What is Oil 
 

Oil can be defined as a chemical compound that will not mix with water and is in liquid state at ambient temperatures. Motor oils are derived from crude oil (petroleum, literally “oil from stone”), with additives blended in to improve their properties, the most important of which is viscosity. There are three key pieces of information to look out for on the label of a bottle of oil. 
 
 

1. Viscosity e.g. 10W-40 or 10W-50

2. Type – synthetic or part-synthetic/semi-synthetic or mineral

3. Performance specifications (e.g. API or JASO) 
 

Viscosity 
 

The definition of viscosity is “a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow”.

Oil needs to be thick enough to maintain a satisfactory lubricating film for the moving

parts but thin enough to move freely around them.  As the engine gets hotter, so the oil becomes less viscous and this is where potential problems can occur, because if viscosity becomes too low, the lubricating oil film may start to break down, causing mechanical failure. Some low quality engine oils may have what is called poor shear stability, which is when the mechanical shearing action created inside the engine actually causes an irreversible viscosity loss. 
 

The Society of Automotive Engineers (or SAE) established a numerical code system

for grading motor oils, which indicates the viscosity rating? In the past, oils were

classed as mono-grades, which meant they were unsuitable for use as year-round

lubricants and needed to be changed to the recommended viscosity according to

seasonal variations in temperature. 
 
 

Multi-grade motor oil 
 

Multi-grade oils were developed to cope with the wide temperature range the oil is exposed to in most vehicles. It could well be ‘freezing’ (0°C) on a winter morning  prior to starting the engine, whereas when the vehicle is fully warmed up on a hot summer day (say 30°C ambient) then it could well exceed temperatures of over 100°C. These differences are too extreme for a mono-grade to cope with; so special polymer additives (called viscosity index improvers) are blended in to create multi-grade motor oil. This is why you find dual number ratings like 10W-40 printed on oil labels. 
 

Contact us:

Axeum Oil Technology – 01944 728065 
 

Web: -   www.axeum.net  

E-mail – info@axeum.net

10W-40 - An Example 
 

“10W” indicates that this oil can be pumped by the engine from cold (W = Winter), within defined critical specification limits. Oil with a lower rating (5W or even 0W) can be pumped at a lower oil temperature than “10W”. 

The second number, “40”, means that the viscosity of this multi-grade oil at 100°C (212°F) temperature approximates to the viscosity of a mono-grade 40 oil at same temperature.

So oils with a higher rating than 10W-40 (e.g. a 10W-50) will be more viscous.  Manufacturers recommend the appropriate oil viscosity to be used according to average ambient world-wide temperatures in the area of vehicle use. 
 

Type – Synthetic or Part-Synthetic/Semi-Synthetic or

Mineral 
 

Three types of engine oil are produced for motorcycles; Synthetic and Part-Synthetic or Semi-Synthetic and Mineral. 
 

Synthetic oils are manufactured from chemically modified base oil, which alters the molecular structure by a synthetic

action to create a more complex lubricant capable of fulfilling the requirements of modern engines (and emission controls).

This makes them ideally suited to modern high performance motorcycles with high-revving engines, close engineering

tolerances and extreme operating temperatures. Commercial production commenced in response to the demands of

aeronautical jet engines in the 1940’s and synthetic motor oils first appeared in the 1970’s. 
 

Part/Semi-synthetic oils are a blend of mineral oil and up to 30% synthetic oil. Vehicle exhaust output regulations are increasingly stringent - new motorcycles are now at the stage of Euro 3 emissions (which became mandatory in January 2007) and only the most sophisticated mineral oils (rated API SG) will comply. Part synthetic oils are better suited to emission controls and offers enhanced resistance to high operating temperatures, yet are more affordable than synthetic products. 
 

Mineral oil is the term used to describe lubricating base oil derived from crude oil, without the addition of chemical compounds. Modern mineral oils contain additives, such as detergents and dispersants, which help to keep engine parts clean and prevent sludge and varnish deposit build-up. Although relatively simple, mineral oils are ideally suited to classic motorcycles, which were designed to run on such products. 
 

Performance Specifications 
 

API and JASO are abbreviations for the American Petroleum Institute and Japan

Automobile Standards Organization, both of which lay down performance specifications for lubricants.

So API SL indicates that the oil meets the API requirements for spark ignited petrol

engines (hence the “S”) to the quality rating L. Grading started at A, rising over the

years to M in late 2004.

With JASO look for the MA suffix, which indicates that the oil has been tested for frictional qualities and is suitable for the ‘wet’ (oil immersed) clutches that are peculiar to most bikes.

Some oils are advertised as having electro-static or magnetic properties. These are

claimed to help prevent the oil from slipping back down to the sump after the engine

is turned off, thus providing instant protection once restarted. In fact all good quality oils have additives that enable them to attract to metal surfaces, providing what is called a boundary lubricating film , so that engine components are protected during the initial seconds following start-up, until the oil is pumped to all bearings and

contact surfaces. 
 

Trouble Shooting

Oil is black and thickened. This can be symptomatic of oxidation, which causes an appearance change, normally due to oxygen attacking the petroleum fluid and accelerated by heat, light, metal catalysts and the presence of water, acids or solid contaminants. It will often cause the oil to thicken too. It could indicate that an inferior grade of oil has been used or insufficient oil levels leading to engine over-heating. If oil levels are low, that could either indicate that lubricant is being lost through burning or leakage. 
 

Oil becomes ‘milky’ white.

This occurs if coolant leaks from the head gasket into the oil and causes emulsification. Another reason to visit your dealer.

Bikes that are used infrequently can build up condensation in the engine sump, so occasionally allow your machine to run to normal operating temperature to burn this moisture off and don’t use infrequently for short journeys. 
 

Frequent topping up required.

This is not necessarily serious. Up to 1 litre per 1,000 miles is not unheard of; so don’t panic just because your bike is using oil. Due to the nature of mass production, you will find variance between the same models of motorcycle.

Oil is the lifeblood of an engine, especially in motorcycle racing, where every ounce of extra power counts. 
 

Q8Oils enjoyed a consistently successful track record with Airwaves Ducati over a three-year period, during which time the team won both the Riders‟ and Manufacturers‟ Championships. From the outset the relationship with Airwaves Ducati was built on success, as Q8Oils were lubricant suppliers to Rizla Suzuki in 2004, who won the Championship that year.

The Q8Oils Racing Pedigree:

2004 - Winners of Rider Championship (with Rizla Suzuki)

2005 - Winners of Rider Championship

2006 - Winners of Constructors' Championship

2007 - 2nd in the Constructors and 3rd & 4th in the Rider Championship

2005 to 2007 - 32 race wins, 95 podiums and 18 lap records.

We are asked many questions regarding correct usage/application of oils.  Below is one which many quad owners seem to be having trouble with.  This example came from the QuadsUK forum.

Oil for Quads – we haven’t a clue what to use 
 

You are not alone - there is a lot of confusion as to what oil to use where and this is not helped by the people selling oils. It is not uncommon for the same oil to be labeled up differently which, of course, sells more oil. 
 
A simple rule of thumb is that there are very, very few machines which could be damaged by using the best oil available. Therefore if your manufacturer states a particular grade or specification, they are usually recommending a minimum requirement. 
So, a quad with a recommendation of say a 10w/40 semi-synthetic is certainly not going to suffer if you choose to use a fully synthetic. The only hurt is to your pocket, as the fully is more expensive. 
 
I have previously suggested that it would be better to stick with motorcycle oils for quads as this covers for either wet or dry clutches whereas car oils are certainly no good for wet. 
The following is an extract from an earlier enquiry:  
 
Motor cycles are well covered by most oil companies and it would seem to me that the Quad is lost somewhere between the motor and the motor cycle oils. 
 
Some oil companies have complicated this a little by specifying ‘quad oil’. This implies something different from other oils – it’s not. 
 
To simplify matters:  
 
Motor car oils and motor cycle oils are separated by one main requirement and that is if the vehicle has a ‘Wet Clutch’. Oils for a wet clutch have a friction modifier to enable the plates to ‘grab’ - motor oils do not.  
 
To simplify this – If the quad has a requirement for a JASO MA oil then only motor cycle oil will do. If not then motor oil can be used. 
 
However, as there are no adverse effects when the JASO MA oil is used in a quad with a dry clutch, why bother with the complications of choosing motor oil. 
 
If we stay with the Motorcycle Branded Oils which are good for all quads we cut the selection down to choosing mineral, semi-synthetic or fully-synthetic oil. 
 
The best guide for oil selection is to follow the manufacturer’s guidance but sometimes they can be used outside of the expectations of the manufacturer so we have to begin adapting to these requirements. The specs are good to follow but not many people know how to read them. But, remember you can do no damage by exceeding the recommended specs so if a mineral was the recommended and you use a semi or fully synthetic – better results. Manufacturers usually give a minimum requirement. 
 
Again, to simplify. If the quad is used for gently pottering about a mineral oil would suffice – if a reasonable amount of hard work is put on it, then a semi-synthetic could be used – If hard work or racing is the game, then a fully-synthetic should be used and this would probably have a greater viscosity difference i.e. Q8 SBK Racing is a 10w/50. This oil has been used by the Ducati British Superbike Team with outstanding success and reliability. The trick is to give maximum engine protection with minimum internal frictional loss and so release more of the engine power developed to drive the wheels rather than the engine itself (this loss accounts for about 80% of the actual power developed). If, with the right oils, the power to wheels ratio can be changed a little – from say 20% to 24% we actually have a 20% increase in power – Interesting or what!!! 
 
If you look on the website q8oils.co.uk under ‘downloads’ you will find an interesting article on the Guide to Motorcycle Oils. I have attached this file anyway but do look at the website.  
 

http://www.q8oils.co.uk/downloads_te...orted_File.PDF