Yep but only in my Rs250 stink wheel! 749 last used Miller nano tech stuff. But I'd guess most good quality stuff and regular (ish) changes would be fine?
There was a link posted on the Yahoo SS forum a few years ago, that pointed to an enormously long article by a Florida based motorcycling oil engineer. The main points were that synthetic is very much better than anything else, that multigrade is very much better than single grade but it can be 'stretched' too far, so stick with a reasonably modest range. He felt that as most wear occurs from cold starts, relatively thin multigrade should be used - not 20-50. He recommended Mobil 1.
I don't get that - the argument for the thicker oils and the 15 or 20/50 recommendation is that the thicker oils are better at cold starts precisely because they remain coated on the internals. See eg Sigma Performance - Rockers - Who needs 'em? "The second choice is the oil you use. Ducati recommend Shell Advance Ultra, we recommend Rock Oil Racing Synthesis4, others talk about Motul 2000 and there are adherents to AGIP 4t Super Racing. All of these are thickish 15/50 or 20/50 racing spec fully synthetic oils. All have very high shear strengths (Cst's of 16 and above) and take time getting around the engine when it is first started, but they all leave a thick film of oil on everything so that weeks later when the engine is next started, there will be some oil already there. We take apart engines that have not been run for weeks and, when they have been run on a good oil, we find a thick film of oil clinging to the rockers. It is not any where as good as a generous fresh supply but it is a lot better than a thin film that falls away from the mating surfaces as soon as the engine is stopped. Mineral or thin 5w40 or 10w40 oils have their place, but not in a Ducati engine."
That's an interesting contrary view. I'm no expert and can only read up on and follow the advice of those who are. As I understand it, the theory is that a thicker oil will take longer to flow around the engine from a cold start and presumably oil pressure to bearings from a cold start will take a little longer to establish as a result. We are always told to run the engine for a while before attempting to drain oil, it's amazing how gloopy even multi grade oil is when it's stone cold. Ducati recommend fully synthetic oil and not 20/50, why would they do that if 20/50 is better? Maybe they are ignorant and stupid but I doubt it somehow. When I had a Triumph twin in the late 60s, I put 20/50 in it and mechanics at a dealership, who were admiring it, reckoned I might as well piss in it as put that stuff in - they were firm believers in nice thick SAE 40, trying to convince them that 20/50 is thinner when cold but thicker when hot than straight 40 would have been a total waste of breath.
http://members.rennlist.com/oil/Motor%20Oil%20101.htm Hopefully this link still works but be warned, it's a very long article...
I'm no expert either and am simply recounting my understanding. The argument in favour of the thicker oil is that it will have stayed coated on the internals in the first place hence less damage at start-up. I'm certainly not suggesting other than fully synthetic. I was citing arguments in favour of fully synth 15/50 or 20/50. Baines use Rock Oil Synthesis 4 15/50; JHP use Motul 300V-15-R 15/50. I understood that a fully synth 15/50 was the near-universal oil of choice in a modern Duc.
Have you read the article?? 5/40 fully synthetic was the Ducati recommendation for the 96 SS I had, if I remember correctly. I don't race my 999(or the SS, for that matter), so stick with Ducati's recommendations for normal riding, ie Shell Advance Ultra 4 10/40. Even if it's true that a thicker oil will stick to engine internals for longer, as I understand it, this will not compensate for the extra time that it takes for that thicker oil to become thin enough to not only be circulated around the engine but to be forced through oil galleries and pressurise the big ends. Before the advent of multigrade oils (and also decent filtration), engines would only last a few thousand miles before needing rebores and new bearings.
As I emphasise I'm certainly not competent to debate the relative merits of 10/40 and 15/50 (hence the article being a bit beyond me). I'm simply saying that my understanding was that most everyone recommends and uses the latter in modern Ducs. I did find this post by the great Shazaam on ducati.ms @ The Case for Using Mobil 1 15W-50 Automobile Oil in a Motorcycle - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum = 'So for the best motorcycle engine protection, dry clutch or wet clutch, I recommend (and use) the less expensive 15W-50 weight (remember ONLY 15W-50) automobile-specific Mobil 1 and change it every 1,500 to 2,000 miles.' Elsewhere Skidlids/Kevin Ellis says that Ducati later changed their recommendation for the 996-on ('The 996 tends to burn off the thinner 10W40 oil, the Ducati 2000 Tech poster actually lists Shell Ultra 20W50 for the 996, my preference is for Silkolene 15W50 in my 996, I know others use Motul V300 15W50 and don't seem to suffer the drop in oil level you get with the thinner oil.') And @ 15w50 oil in 848 - ducati.org forum | the home for ducati owners and enthusiasts A poster says that 'Ducati has sent out a dealer bulletin saying to follow this guideline: All Ducati dry clutch models use : 15W50 Full Synthetic All Ducati wet clutch models use : 10W40 Full Synthetic' Of course I'm sure that for most of us either is fine and that changing whatever you use frequently would be more important than which of them one was running. I stand to be corrected on all counts.
It is certainly interesting that Ducati used to specify 5/40 (for the air/oil-cooled SS!) in the 90s, then 10/40 in the noughties for the 999 and now they've gone to 15/40 or 50 for the Panigale, while car manufacturers seem to be going the other way. They are all still fully synthetic multigrades though, which thicken considerably less when cool than mineral or straight-grade oils. Incidentally, my faith in Shazaam's status as a Ducati guru was badly shaken when I read his article on Ducati clutches, in which he mentions the quiet clutch mod. He asserts that it works because the tangs on the plates no longer correspond with the grooves they have made in the basket. IMHO, this is just plain wrong. Many people use the quiet clutch mod with even a new clutch. If Shazaam were correct, this would be totally ineffective.
Having stripped a few heads I have found very little difference if any on the amount of oil coating the internals regardless of the viscosity, whether fully or semi synthetic or the amount of time stood. Currently using Motul 300 10-40 but have used all the major brands + Hein Gericke fully synthetic never any problems with regular oil/filter changes.
