What I don't get is that someone will drop $1,000 on big tires and fancy wheels without a thought, then bitch about having to spend $20 for an oil change once or twice a year!

Face it, most folks (and I bet even most of you if you are really honest!), neglect oil changes (and lets not even discuss valve adjustments!), and maybe do an oil change once a year. Seeing this is the case, you know it is even more important to run a synthetic that can stand up to an extended drain interval!

The 15W50 ester synthetic oil I run in hot weather, has the same pumpability when cold that a 10W40 petroleum oil has. So, I can get the protection of a 50 weight when the engine is hot, yet get the protection of a lighter weight on a cold startup (which is when most wear occurs!!!). Just one example of the superiority of a synthetic. Sure they are more expensive...but it is for a good reason....

 

reconranger i change at least 3 time a year and more often during the drought we have here in north Ga. this has been the dryest summer where i live in as long as i can remember since i was a kid , i don't go by mileage or hour's when it come to all my vehickles i go by how cleans Looks and Feel's and also the smell of the oil ; i do the same with my 87' Chevy S10 Tahoe Long bed pick up truck with the 2.8 liter V6 EFI Engine and theTransmission fluid and strainer and pan gasket ! Also my 88' GMC S1500 Jimmy 4x4 with the 4.3 liter V6 EFI and the THM 700 R4 Auto Trans with the 4 speed overdrive Transmission ; and i check my oil and trans fuild Transfer case oil and for torn CV Boot's once a week and clean out the old grease in the CV joints and repack them with a good marine grade Grease ! And most importantly the air filter's i don't go by mileage on my automobiles are the mileage and hour's on my quad's i check the air filer's once a week or evertime i fill up my gas tank i check the engine oil , and transmission fluid , brake fluid level the radiator over flow bottle for coolant level , Battery cable's for corrosion and last but least i remove the wing nut , and take off throddle body top remove the filter and hold it up to the light to see if i can see through it ! I check my spark plugs every 6 months to check the color and check the plug gap , i also check the rear end gear oil onch a year and change it every 2 years ! I check all these on my 06' Arctic Cat 400 4x4 the same way but more often on the AC ATV because i only ride on dirt road's and trail's , no blacktop to wear out the tire's so it get's seviced more often because all of the dust i eat when riding with my brother i will slow down or stop to let him get far enough ahead to cut down on the dust ! My brother stop's and wait's on me to catch up , and i always tell him the reason i would get far behind him is the dust my quad and myself have to eat when riding in the rear ; then he let's take the lead and i have to wait on him to catch up and he tell's me he didn't know how bad the dust he was kicking up untill he followed me and eat my dust ! I've got one of those Industrial chemical restprerator mask but it is hard to get my helmet over the head straps , but i use it as much as possible and don't forget to load it with my riding gear ; but i for one know's how important it is to check everthing on my quad because of over 20 yrs in the Small Engine Service and Repair Industy i have seen it all ! Lawn and Garden Equipment get more abuse than any small engine i've ever seen , clogged up airfilters dirt and and grass sticking all over engine block on the head is just like putting a blanket in between your grille and radiator and getting clogged up under the pull start blower fan cover; and even an electric start engine get's grass and dirt that get's sucked under the flywheel and blower fan cover that's the only thing to cool these type of engine's people just don't think about what cools the air cooled engine's on lawn mower's ! So i do know how important it is the oil changing and air filter's cleaned or replaced ! ..........................

 

I too use the Valvoline ATV oil in my rubicon as it takes 5.2 freakin quarts- great stuff! In engines that I keep near or above redline and take less oil i use amsoil motercycle oil.

 

I started this topic only to say that if you are using "car oil" because of the low price, the Valvoline ATV oil is a better choice. At 3.39$/qt, it is about the same cost as car oil. Also, it is better for your ATV than car oil because of what is in it (more anti-wear additives) and what is not in it (energy conserving friction modifiers).



ocean

 

Not quite sure what you meant by GN4 having to meet cat converter specs and not having as good an additive package???? GN4 isn't my favorite oil by any means, but from the VOA's that I have seen, it has at least a respectable additive package.

If you want a monster additive package, then go with Maxima. Their oils are double most other motorcycle oils. If you are working on the cheap, their Premium (basic petroleum oil) goes for around $4 a liter (bigger than a quart), which makes it in the ballpark with your Valvoline.....

http://www.sportrider.com/tech...0310_oil/photo_03.html

 

Hello Recon, I agree with you, the Maxima premium is a good choice for cost cutting car oil users. Also, I agree that Honda GN4 is a good oil.
My comments about catalytic converter equiped motorcycles and GN4 additive package all pertain to phoshorus content. As I remember, The API SJ Honda motorcycle oils have about 0.1 wt.% phosphorus (I can't remeber where I got that info). I assume they limit it's content because of catalytic converter equiped motorcycles. Valvoline ATV oil has 0.96 wt.% phosphorus. I suspect they can raise the % because ATV's do not have catalytic converters.
I went on Maxima's website. No doubt - they make oil for people who want the best. I see they have an ATV specific oil. It would be interesting to know if it has a higher phosphorus % than Maxima's motorcycle oils.

 

How common are cat converter street bikes???

I think the cautions on the cat converters are overstressed. I run RedLine (ester synthetic) oil in my trucks. It is API SG (just try to find a car/diesel oil these days that is still SG!!!), and while I can't remember the specific numbers, their tech department says they are interested in engine protection as a first priority.

That said, I live in California and our vehicles have to pass an emissions certification every couple years in this state. Even though I have been running RedLine which has high levels of ZDDP, my trucks always pass the test and are way below levels where you would have to start replacing a cat. So, the moral of the story is it probably isn't the big deal that the manufacturers make out of it.

If you look at the specs, Maxima ATV oil is pretty close to their 10W40 Premium motorcycle oil. They probably just bottle it that way for marketing purposes....

 

Yamalube all the way in my bikes and mobil clean 5000 in my trucks and cars(still changed every 3000)

 

A December 2003 EPA paper states that nearly 1/5 of motorcycles sold in the US in recent years have catalytic converters. 16 motorcycle manufactures represented in the US have catalytic converters on some models. I assume it is true (?) I would have not guessed the number was that high.
It been a long time since I looked into this, but did'nt the old API SG motorcycle oils reduce the anti-wear additives and become API SJ partly because of catalytic converters on motorcycles?

 

i too use use this oil, and my quad is pretty decked out ,as far as performance!!!!