Motorex KTM Racing 4T 20W60..?

Please No-angel, not another oil thread :wink:

If you search the forum using key word "oil" you will find a huge amount of information. I think the doc also has a bit about it.

Personally, I'm not sure a 20W is ideal, particularly not in the colder climates, but I don't know much about the chemistry of oils, I have always just used a good quality 10W40.

All the best,
Simon

Redline racing 40w is what a mechanic friend recommends; he is Chris Blias mech. for the Paris Dakar rally.

I use Motorex in my KTM. Any good quality oil at the right weight, 40-50 is fine in these motors. My Husqvarna 610 manual says 10W60, and I got a case of the Agip in that weight, but I would have no issues using the Motorex in 40 or 50 weight.

my very basic understanding of the oil weights is that its the colder the climate you live in then the lower first number you want ie 5w50 if you live somewhere chilly. 20w50 for eg if you live somewhere warmer.

brief explanation of oil weight curtesy of valvoline

Amsoil looks to have a superior product when it come to synthetic motorcycle oil. You can check out this old thread in which Takis(bergoroadracer) divulges some of his secret blends...Smoke

And, if you want to see the data for yourself, Amsoil provides very extensive research into their product compared to competitors for numerous properties of oil Amsoil Motorcycle Oil Study

I have not used amsoil yet, but I guarantee it will be the next oil I use. I've been using Motul 300V competition 15w-50 which is supposed to be a great oil. However, it's quite expensive....about $15 a liter!!....and doesn't really hold up under testing.

Also, I would go with the 10w40 over the 20w50. Husabergs run tight tolerances which lower viscosity oil is suited better to. The heavier oil increases drag on the crank robbing horsepower, and it increases oil pressure which in turn increases oil temperature.

I hope this helps

Re: RE: Motorex KTM Racing 4T 20W60..?

Simon said:

Please No-angel, not another oil thread :wink:

If you search the forum using key word "oil" you will find a huge amount of information. I think the doc also has a bit about it.

Personally, I'm not sure a 20W is ideal, particularly not in the colder climates, but I don't know much about the chemistry of oils, I have always just used a good quality 10W40.

All the best,
Simon

Click to expand...

yeah oil threads are good fun..
I must have read a thousand pages of these by now.
Still confused..
I just stay away from eco-freindly (moly) friction modifiers and change regularly..
Its only a litre of oil..

Re: RE: Motorex KTM Racing 4T 20W60..?

The last number quoted for an oil spec is the shear factor bigger the number bigger the shear factor good for the gear box and pinions. The first number obviously is the weight.
Like all engines the biggest wear comes on warm up where the oil has to reach a certain temp before max protection around 60 C. So if even using a heavier weight oil if warmed up correctly will be OK.
With the Husaberg only relying on the cam chain to feed the top end I would favor a slightly heavier oil weight 15 or 20.
Short story when the new breed of Ducatis came out there were some problems with cam and follower wear they went from a 10 weight to 15 or 20 and this cured a lot of the problems.
Warm an engine up correctly try not to over rev it and it should treat you well.

Regards

Sparks.

The two numbers of the oil are both viscosity ratings. An oil is rated for viscosity by heating it to a specified temperature, and then allowing it to flow out of a specifically sized hole. Its viscosity rating is determined by the length of time it takes to flow out of the hole. If it flows quickly, it gets a low rating. If it flows slowly, it gets a high rating. The first number is the viscosity measured at 0 Celcius, and the second one is measured at 100 celsius. This allows the oil to be a much lower viscosity during startup while the oil is still cold. Once the oil warms up it will start to behave like an oil with the higher viscosity rating. It is good to have a low first number because it allows the oil to flow better during the critical startup period.

Shear factor is a separate component of the oil. It is not labeled on the bottle. In fact, unless someone has the oil tested for resistance to shearing, it is impossible to know.

I can't say for sure that a 10w40 v. 20w50 is better for the valvetrain of the husaberg, but I do know that it's not the same motor as a ducati. Remember, a higher viscosity oil doesn't flow as easily and is harder to pump up into the head. Also, if you read Bergoroadracer's posts that I made a link to, you can read that he had 500 hours on his head without a rebuild while running 10w40 Amsoil. Now to be fair, he also runs a metal impregnator(militec 1) in his engine oil.

Using a heavier weight oil will require more of a warm up.
I think I got that straight.
The other thing about the sheer resistance thing is that oils have additives that allow them to be multigrade. These additives are subject to sheer in the bike gearbox. So using a multigrade oil will require frequent changing. Well that is my understanding at least. Tell me if I am wrong.