Anyone using AMSOIL?

[jbr7t]

I have an acquaintance that sells AMSOIL He's been trying to convince me to make the switch for some time. According to him, in his sales pitch, AMSOIL allows you to go longer intervals between changes and because it's synthetic offers a more consistent product than "real" oil since it's created in a lab and not underground. So, to my feeble mind the second part sounds pretty legit. But, what about it makes the change intervals longer? Is it because it is synthetic and doesn't breakdown like petroleum?

 

Anyway, Just figured I'd see if anyone is / has used their products and any pro's / con's. Thanks.

[OoPEZoO]

It's good oil, but in my experience it is expensive and you can't conveniently buy it. Meaning, I don't want to track some dude down every time I want to do an oil change. I have enough trouble trying to find time to stop at the auto parts store to buy oil as it is.

[smiller]

It appears to be good quality oil but all of the marketing hype and self-serving 'studies' in the world won't make it meaningfully better than any other good-quality oil. Since it tends to be pricey and difficult to obtain there really isn't much of a reason to prefer it over alternatives.

 

Regarding synthetic vs. conventional oil, Group II vs. Group IV synthetics, etc., that's been the subject of countless threads and I don't want to start another one here. Google around and you will find enough reading to last a month.

[lkraus]

Using AMSOIL will not hurt your engine. I understand that AMSOIL extends change intervals by adding more than usual levels of additives, like zinc to reduce wear and calcium(?) to absorb acid from combustion byproducts.

 

The only way to verify the extended life claim is by having an analysis done on your used oil.

 

I have a couple local stores that carry AMSOIL. One is a sort of general merchandise store that frequently offers 20% off any one item; used on a case of AMSOIL, the price comes down to about $10 a quart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CVA-42]

I've used Amsoil engine oil and gear oil for years in my two oilheads and now two hexheads. I use BMW-recommended oil change intervals, or even more frequent. If you become an Amsoil preferred customer, the cost (including shipping to your door plus the preferred customer fee) is comparable or not much more to BMW-brand synthetic from the dealer. Amsoil synthetic gear oil is definitely cheaper than BMW-brand synthetic gear oil, if that matters. This spring, I took a 5,100 mile trip through the West on my 1200GS and used just about three ounces of oil. Of course, that may say about as much about the bike as it does the oil.

[philbytx]

If you are looking for a synthetic oil for your bike, look no further than your local WallyWorld.

They carry Mobil1 15w50 in 5qt jugs for $26! It has the appropriate ZDDP levels for our engines.

Here is a 'sticky' from the Mobil1 corporate website "

 

What's the Zinc Level Mobil 1 15W-50?

Hello, I read your answer about ZDDP and phosphorus levels. You even list the phosphorus level in your table, but you show no listing for the level of zinc. Other oil companies also list their zinc level. I would like to know the zinc content in your 15W-50 oil. I would like the level for the gold cap and the silver cap separately. I drive a car that is over 20 years old and the answer is important to me. Thank you, Jerry

-- Jerry Baer, Hollywood, FL

 

Answer:

The important element here is the phosphorus since it is the active antiwear additive. That's why we show phosphorus as well as zinc. The zinc content is in the range of 0.12 - 0.13 weight percent (1200 - 1300 ppm). (Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15W-50 [gold cap] was discontinued about May 2009.)

 

Hope this helps

!

 

 

 

[smiller]

Yep, it's hard to do better than the Mobil 1 15W-50 for the R-bikes or Shell Rotella 5W-40 synthetic for K-bikes (the Rotella oils are even JASO MA rated.) You can pay 2-3x as much if you want but there's no reason to.

[8uLiebr]

Amsoil products are top quality. I have seen their oils tested alongside other leading products, both petro-based, synthetics and parasynthetics. They were chilled to subzero temps with dry ice, heated to operating temps and rechilled multiple times. At each step the viscosities and product decomposition were measured. The Amsoil products outperformed all the others.

 

And then there was the time that the new oil filter on my car was not seated properly after an oil change and my crankcase drained onto the street on my way home. The only lubrication I had for the last 5+ miles of the drive was the residual Amsoil that clung to the engine parts. Amazingly there was no engine damage. I've used it religiously ever since.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon James

 

Nothing wrong with Amsoil & actually a decent product but really offers nothing more than other top tier synthetics offer but a higher price & more difficult to find.

 

Quite a few up-level performance cars specify Mobil-1 synthetic in one from or another & most come factory filled with Mobil-1. If Amsoil was measurably better that would be in those cars not Mobil-1.

 

 

[upflying]

Isn't Amsoil sold through independent dealers, like Avon, Tupperware and MaryKay? Maybe dealer profit is built into the high cost of Amsoil.

[Selden]

For engine oil, I really don't think it matters; as others have pointed out, Mobil 1 is readily available, highly rated, and the price isn't too bad. Google for synthetic vs conventional oil change interval and see if anything you find helps you make a decision.

 

I have been using Amsoil for transmission oil and FD, and I think I felt some improvement in shifting. Since the price of Amsoil gear oil is comparable with other gear oils I have used, I plan to stick with it.

[BFish]

been using amsoil in my 2004RT for years. for the motor, which "color" cap for mobil 1 should i purchase? looking to switch from amsoil.

[smiller]

Silver or red cap Mobil 1 15W-50. Avoid the gold cap if possible.

[hopz]

I use Amsoil Severe Gear in the transmission of both of my R-bikes. I like it. Is shifts better than the OEM lube that was in there.

 

As for motor oil... the claim that it extends change intervals, to me, is a claim that offers no promise of advantage. I don't push the interval anyway. I do use Mobil 1 if there is a good price deal but I'm not obsessive about it. Castroil is good and there are others.

 

If you are an MOA member see if you can find the oil analysis article from about a year ago. Some interesting data there.

 

[Sonor]

Amsoil is superior oil and 100% synthetic unlike a number of the competitors that claim to be 100% and really are not. I have been using Amsoil for about 6 years now in everything (except 2 cycle engines). I even use the Amsoil gas treatment so bottom line, I am a really big fan of the stuff.

 

Oh just because it is my $0.02 worth of advice, I switched from Mobile 1.

[BFish]

I use Amsoil Severe Gear in the transmission of both of my R-bikes. I like it. Is shifts better than the OEM lube that was in there.

 

As for motor oil... the claim that it extends change intervals, to me, is a claim that offers no promise of advantage. I don't push the interval anyway. I do use Mobil 1 if there is a good price deal but I'm not obsessive about it. Castroil is good and there are others.

 

If you are an MOA member see if you can find the oil analysis article from about a year ago. Some interesting data there.

 

going to continue using it in final drive and tranny as i have enough for another change or two. gonna go with mobil 1 for the next engine oil change.

[tallman]

Oil analysis is the only way to tell what is happening in your

particular bike and usage.

 

Most oil analysis data I've seen shows that good oil provides excellent results and usually the oil we're removing is still good stuff.

 

I'd say save the money, get good stuff and change it @6k or so.

 

I use BMW oil (was Golden Spectro) the past 300k but think there are options for less initial cost such as Mobil.

 

I believe Old Fart used Castrol most of the time?

But he only put 1,500,000 or so on beemers...

[John Bentall]

Afternoon James

 

Nothing wrong with Amsoil & actually a decent product but really offers nothing more than other top tier synthetics offer but a higher price & more difficult to find.

 

Quite a few up-level performance cars specify Mobil-1 synthetic in one from or another & most come factory filled with Mobil-1. If Amsoil was measurably better that would be in those cars not Mobil-1.

 

 

+1.

It is easy to forget the world outside the USA. BMW, GM, Ford sell their vehicles globally, so if AMSOIL is not available in China, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil etc, then it will not be on the list of oils that might otherwise be perfectly OK and recommendable.

[Antimatter]

Everybody's change intervals could probably be longer. The only way to tell for sure is to actually test your oil and see what the results say. If you want to avoid any issues, I'd stick with the weight of oil recommended by the factory engineers, along with the intervals in the owners manual. Beyond that, buy whatever brand of oil lets you sleep at night. I've run a lot of motorcycles on Castrol base oil with good results.

[RTJohn]

I looked at Amzoils test results comparing other motor oils to their brand. The brand that came in 2nd place in most categories was Mobil 1. It's cheaper than Amzoil and available everywhere. It's been working for me.

 

[moshe_levy]

I've been using Amsoil in all my Oilheads / Hexhead forever, if only because the local auto parts store a mile away carries it. It's not expensive compared to other synthetics (at least in this shop) and of course, I've not had an oil related failure, so I guess things are fine. I change "by the book" synth or not.

 

-MKL

[smiller]

of course, I've not had an oil related failure ...

Neither has anyone else, just about ever, but that doesn't stop people from worrying about it...

[Deezalman]

James,

 

For what it's worth, my father has been an AMSOIL dealer since the early 70's so I guess you could say I grew up around the stuff. I often tell people I stopped using it a couple years go because I grew tired of all the arguments and fish stories..but the truth is today's over the counter synthetics are easier to source and I 'believe' offer equal performance and value. However, if you have reasonable access to AMSOIL, it truly is a wonderful product.

 

Since you are considering using the stuff, I'll share the cliff notes history:

 

While many people continue to 'believe' synthetic oil are a relative new development, it's been around since the 20s - 30s and some will tell you its roots of development date back to the late 1800s. (Friedel & Crafts claims to be the first to synthesize hydrocarbons in ~1877). The military began using it for aviation applications in the 40s but it wasn't until 1972 that it passed API sequence tests and received API qualification for automotive use. And YES, AMSOIL is technically the first company to receive that certification. Ironically Mobil was marketing synthetics overseas in 1973 and introduced Mobil 1 in the US around 1975.

 

Moving on...

 

Regarding your question involving extended intervals. I have extensive experience with extended drain intervals and oil analysis. Here's what I learned: Extended intervals are absolutely possible in the right operating environment. Extended intervals without oil analysis is risky business because failure and contamination can develop suddenly. The cost of periodic oil analysis makes financial sense in large volume applications (Industrial engines) where the cost of downtime is often just as important as the cost of the oil itself.

For what it's worth, I believe the last analysis I had performed cost me around $25, excluding the cost of make up oil and postage. I'll let you do the math!

 

My advice: use quality synthetic oils and stick to the recommended maintenance schedule. Ride with confidence, knowing a couple extra miles between service isn't going to hurt a thing if you find yourself in the middle of no-where on a beautiful sunny weekend!!

[Deezalman]

of course, I've not had an oil related failure ...

Neither has anyone else, just about ever, but that doesn't stop people from worrying about it...

 

Well said!!

[moshe_levy]

of course, I've not had an oil related failure ...

Neither has anyone else, just about ever, but that doesn't stop people from worrying about it...

 

Oh, don't I know. Reminds me of what BMW guru Tom Cutter once told me when I asked what kind of oil to use in my then new-to-me airhead: "Enough." That about summarizes it. You always get this great nuggets of wisdom from Tom.

 

-MKL

[tallman]

And not too much.

 

Only problem I saw on a bike I sold was an owner who bought a C model, rode to Daytona, got stuck in the traffic, saw the bars rise, pulled over and looked in sight glass, didn't see oil,

so he added a quart, then did the whole thing again.

By the time he was done he had put more than enough in the bike.

This despite going over the oil dance etc, when delivering the bike.

 

Which is more dangerous, a new rider with too little knowledge, or an old rider with too much?

[RPG]

good stuff as far as I can tell. After breaking in my '04 RT (using the method recommended by this board), I switched over to Amsoil around 14k. Bike uses almost zero oil, and gas mileage is acceptable.

 

Local auto store carries it and it ain't cheap, but at 56k, the motor runs "perfecto" and anticipating many more years of service.

 

RPG

[Deezalman]

@RPG,

 

Love your signature quote!!

[bayoubengal]

I use Amsoil in everything I own. I signed up as a dealer to get easy access and wholesale price plus latest data and info. As someone mentioned you can become a "preferred customer" and buy at a significant discount. Service is beyond excellent. I don't do this as a business so no profit motive in my inputs...

[mwood7800]

Snake oil. Dyno oil half the price and does as well or better. 100000 on my k bike and I change it every 8000 miles. Motor is clean and still looks new inside, same on my r60 motor.

[jbr7t]

To add another level to the discussion: anyone tried the Beemer boneyard maintenance kits that come with the synth oil and all the parts for the service?

 

And on the Mobil1 15w50. Does it need to be a motorcycle specific version?

[OoPEZoO]

To add another level to the discussion: anyone tried the Beemer boneyard maintenance kits that come with the synth oil and all the parts for the service?

 

And on the Mobil1 15w50. Does it need to be a motorcycle specific version?

 

I bought the bare kits a few times. Just the pieces parts. I always sourced my own fluids locally.

 

And no, you don't need the motorcycle specific stuff. That is designed for bikes with a wet clutch. Good old M1 15W50 is fine. I get mine at Walmart. I hate shopping there, but they have the best prices by far and sell it in 5qt jugs.

[eddd]

 

Over the road trucks typically go about 800,000 to 1,000,000 miles before they do an inframe overhaul. The most popular oil for them by far is Rotella 15-40 regular or synthetic, and they obviously do not change the oil every 3,000 miles. 15-25,000 miles is more common. Periodic oil sampling helps them determine how long they should go between changes, and even more importantly, it lets them know if the engine is developing any problems. If Amsoil were so much better they would use it. I can't recall ever hearing of an over the road trucker using amsoil.

 

You'd be hard pressed to find any incident of oil-related failure with a BMW motorcycle. The motors, like big truck diesels, are not cutting edge technology with super critical clearances.

 

For engines, I'd say you are pretty much spending quite a bit more money with no benefit other than what you perceive in your mind. If it gives you peace of mind then it might be worth it.

 

That being said, there are specific cases where a particular oil or gear lube might be beneficial. My 1994 Miata with 128,000 miles definately benefitted from the suggestion that Rotella T6, a sythetic 5W-40 would solve noisy hydraulic lifters. I also followed online advice to use Motorcraft Full Synthetic Manual Transmission Fluid to help with trouble shifting into 1st. I'm not sure what is in there (they don't even list weights on the label) and it is about 3 times the cost of regular gear lub, but it absolutely corrected the problem.

[John Ranalletta]

As our friend, Ed, used to reply: buy any oil, hide the label with your hand so your bike can't see it; and, pour it in. The bike doesn't care.

[Bud]

And so far no one recommended Dyna Beads because they use them and they work????????

 

Seriously, if Amisol was so much better than anything else, why doesn't BMW use/recommend/require it?

 

These threads turn into believers vs non-believers.

 

One poster mentioned $10 quart on sale?? Seriously? $40 for just the oil cost alone? At that price BMW does stand for Bring Money With.

 

I guess if you could change every 15,000 miles it would work out cost wise.

 

Your mileage will vary.

 

 

 

 

[jbr7t]

Looks like I'll be swinging by my local wal mart for some mobil1.

[g_frey]

Well it definitely does not need to be the motorcycle specific version. I have used it for years and I am over 100,000 miles.

[EffBee]

Good synth oil is good synth oil, provided it meets BMW's specs for our bikes. I run the BMW oil and did for over 100K on my last Beemer and nearly 40K on my latest one.

 

If you sleep better running one brand over the others, then do it. Good sleep is far more important than the minute differences of quality oils at this level.