Used Quaker High Mileage 25-50. Will I regret it?

[Thorby]

Hello,

I got and started riding my '76 CB750 5 months ago and I *finally* changed the oil today.  Because it was practical and cheap, I used Quaker High Mileage 25w-50.  Will I regret this?  The bike cranked normally and felt just fine on the ride back in today's 48 F weather.

I ride this bike for economy, not to throw money at it, and I've read someplace that the special motorcycle oils are just marketing to get that cash.  However, will the viscosity I got give me trouble considering the manual asks for 10w-40?

Thanks.

[TOOLS1]

Welcome to the forum, and yes, you will regret it. Quaker State oil, also known as Quaker cake oil is the worst, for gumming up the inside of an engine. I once had this explained that it was because this oil had a paraffin base. I don't know if that is the reason, but I do know it gums up engines. I have rebuilt several engines over the years, and the dirtiest ones had used Quaker State, or Arco oil. The cleanest engines I have ever seen had used Texaco Havoline.
TOOLS  

[LukeM]

20w50 is a bit thick for these bikes, especially in the cold.  Most manuals recommend 10W30 for most temperatures, 5W30 for very cold, and 10W40 for very hot temps.

I've been advised on a few occasions to avoid any oil that says Energy Saving on the bottle.  There are friction reducers which can mess up clutch operation (assuming the clutch and engine share the oil, like our CB750s do).  I've done a round or two with motorcycle-specific oil, and have recently used Rotella T 5w-40 oil in my Shadow.  Seems to work well, a little extra weeping of oil, but not too bad so far.

You can't go wrong with oil formulated for MC engines, but I've heard good reports about both Havoline (from TOOLS, whom I trust a great deal), and Rotella (this forum and a couple others).

Luke M

[sgtslag]

I'd recommend adding SeaFoam to the crankcase.  Follow directions on the can, as to amount (1-1.5 oz. of SeaFoam per quart of oil), and when it changes to black (could be as soon as five minutes of run time!), change oil and filter.  This will dissolve any carbon/varnish deposits within the crankcase, and the the transmission, both at the same time.  That will get rid of any crud within, allowing you to start fresh, a clean engine and transmission, with good oil.

For economy, Shell Rotella T6 is your best option:  ~$27/gallon, at Wal-Mart; 'synthetic' (actually a highly refined dino oil, but it performs as a full synthetic), can be run for 7,000 miles, easily, without worry; 5W-40, so it can run perfectly, at nearly any temperature; it can be used in any engine, diesel or gasoline, being rated for both, SM rated for cars (I run it in everything:  car, truck, two bikes, lawnmowers, snowblower, even my air compressor), so you only need one oil for everything!  There is very little in the way of Friction Modifiers within Rotella T6 -- some, but not enough to meet the government's requirements to put the energy star symbol on the bottle, not enough to affect a clutch, either.  Do a Google search on "Rotella T6 motorcycle", and you will get plenty of feedback on its use.  Cheers!