lidl ecotech oil...

serious3

i have 5l of this ecotech oil 10w40 semi synth from lidl in the shed, i was wondering as it meets the same specs as my bike oil would it be ok for use as a top up if needed?
the lidl oil meets API SL/SF and ACEA A3/B3 and A4/B4
my bike oil meets API SL and ACEA A3

this in my mind means they are the same?? or am i confused?

jimgoose

What sort of bike is it?

positron

You would usually get experienced heads warning about car oils being bad for wet clutches on motorbikes etc. I have read comments on other sites that it's okay to use normal oil on bikes. In short, I don't know - subscribed to see what others say!

serious3

its a quad actualy! well 2 of them, one is a yamaha big bear 400 aircooled and the other is an arctic cat 450 water cooled (suzuki motor) the cat needs a change as the float needle got stuck and filled the cases with petrol the bike shop is a 110m round trip and the quad is needed back in service asap

jimgoose

serious3 wrote: »

its a quad actualy! well 2 of them, one is a yamaha big bear 400 aircooled and the other is an arctic cat 450 water cooled (suzuki motor) the cat needs a change as the float needle got stuck and filled the cases with petrol the bike shop is a 110m round trip and the quad is needed back in service asap

They both run wet centrifugal clutches. You'll need a JASO MA/MA2 compliant oil. Stay away from that Lidl crap - good oil is cheap, engine/drivetrain failures are costly.

peckerhead

Bike engines are typically more high-revving, too. I was tempted to buy it myself (for my old CB-1) but decided it wasn't really worth the risk for the sake of a few euro.

BlackWizard

I've been using car oil for years.

You've done the research on the oil type your bike needs. If the Lidl one meets the spec then use it. That's what I do. The Lidl one and a Halfords on works on my bike.

API SG, SL/CF. JASO MA/MA2. Those standards are okay on your wet clutch. But if the oil mentions additives or modifiers then I'd stay away from it. With those specs on it, it should not be mentioning any kind of additives.

API SM is sometimes okay with wet clutches too. But I wouldn't use it unless it says it's for motorbikes. Even then I would be curious about it working on a wet clutch.

arybvtcw0eolkf

^^^ Same here, in nearly 30 years I've never had a problem with a due to to any oil issues.

Wonda-Boy

Last service I done I asked a mate to pick up the oil for me (he is in the trade). I wanted the good castrol, he got it for me but he they gave him the car oil instead by mistake. I did not cope it until I had drained the oil from the bike so I was ****ed I had to use it. Its still in the bike now NO PROBLEMS at all....I have bought the correct oil and I am dropping the other one out alot sooner but there is no problem at all with it. 99% of the time its perfect to use car oil if its a wet clutch on the bike.

Alkers

Would people here top-up their oil with a different brand oil than is in the bike already? I would have no problem using a new oil when doing a change & filter but not sure about top-ups?

Wossack

I would yea - as long as theres no change in viscosity, I cant see any harm myself

Wonda-Boy

Whats the point in topping up dirty used oil with clean fresh oil??? Or am I missing something......

Wossack

Some bikes burn oil, so need occasional topping up. Wouldn't make sense really to swap the oil just cause you're a level down on your dipstick. On some bikes that could mean an oil change every 1000km

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Whats the point in topping up dirty used oil with clean fresh oil??? Or am I missing something......

Big singles and twins can devour the oil and require constant checking and top ups.

Del2005

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Whats the point in topping up dirty used oil with clean fresh oil??? Or am I missing something......

It's cheaper than pouring 3 or 4 litres of oil into the bike every few days as most manufacturers only look at engines if they burn more than a litre per 1000km. As said some types of engines always burn a bit of oil and even with types that don't usually burn oil there's manufacturing tolerances which means that a few will