20w-50

[craftyex]

is 20w-50 grade oil ok to use in a 450r?

[bmf400ex]

yes, unless its in the teens to below zero temperature. 15/50 is better to use in the summer

[hrc]

What does your owners manual recomend?

[craftyex]

it recomends 10w-40 which is what i have been using, but i also have a few qts of 20w-50........

[crewworrior]

id probably use the reccommended oil in the cooler months and id use the 20w-50 in the heat of summer.

[Rico]

10w-40 in the cold months and definitly 20w-50 in the warmer months.

[craftyex]

thanks for the info!

i run 15w-50 synthetic year round

[Rico]

Petroleum oils are a lot more temperamental in cold weather compared to synthetics. That's why you can run a syn. 20w-50 in the winter and not have it as thick as honey compared to a petro oil of the same viscosity..:cool: Synthetics have very low pour points which help protect engines during cold weather starting but yet they offer excellent protection at hotter running temps.

ALL jet engines run synthetic if that tells you anything.

[sammy5x]

I have been running 20-50wt oil in my TRX450 and CRF450 for over 4 years now. Since they do not hold much oil to begin with, the thicker oil does not break down as quick. It does not mean to not change your oil as often. I took myTRX apart for the first time in two years and over 450 hours of racing and there was NO wear and tear at all! The cylinder still had cross marks on it. If it goes below 30 degrees then I switch to 10-40 for the TRX and to 5wt on the CRF but stay with the same brand and blend. Hope this helps.

[Rico]

Synthetics have a higher pour point than petroleum oils so running 20w-50 like I do year around is OK. Most 20w-50 synthetics have a pour point of around -40 F. Synthetics also don't have paraffins, which is like wax that is added to petroleum oils so they (Syn) don't thickin in cold weather like standard petroleum oils.

If your running petroleum oils then run a straight w40 or 10w-40 viscocity in cold weather. If your running synthetic it doesn't matter what the temp is because they laugh at cold weather.

[tfuchs]

Originally posted by Rico
Synthetics have a higher pour point than petroleum oils so running 20w-50 like I do year around is OK. Most 20w-50 synthetics have a pour point of around -40 F. Synthetics also don't have paraffins, which is like wax that is added to petroleum oils so they (Syn) don't thickin in cold weather like standard petroleum oils.

If your running petroleum oils then run a straight w40 or 10w-40 viscocity in cold weather. If your running synthetic it doesn't matter what the temp is because they laugh at cold weather.

Running a straight 40 in the winter would be really bad. That is a warm weather oil. you would be better off with the 20w50.


And a Good quality Petroleum Based oil will have a lower pour point that most other conventional oils.

I actually Run a 30W50 Competition Plus Racing Oil From Archer Oil. It is specifically designed for very hard running applications.

[Rico]

Originally posted by tfuchs
Running a straight 40 in the winter would be really bad. That is a warm weather oil. you would be better off with the 20w50.


And a Good quality Petroleum Based oil will have a lower pour point that most other conventional oils.

I actually Run a 30W50 Competition Plus Racing Oil From Archer Oil. It is specifically designed for very hard running applications.

Just run a synthetic no matter what the weather is. Thats the real fix to the problem.

[plkmonster2]

I run 15/50, the mobil red cap. Yeah, I can still get it here. I rode with my cousins in the winter, and it got below zero one night, I think it was -4. Anyways, I went to start it up aroudn 10 am or so to go riding on a lake that was totally frozen (yeah, we checked it first) The starter would barely turn the motor over! Had to heat the head up, and pull the clutch in and push my bike. The oil on the clutch was thick enough to slow the starter down.

[johnsls]

Whats the brand of choice?

I see Amsoil but what about others. ALSO where to buy? I know were supposed to stay away from the stealerships so where else can you buy?

[countypark]

I alway run Castrol GTX 20W50.

Changed before every race. It's been good for years on my race quad.

Had it apart before this season and it is perfect on the inside, no sludge no stains just nice.

nice shirt..lol showgirl

[johnsls]

I bought a quart last night of ROYAL PURPLE ,,, wow $10 per quart.

Maybe I should have went with Castrol.....

How much are others?

[tfuchs]

I sell Silkolene and Archer.

Silkolene 10w40 and 20w50 Off Raod ATV is $6.99
and Archer 20w50 High Torque is $2.99

Both are great products, It all depends on what you wanna spend. I also give free oil analisis with the Archer Oil products.

[EXevan91]

Originally posted by Rico
Just run a synthetic no matter what the weather is. Thats the real fix to the problem.

says the guy who sells it :)

as for prices wait till rico jumps on this post

[johnsls]

Sorry to beat this to a pulp but What about Castrol 20w-50

I'm not being cheap but just wondering. Walmart has it for $2.42 per quart. I figure you get what you pay for so this might not be good.

Let me know.

Oh I also tried ordering AMSOIL and by the time you add tax and shipping your paying over $10 a quart.. Is it worth it?
How come they don't sell this in stores?

[300exOH]

Originally posted by johnsls
Sorry to beat this to a pulp but What about Castrol 20w-50

I'm not being cheap but just wondering. Walmart has it for $2.42 per quart. I figure you get what you pay for so this might not be good.

Let me know.

Oh I also tried ordering AMSOIL and by the time you add tax and shipping your paying over $10 a quart.. Is it worth it?
How come they don't sell this in stores?

Just make sure the oil is designed for a wet clutch application or you could have clutch problems.

Amsoil is great stuff but it is pricey. You should be able to find high quality oils locally though for less money. I am considering trying Royal Purple motorcycle oil when I run out of the old red cap Mobile 1. I still have about 12 quarts so it may be a while.

[johnsls]

I had purchased Royal Purple at PEP Boys,, $10 per quart.

What about the Castrol 20W-50 (red cap) and what letters need to be seen on the bottles?

I guess for now I have to stick with RP,, a mechanic told me he's been using Mobil 1 for years, but others on here said your clutch will slip..:huh

thanks for your input.

[Plante400]

stick with 10 40 its the best all around...

[Rico]

Originally posted by Plante400
stick with 10 40 its the best all around...

This is a good rule of thumb to stick with using petroleum oils. If your using synthetics then you can run a thicker oil in colder weather.

Synthetics do not have paraffins added to them like petroleum oil, which is like wax and in colder months, these paraffins cause the oil to get very thick and flow poorly. Since there are no paraffins in synthetic a higher viscocity oil like 20w-50 will flow just fine in very cold temps. It will probably flow better than a 10w-40 petroleum oil in 20 degrees weather actually.

Remember that petroleum oils are NOT the same as synthetics so don't get the two mixed up in how they react to cold and hot weather.