Shell Rotella T6 15w-40

shredmeister

Active Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
Messages
271
Location
Redding, CA
For those of you (us) that like to run Rotella 5w-40...
Shell now makes T6 synthetic in 15w-40. I just found about about this. It is JASO MA, MA2 rated. I guess it's taken awhile for it to reach some parts of the country at retailers like Walmart. Google it to find out more if interested. Also a thread on it over at "bob is the oil guy". I'll be looking for it myself.
 

RCinNC

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Joined
Aug 30, 2014
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2,816
Location
North Carolina
I haven't tried the synthetic yet, but I've been using the T4 exclusively now for the last 20,000 miles. So far nothing disastrous has happened, in spite of the Rotella doomsayers that pop up on motorcycle forums.
 

Kyle_E

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
672
Location
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide.
Yay, an oil thread! :cool:

For what it's worth, I have pretty much only used 5W40 T6 in all of my bikes. Zero issues so far.
Just wait for an Amsoil thread and remind everyone its a multi level marketing company and watch the infighting. Hilarious.

But yeah I'm with you, T6 has been good in my experience. I keep waiting for my local Walmart to start carrying the 15-40.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
Rotella is not a bad oil at all for motor break in. It's even good for everyday use if you ride in normal conditions and change your oil frequently. Nothing wrong with it at all. Cheap, effective, and does the job.

Once my bike is broken in I'll use Motul with Ester. This oil has saved my motors in both my 2T's and Beta in extreme conditions. When rock crawling both bikes would get over 300 degrees. I blew the hose on my KTM 300 and rode back to the truck 10 miles with no water. Cylinder and piston were just fine. Boiled the gas and got my Beta to 325 degrees for over 30 minutes. It's just as good today as it was back in 2015. I like the added protection of a good oil.

FWIW, had I been using Rotella or a non Ester based 2T oil both those motors would have been toast. My XR600 is a prime example of locking up and destroying the motor due to getting too hot and using regular oil.

And I also run Evans waterless coolant in my Beta.....
 

blitz11

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Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Messages
312
Location
SW Montana
Just wait for an Amsoil thread and remind everyone its a multi level marketing company and watch the infighting. Hilarious.

But yeah I'm with you, T6 has been good in my experience. I keep waiting for my local Walmart to start carrying the 15-40.
I discovered Amsoil after Castrol reneged on a rebate. i wrote them back to complain (this was before the web), and instead of honoring their rebate, they sent me a John Force T-shirt where the John Force iron-on was about 6" off center. Classy.

I swore off Castrol after that. Discovered Amsoil at the MN state fair. Became a "dealer" (never sold any, but gave some away), and am now a preferred customer 'cause i don't have to go to a store. i place an order, their prices are competitive, and it shows up at my door in a couple of days.

Amsoil convinced me of longer drain intervals. I have gone 25K miles in my 1992 volvo between oil changes, and it uses 1 qt. every 5 K miles (at 300K miles w/ no engine work). I have 500 hours on each of my KTM and GasGas 2 strokes with no bottom end issues, and essentially no ring / cylinder wear (measure ring end gap) using Amsoil 2-cycle oil.

Is Amsoil better than other oils? Probably not (i am lazy, not an amsoil prophet) - to me, this just shows how good oils have become. our new toyota tacoma comes with "toyota care" where they do the first two oil changes at 10K mile intervals. I looked at bob the oil guy, and they rated the amazon basics synthetic oil pretty highly, so i ordered some of that in case the new truck needs top-up oil. it's at 5K miles now, and the new truck hasn't used a drop. Maybe the amazon goes in when i have to do my own oil changes. i'll see if that engine goes 300K on amazon oil - i am curious (about that, and if i live that long.)
 

Ramseybella

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Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Messages
2,924
Location
Los Alamos, new Mexico
I discovered Amsoil after Castrol reneged on a rebate. i wrote them back to complain (this was before the web), and instead of honoring their rebate, they sent me a John Force T-shirt where the John Force iron-on was about 6" off center. Classy.

I swore off Castrol after that. Discovered Amsoil at the MN state fair. Became a "dealer" (never sold any, but gave some away), and am now a preferred customer 'cause i don't have to go to a store. i place an order, their prices are competitive, and it shows up at my door in a couple of days.

Amsoil convinced me of longer drain intervals. I have gone 25K miles in my 1992 volvo between oil changes, and it uses 1 qt. every 5 K miles (at 300K miles w/ no engine work). I have 500 hours on each of my KTM and GasGas 2 strokes with no bottom end issues, and essentially no ring / cylinder wear (measure ring end gap) using Amsoil 2-cycle oil.

Is Amsoil better than other oils? Probably not (i am lazy, not an amsoil prophet) - to me, this just shows how good oils have become. our new toyota tacoma comes with "toyota care" where they do the first two oil changes at 10K mile intervals. I looked at bob the oil guy, and they rated the amazon basics synthetic oil pretty highly, so i ordered some of that in case the new truck needs top-up oil. it's at 5K miles now, and the new truck hasn't used a drop. Maybe the amazon goes in when i have to do my own oil changes. i'll see if that engine goes 300K on amazon oil - i am curious (about that, and if i live that long.)
Yeah that's great in a a engine that doesn't have transmission gears and clutch plates churning oil through it like a Ninja food processor.
 

Commuter Boy

Member
Joined
May 15, 2017
Messages
42
Location
Halifax NS
Tried it this summer. Once we hit fall weather it was too thick, engine felt sluggish to turn over, stupidly hard to find neutral when cold. Going back to the Rotella 5w.
 

Kurgan

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Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
372
Location
SE Michigan
I've had equally good results with Amsoil, Mobil 1 4T and Redline full synthetics in my motorcycles, cars and trucks.
 
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