Speedo Seats & Luggage- racks Frame Chassis Suspension Forktubes Wheels Brake Fenders Gastanks Motorparts Gaskets Intake Transmission & Driveline Exhaust Electrical & Lights Handlebars, Cables & Mirrors Oil tanks Oil & Chemicals Fasteners Windshields Forward controls, Footpegs Miscellaneous OIL & CHEMICALS 19 1699 AFTERMARKET PARTS & ACCESSORIES FOR CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES / MOTORCYCLESTOREHOUSE.COM The purpose of oil The primary function of oil is quite straight forward. Provide a lubrication film to prevent objects from touching each other and keeping parts cool by removing heat. In the reality of life it is not quite as simple as it sounds. A racing engine oil is different from a transmission oil or oil used for a steam engine. The purpose of lubrication is reducing friction, wear and damage to the components point of contact. Hydrodynamic lubrication is where the point of contacts do not have contact, no wear exists, this is the ideal situation. For hydrodynamic lubrication, fast moving parts and a high flow of oil is necessary, imagine a water skier. With insufficient speed and/or water things go wrong. Therefore, slow moving parts are more difficult to lubricate, this requires a higher viscosity oil. Additives are used to protect surfaces at contact. Slow moving parts combined with high pressure are most difficult to lubricate, in a motorcycle think transmission gears. Especially effective additives are required. Oil companies are never 'ready'. New developments are required for constantly changing requirements. Improved performance, especially true for motorcycles, will demand more from an oil then ever before. Base oils All oil companies use so called 'base oils' in the manufacturing of oils. These base oils are all mineral, petroleum based. Synthetic base oils are made from mineral oils that are changed on a molecular level, a costly process, to obtain qualities, for certain applications, that are unobtainable with a mineral base oil. A Semi-Synthetic, logically, combines a mineral and synthetic oil to give a maximum cost effective quality. To these base oils additives are added in a blending process. Adding the specific additives will make it possible for the engineer to compose a specific oil for a specific application. Mono-Grade oils Cold oil is thick (high viscosity) and the hotter the oil gets the thinner it becomes (low viscosity). That is how the viscosity in old-style mono-grade, or single grade, oils behave. In extreme situations such an oil would become extremely thick in cold weather, making engine start in a couple of degrees below zero, very hard to impossible and initial lubrication after the engine start/up could not be guaranteed for the first moments. In contrary conditions, such as extreme warm weather the same oil would become very thin, which could cause metal to metal contact. Therefore in the winter a thinner 20 grade / weight could be used, in warmer weather a thicker 50 grade / weight to compensate for the higher ambient temperature. In extreme situations, like continuous high speed riding, a too thin oil could result in a situation which is dreaded by every bike rider... an oil film break. This is when the presence of the protective oil film can no longer be sustained between the moving objects, allowing metal to metal contact. This causes friction, a quick heat buildup, more friction and heat, which ultimately, in the worst case scenario, can result in the destruction or otherwise damages components. Multi-Grade oils Al giant leap forward in designing a more useful oil was multi-grade oil. The basic of a multi-grade oil is actually two types of oil viscosity in one. With mono-grades you had to choose the right oil for a given temperature, like in the winter a thinner 20 weight, in warmer weather a thicker 50 weight. A 20W50 multi-grade acts like a 20 weight when it's cold, and like a 50 weight when it hot. This multi-viscosity gives the oil a wider temperature range in which it is operable. The multi-grade system is achieved by adding VI improvers (Viscosity Improvers). These are polymers that are a kind like spaghetti. When the oil is cold the polymers are curledup, giving a low-viscosity 20 weight oil. With increasing oil temperature the polymers stretch-out, increasing the oils viscosity to a thicker 50 weight oil. Under extreme pressure polymers have a tendency to break, for instance when they are crushed between the gears in a transmission, as happens when used with motorcycles that use a combined motor oil / transmission oil. Therefore special developed motorcycle oils are required to cope with those circumstances. As with anything, there is a cheap and expensive solution. That better quality polymers are more expensive is no surprise. Synthetic oils Synthetic oil became very popular in the 90's, although synthetics already existed much longer, they were used since the 70's in demanding applications such as the space industry. Synthetic base oils are made by either hydrocracking mineral oils (group 3) or by modifying ethylene by chemical reactions (PAO or Polyalphaolefin group 4 type). Mineral oils consist of numerous different types of molecules, some of them have qualities we don't like (e.g. they react easily to oxygen, giving unwanted oxidation products). Synthetic base oils are changed on a molecular level, a costly process, but can give lubrication qualities that are unobtainable with a mineral base oil. By optimizing the structure of the molecules, synthetic base oils have better properties than mineral oils, ensuring better protection under severe conditions. A semisynthetic, logically, combines a mineral and a fully synthetic oil to give a maximum cost effective quality. Modern synthetic oils can, unlike popular believe, safely be mixed with half-synthetic and even full mineral oils since they are all based on hydrocracked base oils (group 3) or PAO (Polyalphaolefin group 4). Synthetic oils with polyglycol and such, cannot be mixed, but these are exclusively used in large industrial applications, like gear oils etc., which are not used in the automotive or motorcycle transport sector. It may, however, not be advisable to start using a synthetic oil in an older motorcycle that previously used a mineral oil for a long time. The greater cleaning capacity of synthetic oil could, in theory, loosen certain deposits which may clog or otherwise obstruct oil passages. Especially in older engines synthetics may increase oil consumption somewhat due to a cleaner engine and / or larger internal tolerances. Non-lubrication jobs Oil can have several other characteristics, required for a specific application. Well known is removing heat. To help oil do this job effectively, sometimes an oil cooler is used. Corrosion protection, when objects come in contact with water, acids and such is of importance. Deposits of metal particles, chemical reaction by-products of fuel, corrosion, oxidation processes and such may obstruct tiny oil passages, within the engine or transmission. Therefore special additives are used to keep these particles afloat in the oil instead of becoming deposits which, in time, could clog or otherwise obstruct an oil passage. An engine oil does not just lubricate pistons and rings but actively helps the piston rings seal to prevent combustion pressure from leaking past the piston rings. Gear oil Gear oils are different from motor oils. Gears in a transmission are relatively slow moving but pressures are high. The gears tend to mangle Viscosity Improvers, therefore a good quality must be used. Gears are prone to suffer from 'surface welding', something that will happen when the oil film gives up. This is a damage that occurs to the surface of gears and will show as pitting. Therefore EP (Extreme Pressure) additives are additionally used to protect gears. Wet clutch Many motorcycles, like most non H-D models, use a combined motor and transmission oil, where the clutch works in the same environment (wet clutches). When an oil is suitable for use with wet clutches you will find the JASO-MA specification on the bottle. In modern oils Friction Modifiers are often used, this to minimize friction and therefore fuel consumption. This slippery oil may not work well at all with wet clutches as used in motorcycles. Older style oils, including ancient mono-grades, may meet JASO-MA standards just as they are. In all cases where oils that are specifically approved for use with wet clutches, they will always carry the JASO-MA specification. Automotive oils are therefore not a good choice for motorcycles, unless you're into possible slipping clutch surprises afterwards. Classification For all oil specifications / classification there are international rules to which oil must comply. The ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) is a car manufacturers club that represents the interests of its members, most major European automobile manufacturers. A such you will find ACEA oil classifications on oils when they comply with their quality standards. In the United States this role is fulfilled by the API (American Petroleum Institute). You will find ACEA or API approvement on most oil cans. That, however, does not say everything on the quality and endurance of the additives that were used in the production process. Hence the major price differences you can encounter although ACEA/API classifications can be identical. Viscosity The oil is usually measured at a temperature of 100 & 40°C. The oil is run through thin vertical tubes. The time that is required for the oil to travel a specific distance, is muliplied with a calibration factor. These values are inserted in a formula, rusulting in the VI (viscosity Index). Information provided by Motorcycle Storehouse When Motorcycle Storehouse decided to develop a Motorcycle Storehouse oil product line we knew it had to be great from the start. No shortcuts were taken at any time during the design and production of Motorcycle Storehouse lubrication products. Quality base oils blended with the right additives are used to produce a product that will provide what you demand. Lubricants that can be trusted to give the ultimate protection for your bike in all circumstances. THE SECRETS OF OIL For those, interested enough in the technical side of lubrication, we advise you to read the story 'The Secrets of Oil' for some interesting inside information on lubrication. These are facts, written for your information, straight from the engineers that work in the laboratories where our oils are designed. GREAT FROM THE FIRST GO!
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