Follower scar oil tests (2018)

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Gortnipper, if you cant find RP XPR in NZ, Driven (Joe Gibbs) oil is available , thats what I use in my race bike.
Here s hopinhg it passes Jims testing.
I use their break in oil ,BR, for both bikes (road bike motor had its first start up yesterday)and then I will be running Torco TR 1 MPZ 10W40 in the roadbike as I bought a drum of it for another Norton owner who decided he didnt require it, so I will use it.
Maybe another one for Jims testing as its a USA made product.
Torco is readily available in NZ

https://www.torcousa.com/technology/TR-1.pdf

Available here :
https://www.1stparts.co.nz

Regards Mike
 
This is some of the coolest stuff posted in this forum in a long time. But before we all run out and buy Royal Purple (if we can find it), it seems to me we should make an effort to build a data base. Jim has already stated his goal was to gather information regarding cam failure more than specifically test oils.

There are plenty of smart people here. Can we collectively design a contraption that would be easy for lots of members to duplicate at home so that independent tests could be done in a manner where the data could be compared? (Before anyone asks, no, I am not joking). The consumable pieces (follower and arbor race) would need to be something that could be purchased cheap enough to throw away as opposed to resurface. Otherwise the database would be skewed. Other than that testers would just need to duplicate RPM and leverage/pressure.

We also need to realize that using two ounces of oil allows a fairly short duration test. If it was running four quarts of oil it might take so long to cause breakdown that it would become irrelevant. And this I suspect is why most of us get away with running lesser oils.
 
comnoz said:
I plan to do some more oils soon. Surely there are others as good.
I also plan on revising my test to give results over a wider range instead of just seeing if it does as well as XPR.

I wish I would have known to test your followers before I sent them. If it's not already together I might suggest finding someone local to give them a test. It's simple and cheap. Have them do the edge of the pad and look for at least RHC 58.

Otherwise I might be temped to find someone with a boro-scope type camera or raise the barrel for a look. It would be best to catch it early. Jim
Click to expand...

No worries, Jim. You cant really plan for these unknown unknowns, can you?

It is all together and running. I take your point re. catching it early. May have to search out a USB type camera.

Brooking 850 said:
Gortnipper, if you cant find RP XPR in NZ, Driven (Joe Gibbs) oil is available , thats what I use in my race bike.
Here s hopinhg it passes Jims testing.
I use their break in oil ,BR, for both bikes (road bike motor had its first start up yesterday)and then I will be running Torco TR 1 MPZ 10W40 in the roadbike as I bought a drum of it for another Norton owner who decided he didnt require it, so I will use it.
Maybe another one for Jims testing as its a USA made product.
Torco is readily available in NZ

https://www.torcousa.com/technology/TR-1.pdf

Available here :
https://www.1stparts.co.nz

Regards Mike
Click to expand...

I have been using Mobil 1 V-twin 20w-50. Will be interesting to see the results on the Driven and/or Torco.
 
I'll send you some Valvoline dino. How are people shipping you oil? Fraid if I sent via USPS they ask if it is liquid and if I say motor oil they will go full Hazmat.
 
htown16 said:
I'll send you some Valvoline dino. How are people shipping you oil? Fraid if I sent via USPS they ask if it is liquid and if I say motor oil they will go full Hazmat.
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New motor oil is not considered to be hazardous. I don't think there is any problem with shipping via ground. I get most of my oil from Amazon. It comes via UPS.
 
worntorn said:
This may have been previously posted in some form or other.
Its a listing of basic info for 40 motor oils.
I was looking for ZDDP numbers on the XPR and found quite a variation in results, unfortunately none listed at Royal Purple.

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5650045562/m/1631078456
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I would not be too trusting of that. He has posted a lot of different results.

I have talked to the Royal Purple tech people and they will only say the zinc and phosphorus levels are in excess of 1300 ppm.
 
I wonder how that Jewel amber oil would fair in that test. I use it in my speedo gearbox...
 
WZ507 said:
Your superior results with the 3,000 mi Royal Purple XPR remind me of several old oil threads here on the forum where it was suggested (Ludwig) that many people (specifically Yanks) change oil far more often than necessary (we’re brain washed into thinking we have to perform oil changes at very short intervals) and that oil gets “more slippery” with use. Perhaps you’ve illuminated such an example for us?

Not taking a viewpoint here “for” or “against”, just regurgitating an old oil recollection from days gone by.
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The oil change interval on the 2016 Thruxton 1200 is 16,000 kms or 10,000 miles. At that mileage it still looks decent, but I'm happy to change it and happy to buy 4 quarts of the good stuff.

Wouldn't that be nice if our old Nortons were OK to run oil to that kind of mileage
I doubt that my Commando's oil would still be pumpable at that mileage.
That was the beauty of VR1, it is cheap enough to change often.
I'd probably be better off using Jim's cast off Royal Purple than fresh clean VR1.

Glen
 
Valvoline had people fooled for years with their clever marketing. It seriously looks like just overpriced standard oil.

I have been running M1 V-twin in all my 2 wheel machines since seeing Jim's previous tests. Expensive, but easy to get a quart if needed. Would prefer to use the cheaper 5qt container of 15w50 Mobil1 car oil which is about half price as V-twin but apparently they are different.

I was always intrigued to hear when car people claimed that the purple stuff with the funny name (thought it was clever marketing too) was the best oil. But proof is here. Very popular with the drag race crowd.

RP write on their site that XPR has the most Synerlec additive of all their oils.
 
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@rvich I agree that this is a very valuable resource.

However, I think it would add too many variables into the equation for those of us that are interested to replicate @comnoz’s tests.


Instead, I would propose that we all do something along the lines of making a contribution to the work that Jim is doing.

For example, if Jim agrees to ‘own’ this research and those that have been active on the recent cam and follower wear threads were to contribute say $25 to Jim’s PayPal account, it would go some way towards covering at least some of his costs.

I’m sure that most of us would be up for doing this on the grounds that we are all into our bikes for the long term.


There are many here (myself included) that would be prepared to make and maintain a decent comparison table which we can pin somewhere on the site.
It will also be a useful resource to point newbies at when they come along asking what oil to run.

Thoughts?
 
I'll buy in if this is agreeable to Jim. I'd like to know more about favorable choices for my vintage 'fleet' (more of a 'mound' of parts really), and I've been thinking of moving away from Harley's expensive oil for my v-twins, would really like to select the replacement oil based on data.
 
I am working on using datalogging equipment to run an automated test and create a graph on each oil. It will show load vs friction and time till failure.

It's all working well except I am waiting for a strain gauge amp to get here.

It gives a lot more information in an easy to understand picture. Jim
 
worntorn said:
Now my device is showing the photo of the oil. The VR1 is the Silver bottle conventional which I have been using.
Click to expand...

Less everyone run out and throw away your VR1 there is apparently a synthetic version that has not been tested.
 
Yes, it's in a black bottle .And not that much different in pricing from Royal Purple XPR or Redline Synthetic Motorcycle oil.

Glen
 
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