Will car oil work with bike ?

[hornetmike]

Can I use car oil in a 96 GPX600R, if so what grade ? will I get away with 5W30 ?

I work in BMW garage so can get Long life car oil cheap
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[Ingah]

Always been told you can get away with car oil, providing it's at the right grade (i.e. the recommended one). Don't know what it is for your bike though, look it up in a Haynes/workshop manual imo.
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-- Ingah

[stinkwheel]

Yes car oil is fine.

Normally 10-W-40 in a bike though. 5w-30 might be a bit thin.

I have a GPX600 manual here. It states 10w-40 or 10w-50 for cold climates and 20w-40 or 20w-50 in warm climates.

Should be SG grade which all car oils will exceed by a long way.

Avoid anything with fancy friction modifier additives as these can cause clutch slip.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[hornetmike]

Cheers stinkwheel you the man. What about 10w40 magnetec ?
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[stinkwheel]

[Kickstart]

Hi

I have used a fair few car oils in bikes. Over the last few years BP Visco 5000 synthetic, BP Visco 3000 semi synthetic, Castol GTX and a semi synthetic Rock Oil 10W40. None have caused clutch problems (OK, did once when the engine was tuned and being run in, but then so did brand new clutch plates and bike specific oil).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[chris-red]

I used GTX in my TDM and it REALLY didn't like it, it felt like It was down on power the gear changes where really horrid it just felt wrong. I changed it after about 200 miles to bike oil and it was fine.

BUT, generally I'd listen to kickstart and stinkwheel, they know far more than I.

Maybe I had a bad batch or something but I would never use it again.
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[Ed Case]

I was given by a very generous mate 6X5 litre 'cans' of Total Quartz 10w/40 semi-synth car oil, run my 250RSA on it for years, sadly at the end of it now. Tends to make the clutch drag a bit but otherwise no problems. If you've got a particularly exotic bike (or whatever you think qualifies as 'exotic') be best to use the specified lube I'd think but in my opinion there's a lot of BS about 'Super-Duper' stuff intended just to separate us from our dosh.

[Casper]

I asked the verry same in another forum only yesterday. As your bike is old then yes. Read this.

https://www.wisegeek.com/can-i-put-oil-for-a-car-into-my-motorcycle.htm

[Casper]

Forgot to say. I use tesco cheap 10w50 on my GS550 and GPz750 with no problem. The light blue tub. you get 4Lt for 12 quid.

[Pete.]

I put the same oil in my road bikes that they put in the diesel engined plant at work (Castrol 15/40 I think). Never have a problem and you can't get it cheaper than free
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[supZ]

[doggone]

[Pete.]

Yes I noticed it isn't as oily as it doesn't have so much oil in it
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[doggone]

Diesel engine oil has got more powerful detergent-like additives to remove carbon build up which otherwise occurs with a diesel motor.

[Robby]

[Pete.]

So I like my engines clean inside

Seriously though, if there are detergent additives added to diesel engine oil because diesel engines produce carbon deposits, they can't to do any harm to an engine that doesn't produce the deposits or you wouldn't be able to use that oil in a brand new diesel engine that hasn't yet had any carbon deposits deposited in it.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Pete.]

[evoboy]

Ive used car oil, diesel oil, bike oil, whatever.

All works fine, all goes in then comes out after 5k miles looking black with a gold tinge.
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[Raffles]

I was of the impression that if you introduced an oil containing detergents to an old engine that had previously only been run on non-detergent oils then noise problems could occur when carbon deposits and sludge were washed away from around bearings and shims.
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A good loser will always be a loser.

[stinkwheel]

[weasley]

You'll do well to find any non-detergent oil these days - detergent has been common in engine oils for decades.