Choose the right motorcycle oil and set your bike up for better performance, long term value for money and a safer ride.
If you love your bike – which we are guessing you do – you’ll want to help preserve its engine with an oil that focuses on efficiency and performance. By choosing the right lubricants for your motorcycle, you’re setting it up with wear protection to make your bike go the distance. With over 20 years of experience supplying oils to our customers, we’ve got a bank of knowledge to help our customers find the right combination of lubricants for their motors. Read on for our top 5 tips to choose an oil that suits your motorbike – whether you are a joyrider, racer or motor-enthusiast!
1. Pick the right viscosity for your climate
Viscosity is high on the list of considerations when choosing a motorcycle oil for good reason – your oil thickness will determine how well it flows through the engine and protects your components. If the viscosity of your oil is too low for your climate, metal surfaces may come into contact with each other, resulting in excessive friction, higher oil temperatures, and reduced wear protection. If the viscosity is too high, reduced flow and excessive fluid friction may result, also increasing wear. Most motor enthusiasts will know that selecting the right viscosity for your climate is a bit of a balancing act. You’ll need to consider factors like the season, regional temperatures and the type of riding that’ll be taking place.
2. Use different oils for your engine, transmission, and primary case
It’s a common misconception that one motorcycle oil is good for everything. Your dealer might disagree with us but as oil specialists, we know that not all lubricants are created equal. Often, dealerships will use one oil for easier inventory management – but if you are managing your own engine maintenance, multiple oils for different components will better protect your engine, transmission and primary case. Why is it wrong to just use motor oil in the transmission? Simply put, motor oils contain additives specific to keeping contaminants in suspension. Since transmissions don’t have to deal with the by-products of an internal combustion engine, wouldn’t you select gear oil with chemistry that is optimized for the conditions? It is safe to say that the problem with a compromise is that you can’t do any one job really well. Three of the most popular Red Line products for motorcycle gearboxes and clutches include V-Twin Primary Case Oil, Motorcycle 80W Gear Oil with Shockproof, and V-Twin Transmission Oil with Shockproof.
3. Go for high performing oils over cheap and cheerful
When you have invested in a motorbike that you love, why would you pollute its engine with oils that could unwittingly cause damage and greater expense down the track? Like anything, with oils you get what you pay for – so investing in the right oil for your bike is a no-brainer. The long term benefits of premium oils far outweigh the short term savings of an inferior oil no matter what type of bike you have.
4. Consider using synthetic motorcycle oils for superior lubrication
Compared with mineral oils, synthetic oils are more chemically stable and less likely to oxidise and acidify. Mineral oil can break down with high loads, high speeds and high temperatures, whereas synthetic oils have uniform molecules to provide better protection for your engine. Our Red Line motorcycle oils are known for their stability over a wide range of temperatures due to the best base stocks with added zinc and phosphorus.
5. Never use a car motor oil for your motorbike
If you take one piece of advice from this blog, let it be this. There was a time when motorcycles could use an oil designed for cars, but friction modifiers have since been added to automobile oils to increase fuel efficiency – so it’s best to avoid them for your bike. Car oils with friction modifiers can cause your motorcycle clutch to slip, stopping you from moving forward and reducing your control over the bike.
If you want more advice on motorcycle oil, read our page on Red Line oils or give our team a call on 1800 015 580 – as the Red Line oil distributors for Australia, we’ve got all the information you need to choose the best oil for your bike.
