I figure this issue is like women. You can settle for an ugly one, but for just a bit more effort you can find a pretty one!

The difference in cost is absolutely negligable. The little bit of money you save running petro won't even buy you a can of beer!

I would bet that the average quad owner changes his oil once a year, if that. I have 8 quads, and I run Maxima Extra at $8 per liter in everything. I change the 450R at no more than 5 hours. On the 400 sport bikes I average 10 hours, but will go 20 in a pinch. My lower end machines average 20+ hours between changes.

All the oil I consume in one year, doesn't cost as much as the gas for my Suburban hauling my trailer full of quads on a day trip.
Sometimes economy is false economy!

 

That is not what these people say; check it out.

oil thread
another oil thread And there are more posts that prove my point.

Hmmmmmm. lets do some more math.
You say you have 8 quads. Lets say they use 4 quarts apiece. You said the oil you use costs 8 bones a quart. Now, 8x4=$32 a quad/change. 8 quads x $32 dollars a change=$256 dollars for your fleet of quads for one change!!!!!!

You say that some go 5 hours some go 10 and some go 20. Lets average 10.

Now I don't know how much you ride but lets say conservatively 100 hours/ year/ fleet.
$256x100= $2,560 a year!!!!!!
Now I don't know what kind of beer you drink. and I do know biochemist's make a lot of money, but damn!!!!!!!!!! You must drink the good stuff!!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

The pretty ones spend all of your hard earned money!!!!! I must have got lucky, best of both words for me. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

I'm all mathed out for the day, time to go riding!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Maintenance issues are why I will never buy ANY vehicle used! You don't know what the previous owners idea if reasonable maintenance was..............

 

Doctorturbo..........LMAO.....Funny thing happened to me today.....Went out snow riding with my wifes quad (LT230) after about 2 hours of riding the engine started to act like it was dragging (but no odd noises) and within 30 sec I hear 1 screach and done! Locked up tight as hell. I come home and check my records and the engine has natural oil in it (atric cat 10w-40) and it's full! So after I tear into it I will pay close attention but my first impression is that this is going to be oil related! WIFE is pissed because she hasn't got to ride it all year [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I knew I should of switched her quad to syn oil [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I tend to agree with Doctorturbo (about 4 strokes). All my cars, I replace oil and filter every 3000miles. I have run quite a few cars over 200,000 miles with 10w-40 Penzoil. I have heard the argument that I can run more miles between changes with synthetic, but I prefer to change my oil more often. Now by the time the car gets to 200,000 many other things are going wrong with it, but engine lubrication or using oil is not one of them. Now with reguard to two strokes, seems these engines just don't last as long as 4 strokes, and oil is more important an issue with them, so I use synthetic in my 2-stroke toys: jetskis, quads, snowmobiles. But not in the chain saw, weedwacker or outboard dingy motor.
Bryce

 

SYNTHETICS can make your clutch slip. Never tryed it on a stock motor but if you are putting the power down its not a good ideal. It took us twice to figure this one out. On a $650.00 barnett dirtdigger clutch system and on a $1000.00 Hinson clutch system. But if your running stock i dont know try it see what happens. but if your puttin lets say more than 40hp to the back tires i would not try it. The best oil i have found is yamalube 20-40.

 

Just to add a little more fuel to the fire, from a lubricant forum. This info is about Maxima Extra:

http://forums.noria.com/groupee/foru...1/r/1711023701


Statements like "synthetics can make your clutch slip" are really somewhat humerous, because the different groups of synthetics are as different as night and day. Different chemically, physically......different in every way. If you want to say that the particular synthetic YOU picked made YOUR clutch slip, well that might be true, but to lump ALL synthetics together is just silly.

If clutch slipping is an issue for you, then even more the reason you need a motorcycle specific oil that is JASO MA!

 

Key word being CAN!!!!!!

I was just trying to help the guy out. He can try what he wants. Synthetics are a good oil i will never run them. But to each his own. If you found one that work good Then great!! I dont think its worth taking a chance anymore on the clutches. But like i said to each his own.

 

DriverDoyle here is a post that Scooby talks about slipping clutches and Synthetic oils. He stated (now I'm paraphrasing) that he has used many, many different oils and he has found out the what you are stating; Syn's and high output motors with wet clutches don't mix. This guy knows his stuff about motors and clutches. He also has the $$'s to buy the best. He also has the smarts to know what works and what dosen't. He is not the only person I have heard on this forum talk about synthetic oils and slipping clutches with high output engines.
Scooby talk

 

Sounds like he is saying about the same thing i am.