According to our quality procedure all products are guaranteed for a minimum of two years after their production date. To ensure the validity of this guarantee, a reference sample of each production batch is systematically kept and checked on a regular basis.
The components of our oils have been proportioned to reach an optimum result. Add an additive may create unnecessary blends and even harmful. Certain manufacturers even forbid to incorporate an additive in the oil.
Petrol and diesel engines have different lubrication requirements. During development, lubricants undergo a number of tests, some common to diesel and petrol engines and others specific to one or the other type, that categorize their performances. At the end of this process, they are awarded an API or ACEA/CCMC compliance standard. These specifications characterize the acceptable functioning of the lubricant in each type of petrol or diesel engine. Lubricants for four-stroke engines usually comply with both petrol and diesel specifications. For example, an API SJ/CF lubricant meets petrol specification SJ and diesel specification CF. But this does not necessarily mean that it will perform in the same way in both petrol and diesel engines. This is why Elf has developed specialized ranges, optimized either for petrol or for diesel.
A multigrade oil is one whose proper:
When the vehicle is not being used (for several hours), the engine oil sinks in the crankcase so that, on starting, it takes a certain amount of time (a few microseconds) to again reach all parts of the engine that need to be lubricated. Since a multigrade oil is more fluid at low temperatures, it reaches the various engine components more quickly than a monograde oil, thereby reducing wear on starting.
Multigrade oil allow "saving fuel" around 1.5% to 3% then monograde oil
Multigrade oils provide better engine protection at low and high temperatures than monograde oils, in that they maintain optimum viscosity over the engine operating temperature range.
These are SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) viscosity grades that class 4-stroke engine oils in relation to their hot and cold viscosity characteristics. There are 2 parts to a “Multigrade” viscosity product:
A cold grade, the “0W” or “5W” in the above examples. The “W” stands for “Winter”. The numbers go from 0 to 25 and give an indication of the viscosity at cold temperatures. The 0W will have the lowest viscosity and the 25W will have the highest viscosity at cold temperatures.
A hot grade, also called summer grade, the “40” or “30” in the above examples. The numbers go from 20 to 60 and give an indication of the viscosity under normal (hot) operating conditions. The 20 will have the lowest viscosity and the 60 will have the highest viscosity under normal operating conditions.
Most modern 4-stroke motorcycles have their engine, gearbox and wet clutch combined together in the same unit and as a result all three components are lubricated by the same common lubricant.
Technical constraints for the 4-stroke engine, gearbox and clutch are very much different so the 4-stroke motorcycle lubricant must meet all of these: from Fuel Economy and high temperature stability for the engine - to shear stability for the gearbox - to anti-slip properties for the clutch!
Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are members of the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization, (JASO) who have drawn up specifications to avoid clutch slip problems and require motorcycle oils to have a given level of performance. These are referred to as JASO MA and JASO MB standards with different levels of friction to address these clutch requirements. All our 4-stroke motorcycle lubricant ranges are fully compliant with these JASO standards.
In a passenger car, the engine is separated from the gearbox and the clutch hence different lubricants are used which are specific for each mechanical component. For example, the engine oil in a passenger car can be formulated with a variety of friction modifier additives to achieve fuel economy benefits without causing any compatibility problem with the clutch. The gearbox lubricant is also specifically formulated to resist the very high shearing and contact pressures found when the gears are in operation.
No, because motorcycle four-stroke engines do not operate under the same conditions as those of cars (higher engine rpm and temperature). The engine lubricant can also be used to lubricate the gearbox and the clutch, which requires a formula with EXTREME-PRESSURE ADDITIVES. On the other hand, passenger vehicle lubricants contain DETERGENT ADDITIVES with a high ash content. In motorcycle engines, these cause deposits to form on the valve train and the piston crowns, which can result in valve burning or piston perforation.
A lubricant is said to be mineral when its main component, the base oils are coming from the refining of crude oil. Crude oil is being extracted from the ground at various locations across the globe. Crude oil is a fossil fuel and is made of various different components in a ratio that will vary from its geographical origin. One component of crude oil is mineral oil used for lubricants. The refining process will separate this component from the remainder. However this technique is a basic separation process and the resultant mineral oil is always a mixture of different components which have only similar physico-chemical characteristics. For this reason, lubricants based on mineral base oils have a limited performance with properties that also offer a limitation of protection of the mechanical application. In addition, mineral oils are fully dependent on the production of crude oil, which is a non-renewable energy.
The engine oil level should be checked regularly to prevent incidents. A small amount of the oil that circulates in the engine is always burnt (an engine in good condition consumes between 0.2 and 0.5 liters of oil every 1,000 kilometers), but successive top-ups are no substitute for an oil change.
Accordingly, it is natural that an engine consumes a small amount of oil, which can be offset by top-ups between oil changes; however, excessive need for top-ups can be an indication of mechanical problems (leaks, etc).
4-stroke engine oils are compatible with each other and can be mixed. You can therefore safely use a quality Makinalube lubricant in your vehicle from now on.
Yes, it is the same basic oil that is sold by the major oil companies. The only difference is the label, and the price which is usually lower then the advertised brands.