Suitable Non Motorcycle Specific Oils

I receive questions about using a non motorcycle specific oil in their Honda Shadow. The idea is if Honda only recommends an oil that meets the API certification of SF or SG then it should work. This is a very good point but there are some things that must be considered. The fact that automotive oils, although they meet the correct API code, have some things that make them more automotive than motorcycle specific. The difference is that many of the automotive oils are an 'Energy Conserving' type of oil and most people feel that the additive packages used in those oils are not good for engines that share the transmissions and the clutches. These engines have what is called a 'Wet Clutch' system and the energy conserving oils may have an adverse affect on the clutches.

So I decided to put together a list of non motorcycle specific oils that are not the energy conserving type and should work well with the wet clutch systems that are used in the Honda Shadow's.

Another point I'd like to bring up about the automotive oils is that these oils use lower cost viscosity improvers (VI polymers) as compared to the VII polymers used in the motorcycle specific oils or the heavy duty truck oils. This means the automotive oils are not as shear stable as the oils that use the VII polymers. You'll noticed at the beginning of the list of oils, I refer to the oils as a 'Low mileage' ' Middle mileage' and 'High mileage' oils. There are other differences between the automotive oils and the truck oils or the motorcycle specific oils but that's a little deeper research than I felt this page needed to go. You may find other oils that would work in your motorcycle just be sure you look at the API service seal. If the bottom half of the seal reads 'Energy Conserving' I recommend you pass it up. 

I feel that automotive oils can be used in our motorcycles but it would be good to adjust the oil change intervals when using them. Here is a general rule that I use;

Crude base automotive oils = 2000 to 2500 miles max.

Heavy duty truck oils or motorcycle specific oils = 3500 to 4000 miles max

Full synthetic oils = 4500 to 5000 miles

For this list I used Advance Auto Parts and Wal-Mart. The list is not a complete list but it shows a lot of oils that should work fine in our Shadys

I'm starting the list with the crude based Automotive oils. These oils are not in any order of preferences. The list is grouped into three different groups.

Crude based auto oil. (Low Mileage)
Heavy duty crude based Truck oils. (Middle mileage)
And full synthetic or synthetic blended oil. (High mileage oil)

All oils listed are 'Non Energy Conserving' oils that should work well with wet clutches.

Wal-Mart-Low mileage automotive oils.
Mobile Clean 5000 10W-40 $1.68 a quart.
Pennzoil 10W-40.................$1.77 a quart.
Pennzoil 20W-50.................$1.77 a quart.
Castrol GTX 10W-40............$1.97 a quart.
Valvoline 10W-40................$1.88 a quart.
Quaker State 10W-40..........$1.74 a quart.
Havoline 10W-40.................$1.42 a quart.
Super Tech 10W-40.............$.97 (cents) a quart.
Super Tech 20W-50.............$.97 (cents) a quart.

Wal-Mart-Heavy Duty Truck oils (Crude based)
Shell Rotella-T 15W-40........$1.92 a quart $6.50 a gallon.
Mobile Delvac 15W-40.........$6.32 a gallon.
Super Tech 15W-40............$1.26 a quart.

Wal-Mart-High mileage synthetic or synthetic blended oils.
Mobil 1 5W-40 Truck & SUV.......................$4.88 a quart. (Syn)
Castrol Syntec 20W-50..............................$4.72 a quart. (Syn)
Shell Rotella-T 5W-40 Truck Oil!..............$13.48 a gallon. (Syn)

Now For Advance. They had a better selection than Wal-Mart.

Advance Auto Parts (Crude based auto oils)!
Havoline 10W-40..................$1.58 a quart.
Havoline 20W-50..................$1.58 a quart.
Advance Brand 10W-40........$1.18 a quart.
Advance Brand 20W-50........$1.18 a quart.
Formula Shell 10W-40..........$1.48 a quart.
Motorcraft 10W-40...............$1.78 a quart.
Mobil Clean 5000 10W-40.....$1.98 a quart.
Pennzoil 10W-40..................$2.18 a quart.
Valvoline VR1 racing 20W-50.$2.68 a quart.
Valvoline 10W-40.................$2.18 a quart.
Valvoline 20W-50.................$2.18 a quart.
Castrol GTX 10W-40.............$2.18 a quart.
Castrol GTX 20W-50.............$2.18 a quart.

Advance Auto Parts Heavy Duty Truck oils (Crude based).
Shell Rotella-T 15W-40........................$7.77 a gallon.
Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40...........$7.97 a gallon.
Mobil Delvac 15W-40...........................$7.77 a gallon.
Castro RX 15W-40..............................$2.12 a quart.
Castrol Tection Extra 15W-40...............$7.97 a gallon.

Advance Auto parts synthetic or synthetic blended oils(High Mileage oils)
Valvoline Dura Blend 10W-40...............$3.18 a quart. (Blended)
Valvoline Dura Blend 20W-50...............$3.18 a quart. (Blended)
Castrol Syntec Blend 20W-50...............$3.18 a quart. (Blended)
Castrol Syntec 10W-40........................$5.18 a quart. (Syn)
Castrol Syntec 5W-50..........................$5.18 a quart. (Syn)
Valvoline Syn Power 20W-50................$4.68 a quart. (Syn)


I on purpose left the below oils out of the list and the reason for each.

Wal-Mart
Mobil 1 15W-50 Extended Performance.......$5.36 a quart. (Syn)?

Advance Auto Parts.
Mobil 1 15W-50 Extended Performance......$5.98 a quart. (Syn)?

At first I left the above two oils out of the main list because of the uncertainty of its Moly contents and how this new oil would work with wet clutches. Since that time, I've been seeing reports of people using it with no problems.  

I found two Mobile Clean 7500 oils at both locations but these oils are 'energy conserving' so I didn't put them on the list.

I found a Quaker State 4X4 & SUV oil that was a 10W-40 but it was a 'energy conserving' oil. This is the only one with a viscosity above 10W-30 that was energy conserving. So watch  the API service seals on the oil bottles because some of them are 'Energy Conserving'.

MarkC