ORIENTAL ANGLES
Some 55 years ago this columnist was taught to swim by a coach who shouted advice and criticism from the side of the pool with what seemed like a never-ending cigarette in the corner of his mouth. He was Mr Jock – you only got to call him Jock when you could actually swim! His harsh tone of voice, occasional swear words and belligerent manner only abated after you could adequately prove you weren’t going to drown on his watch. Only then did you get words of encouragement and praise. Things change and we now know that positive reinforcement, constructive criticism and such are the way to educate and train.
Times have moved on and we all tend to do things a little differently from the way they were done in the 1960s. Oil technology has moved on massively in that half century, yet to listen to club talk, follow a thread on an internet forum or pick up a post on social media, you’d sometimes be hard pushed to believe it. Despite what you might think there are many who still believe that “oil is oil” and they’re remarkably intransigent upon that point. If – and it’s a BIG
IF – you can get them to budge from that point, chances are you’ll not get them much beyond the OEM factory manual or owner’s handbook when it comes to oil. They still cling slavishly to what’s printed and refuse to move on.
Back in 1974 when I decided to change the fork oil in my Yamaha RD200, what was ejected smelt like fish oil – and apparently it was. In Japan with its rich maritime history, fish oil was cheap, readily available and of the approximately correct viscosity. The nearest British oil could get was Castrolite 10w/30 which, mercifully, didn’t smell like a Grimsby trawler’s bilge and did an okay job. Nowadays, you can get fork specific grades from 5 to 30 weight and they are formulated not to froth, thereby ensuring better fork action. Why hunt down 10w/30 when the right stuff for the job is readily available?
The same grade of oil was also originally specified for two-stroke gearboxes and although it did a reasonable job it wasn’t ideal. Today you can buy ‘light gear oil 75w/80’ which, despite its confusing name, is actually the same or similar viscosity. Better still, it contains the correct and vital ‘high pressure, point of contact’ additives that prevent the cogs from eating each other. And yet there are still barstool experts advocating the use of basic ATF (automatic transmission fluid) simply because it was something advocated in certain period American motorcycle magazines. Just because it works without apparent issues doesn’t mean it’s genuinely fit for purpose, etc.
Ask which modern oil is best for period strokers and you really are opening up the biggest barrel of worms imaginable. Simplistically, anything available now will be infinitely better than the period oil of, er, the period. Oil technology has moved on immensely and decent branded mineral two-stroke oil today is likely to be leagues ahead of any highend stuff from 1977. Semi-synthetic now seems to find favour with many fans as it strikes fair balance between cost and longevity. That said, muggins here found it actually prevented rings bedding in on a small twin. It’s so much more slippery that it genuinely aided blow-by! Now rehoned, the bores and rings have become bedfellows thanks to a quality mineral stroker oil.
And if you’re still not convinced, try playing around with the various brands of commercial four-stroke oil designed for old engines and those running wet clutches. You’ll be amazed as to just how much difference you can genuinely feel through a gear pedal; it really can be chalk and cheese or, more accurately, a knife through butter stuff.
Eventually Old Jock had to move with the times and so should we. Using outdated oils in our beloved classics is a false reassurance. If your owner’s manual was a live document online don’t you think the manufacturers would be updating it to keep in line with all forms of modern technology?