The presence of oil in every motorcycle has a very important role, especially for the engines. Without oil, the performance of the vehicle’s engine will be less than optimal. Oil is one of the fluids used to help the engine to work optimally.
Many people certainly already know one of the functions of oil which is to lubricate the engine on the motor. But who would have thought that oil has other functions for motorized vehicles, starting from gluing each engine component, cleaning the combustion products, preventing corrosion of engine components, helping to relieve heat due to engine combustion, minimizing friction, and to absorb vibrations.
For this reason, the oil in the motor must be changed regularly, which is about once a month to maintain the quality and extend the life of the engine. But in fact there are still many people who have difficulty in choosing motor oil.
No need to worry, this time we will discuss tips on choosing the right motor oil so that the motor engine works optimally and remains durable.
1. Pay Attention to SAE Code or Oil Viscosity
Before choosing a motor oil, it’s a good idea for vehicle users to know where the motor is used, whether it’s in a cold or low temperature environment. Because this is to determine the SAE or the level of dilution that the oil has.
Oil dilution codes generally begin with the word SAE and are followed by a number. This scale for oil dilution levels was created by the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE). The code can be seen on each oil package.
For example, for an oil with the code SAE 20W-50, the letter W printed on the back of the number stands for ‘Winter’, while the number 50 represents the level of dilution of the motor oil. There is a number 20 which indicates if the oil can be used at temperatures up to minus 20 degrees Celsius. The smaller the number in front of the letter W, the higher the oil dilution level.
As for the motor that is in a hot or high temperature environment, you should use an oil with a low dilution level.
In addition, there are things that must be considered, such as if the selected oil is multigrade, just pay attention to the last number because the code letter “W” has no effect. For example, if the original oil used in the motor is coded 20W-50, it is okay to use oil with a code of 10W-50 or 5W-50.
Motorcycle that are more than five years old or have a mileage of more than 100,000 km, should use an oil with a higher dilution level because many gaps in the engine are loose.
2. Pay Attention to the API Code
The next thing to consider when choosing an oil is the API value. API itself is an abbreviation of the American Petroleum Institute which is a code to determine the quality of oil. Not only that, the API code is also used to determine the oil’s ability to withstand engine component friction.
For engines that use gasoline as fuel such as motorcycles, the API code starts with the letter S. There are several types of API codes found in motor oils such as SA, SB, SC, SD and SE. The higher the letter level of the alphabet that follows the S code, the higher the oil’s ability to withstand friction of engine components.
For motorbikes that are often used in carrying out daily activities, it is enough to use oil with API codes SA to SE. This is related to the performance of the engine used, the greater the load carried (more than 110 kg) or the farther the distance traveled, you should use oil with a large alphabetical API code.
In addition, to maintain engine performance, you should choose oil according to engine standards. However, under certain conditions, such as API SE coded oil, it may be increased to SG. However, it should not be reduced to SE again at the next oil change.
3. Choose Oil According to the Type of Motor and Clutch
As is known if there are various types of motor on the market. Automatic scooters, manual motorcycles, and motor sport are the types of motorcycles that are most often used by most people.
The automatic scooter type is famous for most people because this motorbike uses an automatic transmission when changing gears. Even so, many people still choose a motorcycle with a smaller engine capacity, which is under 150 cc.
The manual motorcycle is the most comfortable motorbike to use for daily activities, but it is also good enough for long trips though. As for motor sport, it is a type of large motorbike that is generally used for racing and is intended for large road conditions.
When viewed based on the clutch, motorized vehicles can be distinguished by wet clutch and dry clutch. Wet clutch is a motor vehicle with the condition of the clutch being in the oil, while the dry clutch is a clutch that is not covered with oil and is widely used on automatic scooters.
Wet clutch has the advantage that the clutch does not wear out quickly, but often causes slippage. For this reason, it is very important to pay attention to the quality of oil for wet clutches.
Because of that, when choosing an oil, it’s a good idea to also pay attention to the JASO code on the motor oil package. JASO is a classification of the types of oil found in motorcycle engines based on lubrication tests by the Japanese Automotive Standard Organization.
JASO itself is divided into two types, namely JASO MA and JASO MB. Motor oil with the code JASO MA is specifically for motorcycle users with a wet clutch. By using JASO MA code oil, the lining and the gear on the clutch plate will not slip.
While the JASO MB code is only for automatic scooters, because the clutch on the automatic scooter includes a dry clutch that is not submerged in oil. Please note that this oil is slippery and only functions to wet the clutch lining.
There are several conditions that are allowed. JASO MA specification oil can still be used on automatic scooters. However, JASO MB oil should not be used on motorcycle engines and motor sport.
4. Change Motor Oil at an Authorized Workshop
If you feel some of the ways above are too complicated, changing the oil at an official repair shop is the right choice. In addition, the quality of the available motor oil is unquestionable.
Usually, the official at the workshop will provide some recommendations for motor oil according to the specifications and type of motor. That way the engine quality is maintained and can work optimally.
So, those are some tips that can be done when choosing motor oil. In addition, choose an oil with a trusted brand and also don’t forget to change the motor oil regularly.