Over the past several years I’ve been in the best relationship in my entire life, and Maggie, my sweetheart, deserves her favorite gift on Valentine’s Day: motorcycle engine oil and a new filter!
Take notes, fellas.
After all, there’s truth to that adage, “riding a motorcycle is the most fun you will have, outside of a bedroom.” And, at my age, the most fun I’m going to have anymore is simply riding a motorcycle.
Past Gifts
Anyway, in the spring of 2023 I used Super Tech All Mileage Synthetic Blend Motor Oil 10W-40 (not in pic), which is a Walmart brand. It didn’t work all so well after a few thousand miles; started to get some clutch slippage, but surprisingly wasn’t bad.
Last spring, I upgraded to a full-synthetic Shell Rotella T6 15W-40 for diesel engines. The oil is used and recommended by many street motorcyclists, as mentioned in the comments at Bob the Oil Guy, and it’s rated JASO1According to AI summary: “JASO ratings refer to the standards set by the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization for engine oils, particularly for motorcycles. These ratings, such as JASO MA and JASO MB, indicate the oil’s suitability for use in wet clutch systems and its performance characteristics.” for motorcycle use. It performed noticeably better with only a few slippages here-and-there after several thousand miles.
As of a couple of weeks ago when I took Maggie out for a ride on the only really warm day for us this season, at 57°F, I had to put the last drops from the container into the bike because it was at the low line (she burns some oil, but not excessive amounts). At the moment, she is still low on oil and it’s dirty.
This Year’s Gift
So, the timing is perfect. In March, I’ll drain the old, dirty full-synthetic oil and install Maggie’s new Valentine’s Day gifts:
- Shell Rotella T4 15W-40 Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil and a new HiFlo Filtro HF202 filter.
The Rotella T4 is not synthetic but supposedly regular (called “dino”) diesel engine oil.2I’m not actually entirely certain that it’s dino, as I read on Rotella’s website that it is a synthetic blend. That’s not on the container, though, so maybe the website is in error. I don’t know.” It’s also motorcycle (JASO) certified.3The book sitting in the shadows of the image is “Barbarians Inside the Gates and Other Controversial Essays” by Thomas Sowell (1999).
A friend did suggest on my social media post from last spring some really good dino and synthetic motor oils made primarily for motorcycles/ATVs.
I’ve built a lot of bike and quad engines. I always use Honda GN4 or Yamalube for break in. Then I only use Mobil 1 4T Racing or Motul 4T. I know people that use the diesel oil, but when I’m riding….the last thing I want is catastrophic engine failure. I’ve had enough broken bones and scars to last me a lifetime. You use what you want though…it is Jaso Certified.
He is also the one, in the same comment thread, who suggested I try non-synthetic (dino) motorcycle engine oil:
I was going to tell you that in my experience, older bikes (1980s) generally run better on Dino oil better than synthetic. Synthetic oil wasn’t really commonplace then, and a lot of the internals work better with basic oil. Plus the tolerances on the engine components are nowhere near as tight as today’s modern engines….hence the need for synthetic oils that don’t break down. Just my 2 cents.
But, the high quality motorcycle oil is noticeably more expensive. I’ll keep those in mind, however, if I ever get a more modern street bike or an off-road bike.
Nevertheless, I did take his recommendation to switch to dino because Maggie, my motorcycle, is vintage 1984 and was designed with dino engine oil in mind. My manual simply recommends 10W-40 motor oil from that era (1970’s to early 1980’s). The “10W” refers to the oil’s winter rating, so the fact that I use 15W is not relevant since I don’t use the bike when it’s freezing cold outside:
The first number, followed by the letter ‘W’, refers to the oil’s viscosity at low temperatures (the ‘W’ stands for winter). For example, in a 10W-30 oil, ’10W’ indicates the oil’s flow characteristics in cold temperatures. Lower numbers signify that the oil flows better in cold conditions, which is vital for providing optimal engine lubrication during cold starts.
The second number in the grade, which comes after the ‘W’, represents the oil’s viscosity at high temperatures.
Wheelbase Garage
The Rotella T4 diesel oil has passed all tests to be certified for motorcycles (JASO), including vintage and modern, so I will try this and report back later this year.
A Cherry on Top
To top off Valentine’s Day, I may as well share a love song of sorts by one of the best bands ever: Warsaw/Joy Division (JD).
The band—formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1981 shortly after the death of its lead singer and song writer, Ian Curtis—only formally released two full albums as Joy Division and an extended play (EP) as Warsaw (its original name):
- Debut EP (just four songs): An Ideal for Living. 1978.
- First album: Unknown Pleasures. June 1979.
- Second (and last) album: Closer. March 1980.
Even though Ian Curtis’s lyrics and Joy Division’s music aren’t known as “happy dance” music, there are several Valentine’s Day-oriented songs referring to love, lost love, and such. Here’s “No Love Lost” from its 1978 debut EP. The song has more of a punk feel; JD’s later songs are generally considered more post-punk, though.
Although the name of the band and some lyrics in this song refer to a fiction novel about aspects of WWII, the song also has a broader meaning.
No Love Lost4Recorded in December 1977 at Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham.
Released on An Ideal For Living, on Substance, and on Heart and Soul.
Recorded on May 3rd/4th 1978 at Arrow Studios, Manchester; released on Warsaw.
Warsaw (aka Joy Division)
So long sitting here,
Didn't hear the warning.
Waiting for the tape to run.
We've been moving around in different situations,
Knowing that the time would come.
Just to see you torn apart,
Witness to your empty heart.
I need it.
I need it.
I need it.
The original version contains a spoken extract from the [fiction] book "House of Dolls":
Through the wire screen, the eyes of those standing outside looked in
At her as into the cage of some rare creature in a zoo.
In the hand of one of the assistants she saw the same instrument
Which they had that morning inserted deep into her body.
She shuddered
Instinctively.
No life at all in the house of dolls.
No love lost.
No love lost.
The following verse is in the later (Warsaw) version only:
Two-way mirror in the hall,
They like to watch everything you do,
Transmitters hidden in the walls,
So they know everything you say is true,
Turn it on,
Don't turn it on,
Turn it on.
Both versions then converge again:
You've been seeing things,
In darkness, not in learning,
Hoping that the truth will pass.
No life underground, wasting never changing,
Wishing that this day won't last.
To never see you show your age,
To watch until the beauty fades,
I need it.
I need it.
I need it.
If you are curious, then here’s a quality write-up with someone’s opinion of the song’s meaning along with some off-links to even more interpretations. Here are just two snippets for intrigue:
Beyond the surface of haunting despondence, ‘No Love Lost’ whispers an alternative narrative, one of resistance and inner rebellion. Could the depth of darkness explored within this song also serve as a catalyst for change, a beacon to those listeners who find themselves mirrored in its verses?
The repetition of ‘I need it,’ could be a mantra for authenticity in a sea of synthetic emotions, a desperate grasp for a reality richer than the one portrayed by the bleak landscape Joy Division so eloquently pictures.
…and this about the March of Time and Ephemeral Beauty:
With poignant simplicity, ‘To never see you show your age, To watch until the beauty fades’ unveils the bittersweet impermanence of youthful vigor and aesthetic. The lyrics underscore a suffocating fight against the ravages of time, an attempt to encapsulate a fleeting sense of wonder and innocence that withers under the scrutiny of a capricious world.
This lament intricately ties with the motif of disillusionment and loss, the gradual erosion of idealism and hope that accompanies the maturation process, leading to a more jaded and, perhaps, more authentic understanding of the self.
Footnotes
- 1According to AI summary: “JASO ratings refer to the standards set by the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization for engine oils, particularly for motorcycles. These ratings, such as JASO MA and JASO MB, indicate the oil’s suitability for use in wet clutch systems and its performance characteristics.”
- 2I’m not actually entirely certain that it’s dino, as I read on Rotella’s website that it is a synthetic blend. That’s not on the container, though, so maybe the website is in error. I don’t know.”
- 3The book sitting in the shadows of the image is “Barbarians Inside the Gates and Other Controversial Essays” by Thomas Sowell (1999).
- 4Recorded in December 1977 at Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham.
Released on An Ideal For Living, on Substance, and on Heart and Soul.
Recorded on May 3rd/4th 1978 at Arrow Studios, Manchester; released on Warsaw.
