When to Start Synthetic Oil

I'm very close to buying a 2017 FJR1300ES. I'm looking at letting the Dealer do everything including an extended warranty to 5 years. The only concern I have is the oil changes will be mineral oil per Yamaha. I may omit that service if I can and use synthetic oil. Have others switched to synthetic and at what mileage. I'm 66 and I want this bike to be the one that carries me.

Thanks for you thoughts

Oil threads never go well on this forum, but before the craziness ensues, here are a couple of thoughts.

1. Oil changes are ridiculously easy on this bike. Do them yourself or the dealer is apt to over-tighten the drain plug and cause you more headache than the act itself.

2. I read oil threads before I got my FJR. I went with empirical evidence of others that have proven the motor will go over 200,000 miles on non-sythetic and non-yamaha oil. I personally use Rotella T 15-40 dino.

Start with the synthetic any time you want. I don't think it probably makes a lot of difference but I usually use Rotella 5W50 full syn. As mentioned, oil change is very quick and easy.

Oil is oil is oil. Spend the big bucks on synthetic . I use Rotella dino and have 204k kms. no issues.

I think you should use the most expensive oil you can find, change it per the service interval, then send the used oil to me, so I can use it in my 116,000 mile Honda ST1300 which I use give-a-shit oil in.

Most oil labeled "synthetic" ain't true synthetic anyways.

Beyond that, it will not make a bit of difference. At least not that you will notice in 200,000 plus miles.

However, if after 200,000 miles you are dissatisfied with your oil selection, I will stand corrected.

Don't waste your money. The numerous replies for standard oil should give you a good clue. I use conventional Castrol 10-40, because I got a good deal on like 8 gallons. As soon as I'm out, I'll find something else that's not expensive.

Thanks for the replies. I've enjoyed reading them. I'm coming from the BMW world if I buy this bike. From what I've read About the FJR its just about bullet proof. Something I'm looking forward to and have needed in my garage. I plan to test ride an FJR Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if they handle differently.

My neighbor rides a k1600gtl. It would be fun to smoke him.

Well, good luck on that one. Those K1600's are quite speedy.

Enjoy the test ride!

Rotella T-6 Synthetic after my service contract ran out at 24K. Oil change with filter change take less than 15 minutes after you have done it a couple of times and learn how to wrap some aluminum foil over the exhaust pipes to keep things neat and clean. Rotella T-6 seems to be on sale frequently so I pick up a gallong jug plus a quart when I see it on sale.

I have 50,000 miles on my 2014. I've used nothing but regular old yamalube in it since I bought it. I plan to switch to full synthetic at 100,000 miles.

I was just thinking it would be nice if you could tell when bearings had worn in and then start synthetic. I'll never do it but maybe a pressure transducer at the pump discharge or in the oil galley to measure oil pressure at running temperature and at several RPM points could be used. BMWs have an oil bypass valve that opens at 54psi. So maybe RPM Vs oil pressure up to the bypass point. If I only had the time and the toys.

Ride more, worry less. It makes NO difference when you switch if you choose to do so.

To answer his question: Internet wisdom "used" to be run new engines with dino oil during break-in, then go to synthetic if you choose to. These days, the dino oil is so good it's fine to use as long as it is getting changed regularly. And now some higher end vehicles come straight from the factory with synthetic and never recommend dino oil, even during break-in.

Personally, I run Yamalube for a couple of early oil changes during break-in, and then go to motorcycle synthetic. But per this forum I'm throwing my money away, although I'm fine with that. I sleep just fine.

Edited to add: Not sure of the spanking of that GTL1600 no matter what oil you choose.

DBstoy said:

I was just thinking it would be nice if you could tell when bearings had worn in and then start synthetic. I'll never do it but maybe a pressure transducer at the pump discharge or in the oil galley to measure oil pressure at running temperature and at several RPM points could be used. BMWs have an oil bypass valve that opens at 54psi. So maybe RPM Vs oil pressure up to the bypass point. If I only had the time and the toys.

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Its rare that something makes as little sense to me as this does ... Wait until the bearings have worn in ? Did you mean to say when the rings have seated or something like that ?

Am I just missing the boat here ? Worn in ? I doubt very highly if you could ever tell or measure the difference ...

I think you are right. I probably would not be able to see a difference. There are to many variables involved.

I wait till I catch either castrol or mobil 1 synthetic on sale then buy a few changes worth, I have 5 quarts of m1 4t in the garage now. $9 a quart on sale at advanced then a $12 rebate.

I used Amsoil on my '05, that I used to have <sigh>, for about 90% of it's 223K miles. Sent a sample in for testing after I had changed oil at around 215K and got an excellent report back. But the thing is I hate wasting oil and have firmly believed that the engines we have today don't need their oil changed every 3-5K miles, IMHO of course. My intervals have almost always been 7-10K miles. But that's why I synthetics, hedging my bets I guess. The bike never burned oil and the only time it ever leaked was after road debris punched a hole in the pan. Yes that may have more to do with that great Yammy engine than it did the oil, but what use is a good superstition if you don't believe in it.

Here's a suggestion:

1) RTFM.

2) Do what it says.

These two simple steps have never failed anyone.

Dan