[no subject]

"All of us motorcycle specific oil manufacturers have always stated not to use automotive
oil in motorcycles.  As of late everyone is now saying that too including: magazine
editors, automotive oil manufacturers and OEMs.  It all started with the introduction of
API SJ rated motor oils.  The Energy Conserving specs do not allow the use of certain
anti-wear materials like zinc for instance.  So to make up for those missing anti-wear
ingredients they add Friction Modifiers and these are known to make wet clutches slip.
API SJ is fairly new and already JASO has stepped in with their MA and MB certifications
because of the large problems that the API SJ ratings have caused in regards to wet clutch
slippage."

There's no 'EC' on the jug of non-Triumph Mobil 1 that I have, yet it is API SJ-rated
...... hmmmmm.

Enter the JASO MA spec, which apparently only relates to the clutch slippage issue.  If
you check the latest documentation from Triumph, only oils that meet the API SG or SH AND
the JASO MA designation are recommended.  The Mobil 1 15W-50, SuperSyn, full-synthetic oil
('red cap' from WalMart) does NOT carry the JASO MA designation.  So thus far it appears
that this oil could become a problem.

It almost seems to me that the inclusion of JASO MA in the motorcycle recommendation could
be just an attempt to further qualify an API SJ-rated oil.  In other words, if the oil in
question happens to be SJ-rated (in addition to SG or SH) AND it is JASO MA compliant,
then it will be ok to use in a motorcycle with a wet clutch.  Still it seems that Triumph
has been careful not to mention the SJ rating at all.  BTW, has anyone actually looked at
a jug of the Triumph-branded stuff to see if it is actually stamped 'MA'?   Someone
recently suggested to me that it isn't, which struck me as a bit ironic.

Now this could mean that Mobil hasn't (for whatever reason) submitted this oil to
determine if it will meet the JASO MA spec (it is, after all, a Japanese spec), but it
could also mean that it DOESN'T meet the spec.  It could also be that Mobil doesn't want
to interfere with the sale of the motorcycle-specific, and hideously-expensive, Mobil 1
that is only available through dealerships.

It is my understanding that a number of Sprint listers are already using this
WalMart-variety oil without any apparent clutch-slippage problems.  So I would like to get
some idea of how many people actually use this cheaper Mobil 1 oil, and of the time period
that they have been using it.

Thank you for having the patience to wade through all this.

Neil



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