Any of you guys are using this oil? If my memory do not failed me,there was a humongous tread back in the old forum about using this brand,anyone want to chime in as any comment / experience?
thanks

I used it in my ZZR1200 and never had any issues. I tried it in the ZX14 and the cam chain tensioner would start to rattle after about 2500 miles so it seemed to me that it was breaking down pre-maturely so I switched back to Mobil 1 15/50.

I'm still using it. BUT, they changed the formula to meet the new truck emissions. From what I've read it not as good as the old formula. My next change I will be sending a sample off to Blackstone to see if this is the case. Just like Keendog, glad to see you found us Keendog, wrote the cam chain adjuster will start to rattle around 2500 miles. But it is so cheap I just change it when it starts to rattle and forget it.

My gearbox goes south in about half that amount of miles is rattle my dogs. Yes, I followed that thread and added the wag the tail on the donkey is 50/50 or full 4 quarts of the same stuff is she still shits out the rear end at about a K nine or 10 miles after that is she is dump my oil or adjust my rear chain; someone is off howling at the moon.
Oil is crude distilled. You gonna change on the rattle or keep guessing what oil to use? I keep mixing weights and chemicals additives is she is done in a about 877miles is give or take a K/Link is not a link, it was the oil then.

Why risk it? go with an oil they you know works.

Why risk it? go with an oil they you know works.

If your asking me Hoopie that's why I'll be sending in a sample to Blackstone Lab my next oil change. Didn't see where they had changed the formula till after I bought it. I've got just a little over 21K on it right now. With the warmer weather I'll put 2500 miles on this oil in no time. I'll post what they say when I do.

Does it meet JASO MA specs? smart to get it tested if you insists on using it.

I would not use Rotella in my motorcycles, nor in the cars for that matter. We have had lot of discussion about it in the old forum.

I use Royal Purple Cycle Max 10w40, great stuff.

I remember Steven. But I still think it was just to thin @ 5W/40 to use in your Daughters 100K + car with it being as hot as it is all year there in Sunny Calie. Just like it drains out of the cam chain tensioner on the 14 I'm guessing it drained out back into the oil pan. Then her car made noise till the galleys filled back up. For winter use with the tighter clearances in the 14's motor I didn't see any problem. And Blackstone Lab didn't see any problem. But now with Shell changing the formula, I'm not so 100% sure anymore. Till I get it tested again at least.

saved this from the old forum. BG, you may want to post this as a sticky somewhere. old quote from kruz...

Though marketed as an engine oil for diesel trucks, Rotella oil has found popularity with motorcyclists as well. The properties of heavy duty engine oils tend to map to the same requirements of motorcycle oils, particularly those whose engine and transmission share the same oil. (This is called a "shared sump" design, which is unlike automobiles which maintain separate oil reservoirs - one for the engine and one for the transmission). The chemical additives found in heavy duty engine oils work well with motorcycles. In addition, the lack of "friction modifiers" in truck oils such as Rotella means they do not interfere with proper wet clutch operations.

Though not yet officially announced by Shell, posts in various motorcycle-related forums cite e-mail confirmation from Shell that Rotella 15W-40 CJ-4 has been tested and shown to meet the JASO-MA friction test. This particular certification is important for motorcycles because of the clutch design which is bathed in the engine oil. This is known as a "wet clutch." Oils that have excessive "friction modifiers" tend to make wet clutches slip. Indication that Rotella T Triple Protection passes the JASO-MA friction test offers one more reason to seriously consider Rotella T for motorcycle use.

Motorcycle specific oils tend to cost between $8 and $10 per quart. Shell Rotella T 15W-40 costs about $10 per gallon (or about $2.50/quart). The price economy of Shell Rotella T allows a motorcycle owner to change oil more frequently, thus matching the "extended change interval" value of motorcycle specific synthetics.

Originally Posted by Richard Moore, Staff Engineer, Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Westhollow Technology Center, PO Box 4327, Houston, TX 77210, United
States of America
Date: 1/18/2008
We recently ran the JASO MA friction test on Rotella T with Triple
Protection 15W-40, Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 (CI-4) and our soon to be
introduced (within the next 2 months) Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 CJ-4.
All three oils passed the wet clutch friction test. Rotella T Synthetic
5W-40 (CI-4) has more than 1.2% ash (JASO MA spec limit) so it can not
be classified as JASO MA. However, Rotella T with Triple Protection
15W-40 and our soon to be introduced Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 CJ-4 do
meet JASO MA."

If you have any additional questions please call us at 800-231-6950.
Thank you for your interest in Shell products.
__________________
basically, the new stuff is better than the old because it does meet JASO standards.
i'm still wondering what the shelf life of this stuff is though?

* Last updated by: reevesmreeves on 3/9/2009 @ 11:13 AM *

Only run Mobil one 10-40 in the winter and the 20-50 in the summer in there motorcycle specific oil with a M110 filter its the longer one and will give you a little more oil in your system. If you dont want to pay the big bucks for an m110 get the pure-1 filter it would be the next best thing. If your going to get rid of it after a couple of years and or very low miles who cares run the cheepest stuff you can find. I would not put anything shell makes in my bike!

* Last updated by: buck20 on 3/16/2009 @ 4:11 AM *

I have over 30,000 miles on my VTX 1300C and ZX-14 using nothing but Rotella 5W-40 synthetic changed every 3000 miles. The new formula has no changes that I'm aware of that would affect it's use in a motorcycle. Shell does not market it specifically as a motorcycle oil but rather for turbo-diesel truck and passenger car engines. It is non-energy conserving which just means it has no friction modifiers (molybdenum) which would affect a wet clutch.

Kruz

Philhnnss wrote:

I remember Steven. But I still think it was just to thin @ 5W/40 to use in your Daughters 100K + car with it being as hot as it is all year there in Sunny Calie. Just like it drains out of the cam chain tensioner on the 14 I'm guessing it drained out back into the oil pan. Then her car made noise till the galleys filled back up.

You must have read my mind! In all the years I have been using this stuff I have heard exactly one complaint.

Phil, could you post your Blackstone Lab report when you get it back?

Link for you guys wanting to know about Rotella use in motorcycles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Rotella_T

Kruz

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/24/2009 @ 8:46 AM *

Does Rotella say its energy conserving on the label.I was told if it says that it would not be good for a wet clutch.

It is non-energy conserving which just means it has no friction modifiers (molybdenum) which would affect a wet clutch.

Kruz

Buck, Reeves is right on there, it does not carry the energy conserving label and is perfectly safe to use in your motorcycle. This stuff has been used by thousands of motorcyclists with excellent results, just do a Google search for "Shell Rotella Motorcycle" and you'll get about a gazallion hits. I understand that one of the research chemists at Shell's Westhollow Reserach Center in Houston is a motorcycle enthusiast and he was one of the first to determine the characteristics that make a good turbo diesel oil also work well in a motorcycle with shared gearbox and wet clutch. Turbo diesel oils must deal with extended drain intervals, high gear loading, high bulk oil temperatures, foaming, soot etc. and the additive packages are very robust compared to a typical automotive oil. The TBN (total Base Number) is very high also which buffers nitric acid formation in the oil and prevents corrosion. I change at 3000 miles but others have said they extend to 5-6K with no problems as confirmed by oil analysis.

Kruz

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/26/2009 @ 1:17 PM *

Here is the latest information from Shell on Rotella 5W40 synthetic use in motorcycles using wet clutch and shared transmission. I did some research on the new formulation which meets the newest CJ4 standard and replaces the older CJI standard. ZZDP (Zinc Dialkyl-Dithio-Phosphate) concentrations have been reduced in the latest Rotella formulation to meet recent EPA emissions requirements and make the lubricant more "catalytic converter friendly". ZZDP is an additive that acts as a "last chance" barrier lubricant in the event of lubrication film failure and also protects the critical camshaft lobe to lifter interface during initial engine breakin. C rated diesel oils such as Rotella contain higher concentrations of ZZDP than typical passenger car engines and is one of the reasons they have generated such an enthusiastic following in the motorcycle world. A lack of ZZDP in the newer API C rated oils has been speculated to have caused a rash of recent camshaft/lifter failures in recently overhauled passenger car engines using flat tappets. Zinc poisons the platinum catalysts in your cars catalytic converter and is thus on the endangered species list among the tree huggers. Luckily, diesel specific oils like Rotella still contain large amounts of this wonder additive. I plan on using 15w40 Rotella at the first oil change (600 miles) on my new CBR1000RR and then switch to Rotella 5W40 Synthetic at 3000 miles. By the way, the new Rotella formulation meets API SM, latest specification for passenger car engines with spark ignition. Apparently the only time ZZDP can effect your catalysts is if you are burning lots of oil.

Kruz

Shell Rotella T Multigrade Oil SAE 15W-40
and Shell Rotella T Synthetic Oil SAE 5W-40 both pass the
requirements of JASO MA. Of course, they also carry API S-series
licenses for use in gasoline engines.

Thank you for your interest in Shell Lubricants!

Regards,
Edward A. Calcote
Staff Chemist
Shell Lubricants US Technical Information Center

We recently ran the JASO MA friction test on Rotella T with
Triple Protection 15W-40 (CJ-4), and Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 CJ-4.
Both oils passed this wet clutch friction test, and can be used in
motorcycles that have a combination oil sump for the engine,
transmission and wet clutch.

If you have any additional questions please call us at 800-231-6950.
Thank you for your interest in Shell products.

Richard Moore
Staff Engineer
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Westhollow Technology Center, PO Box 4327, Houston, TX 77210, United
States of America

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/27/2009 @ 3:05 PM *

hey kruz, after reading about higher weight oil not circulating as quick at cold start ups, are you not concerned whether the extended use of the 15w will be less effective at keeping the engine lubed as much as possible?

i was going to switch to the 15w for the first time this summer. it gets 100+ degrees here in the summer. i'm just having second thoughts after knowing that the 15w is not going to circulate as quickly as the 5w at start up.

Reeves, you're good to go with Rotella 15W40 for summer use and it will save you a couple bucks on an oil change. It's good for cold starting down to 30 degrees F, if it's that cold, I'm not riding! Pour point is -33 degrees F (coldest temperature at which the oi will still pour). I use the 5W40 synthetic year around though and love the way it starts, especially the instant oil pressure. I'm going to use the 15w40 only for engine break in on my new CBR to 3000 miles, then switch over to 5W40 synthetic for year around use. I usually don't ride if the ambient temp is below 50 degrees F, so not a problem. I will report to you what effects the Rotella has on shifting performance on the CBR, it made a big difference on my other bikes, shifting was noticeably smoother. I remember Tommy commenting how much slicker his shifts were after we changed him over to Rotella synthetic on your 14. Are you still running the same oil in it?

Kruz

rotella is all i've ever put in that bike. i was thinking about using the 15w this summer to cool engine temps. the 636 gets to 220 degrees before the fan switches on! i'm hoping the 15w will help. plus i saw it on sale a couple weeks ago for $12 a gallon! that white jug of 15w is synthetic (semi-synthetic) isn't it?

for those who want "zddp"

eastwoodco.com -- item # 50332 Z

Reeves wrote:

rotella is all i've ever put in that bike. i was thinking about using the 15w this summer to cool engine temps. the 636 gets to 220 degrees before the fan switches on! i'm hoping the 15w will help. plus i saw it on sale a couple weeks ago for $12 a gallon! that white jug of 15w is synthetic (semi-synthetic) isn't it?

I would think the 5W40 synthetic would actually run a bit cooler than the 15W40. That's one of the reasons the auto manufacturers are going to low viscosity 5W30 and even 0W30 lubricants in an attempt to maximize efficiency, lower operating temperatures and increase CAFE fuel mileage averages. On my new CBR, the owners manual recommends 10W30, that's going to take some getting used to. I don't think the 220 degrees F on your 636 is way out of line, my CBR gets about that high before the fan kicks in. I'll check it next time I get stuck in traffic. I think 5W40 would be good year around for the 636 or 15W40 for the summer months, it's your call. I just found a Blackstone Labs analysis done on Amsoil 10W40 Motorcycle specific oil ($49/gallon retail) and Rotella 5W40 synthetic ($20/gallon) used in two motorcycles and having approximately the same number of miles. Viscosities of the samples were almost identical with the Rotella sample showing lower overall wear metals. There is so much marketing hype out there on motorcycle specific oils and it is all bull. I've looked at enough oil analysis' to know the $10 a quart motorcycle oils do not hold up any better than Rotella and in many cases worse.

Kruz

If you now how to read one of these, you'll recognize these are oustanding numbers.

Kruz

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/27/2009 @ 10:47 AM *

i put the 15w in the 636 last night and omg the shifts are so buttery smooth now! if you've been using the 5w you'll love the 15w! pass it along!