I just bought an F4I a couple weeks ago. Im still in the process of going over the bike. I am going to change all the fluids this weekend since it should be warm. I would like to use synthetic oil. I have heard that you shouldnt switch from one to the other, and Ive also heard it doesnt matter. Regular oil is in it now, will it be OK to switch to synthetic? If so, what is the best one to use? I am sure I am asking for the Amsoil pitch...

Thanks guys.

 

You can switch, no problems. No prep needed. Your bike will thank you.

I run mobil 1. Everyone runs a different oil and opinions vary.

 

Yep, you can switch back and forth all you like. Makes no difference at all. I'm not really sure how that myth propagated, but it's just that....a myth. (and a common one)

I would also recommend mobil 1. Great oil and cheap. You can run the 10W40 that you find at wally world. Just make sure it isn't "energy conserving". You don't need to make a special trip or pay extra for bike specific stuff.
I also like Rotella T synth (blue bottle 5W40).

 

I am leaning towards Royal Purple. I have seen a lot of actual reports and studies of it working. Any fans?

 

Before I ran mobil 1, i ran royal purple, the motorcycle specific oil.

No problems with it, it's just kinda pricey and I had to always order it online.

 

I think the myth stems from the 2cycle world. I know in snowmobiles, the oil can gel if incompatable oils are mixed together. that also happened to be around the time synthenics were becoming popular, and people began to have issues. But 2 stroke oil and motor oil aren't exactly the same thing, but since people relate oil as oil, the confusion gets transfered over.

But as said, you should have no issues at all switching to synthetic, as long as its not energy conserving. If you get the wrong oil, you run the risk of having clutch slippage. But that holds true for the wrong conventional oil as well, not just synthetic.

Since you asked, heres my amsoil pitch.. Thats what I run and really like it. I ran Mobil one for a few years and it worked great. It wasn't until I had to change my oil on a weekend, and the only place that was local only carried amsoil, (I didnt feel like driving 60 miles round trip to get mobil one,) that I used amsoil. The reason I have stuck with amsoil is my gearbox shifts so much smoother now than before. I know its not just in my head, as I went back to mobil one and it wasn't nearly as smooth. Ever since then, I have stuck with Amsoil. I don't really know if it protects any better, but it certainly made my trans shift smoother. Plus, I only change my oil once a year anyway, so the cost isnt that much of a factor for me. If I changed my oil 4-5 times a year, I would probably go with cheaper oil.

 

all oils mentioned are good, I use Rotella in the blue jug myself.

 

I just Valvoline 10w-40 standard at autozone they carry. I change the oil out frequently as oil has a viscosity that shreds its weight after awhile. I rather have fresh oil in there regular than changing the oil only once a season. I know in cars we use the cheapest oil and typically get around 300k easily on a block.

 

Changing oil only once per season sounds a bit long unless the rider only puts a few thousand miles on the bike. I change mine every 3,000 miles, using Honda GN4. I buy it by the gallon via mail order for a lot less than the local parts counter sells it for.

 

Well they sure sell a lot of synthetic blended oil so I'd have to say there's not
much issue with it. Might be a challenge for MythBusters lol

Another Rotella user here , white dino summer or blue synth winter