilGuide2006.pdf pamphlet] explaining the donut.
The API publishes a [http://new.api.org/certifications/engineoil/categories/upload/EngineOilGuide2006.pdf pamphlet] explaining the donut.
'''Energy Conserving''' motor oil will increase a vehicle's mileage.  However, the common wisdom in the motorcycling community is that the additives used to achieve this higher mileage is detrimental to a wet clutch, which most motorcycles sold in the U.S. have.
There is no objective evidence to support this notion.  But, there are plenty of oils that are not rated "Energy Conserving," so it's probably best to err on the side of caution and not use "Energy Conserving" motor oils.  Plus, it's mostly a non-issue.  The vast majority of such oils are 5W-30 weight, and few if any motorcycles use that low of a weight of oil.
The '''API Service''' is the first letter of the code in the top of the donut.
*"'''S'''" - gasoline service
*"'''C'''" - diesel service
The subsequent letters give the particula grade of the service that the oil meets.
For gasoline service, the grades are assigned alphabetically, and any grade meets all of the previous grade's requirements.  Thus, service and grade "'''SJ'''" meets all of the requirements for grades '''SH''', '''SG''', '''SF''', etc.  (Some letters were intentional skipped by API.)
The diesel grades are more complicated, as there are different kinds of diesel service, such as "severe duty, high speed, four-stroke engines using fuel with less than 0.5% weight sulfur" as opposed to "severe duty, two-stroke cycle engines."
Mark Lawrence has put together a nice summary of the various API grades on [http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/API.html this webpage].
Your owner's manual will tell you the minimum API service and grade you need to use in your motorcycle.
But perhaps you want to go above and beyond the minimum requirements?  See the More Information section below.
===SAE Weight===
The API donut also tells you the SAE weight of the motor oil.
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