Good oil test...

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But it is fairly interesting that the big name, high price options are not always the best, and according to that, the priciest was one of the worst. Actual test data like this seems to be exceedingly rare to the public and actually lends some hard facts to the world of speculation that is motor oil.
 
Vmax oil is not supposed to have any special additives in it. So what about Walmart Super Tech 10w-40. No additives. Rated at or above minimum letter codes required by Yamaha. I think those special additives were mileage extending or friction reducing additives.
 
Now avaiable at Auto Zone, 2 1/2 gallon bottle of 15w-40 Rotella. Widely used in the Vmax community, and at a lot of other places.
I noticed my local MAC'S harware has th "big" jugs of rotella, also ( and 5 gal buckets, as well) I didn't pick any up because I still have about 1/2 a gallon of O'Reilly 15-40 diesel oil left for the bikes. I will most likely pick up the 2.5 gal jug of Rotella after I use it up.
 
Autozone in general has pretty bad prices for stuff. A gallon of rotella at wally world is $13, it's $18 at autozone. I try to avoid shopping there when possible and usually go to advance or NAPA. There's like a "super napa" not too far away that has everything...it's one of the ones that also has a paint mixing center and heavy truck parts, but their selection for everything else is a lot bigger too.
 
Autozone in general has pretty bad prices for stuff. A gallon of rotella at wally world is $13, it's $18 at autozone. I try to avoid shopping there when possible and usually go to advance or NAPA. There's like a "super napa" not too far away that has everything...it's one of the ones that also has a paint mixing center and heavy truck parts, but their selection for everything else is a lot bigger too.

For some reason Auto Zone just dropped Rotella to12.99 here. A little cheaper by the gallon, with 2 1/2 gallon bottles. I had to ask for the 2 1/2 gallon container,They just started carrying them here and didn't have them on display. One mile away at Advanced Auto-$18 for 1 gallon?
 
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Interesting, but in the past I have seen similar performances by different entities with differing results. Some even say petroleum is just as good as synthetics. I personally believe that any synthetic is far better than any petroleum oil, but that's just me.
 
Quite interesting but I do wonder how relevant that is to the real world?

That one oil 'fails' at 2 lbs and another at 4 is irrelevant if the cam lobe only excerpts a force of 1 lb.
It also ignore the cleaning and durability properties that are engineered into a lubricant which may account for a higher price being charged.

I think that to base your purchase choice based on this set of tests alone would be unwise.

Having said all of that the only times I have come across lubrication failure is either when there isn't enough of the stuff or it has been in the motor for several Millena!

If I tended to keep bikes for a relatively short time then a lube that is 'good enough' but cheap would be used.
For a long term keeper then a good quality premium brand is used.
 

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