Decent 2-stroke oil?

[Richard]

I also use it at 50:1 in my chainsaw (Stihl 044)

Just hung up with Jenny at Klotz technical help.

She said ok to use at 50:1 in chainsaw/string trimmer, but not to push it to that in dirtbike. Said I was ok at 40:1 and if I smoked (which I do) then to tinker with my jetting.

She said to use the Castor oil (BeNol), it is a higher film strength and a "stickier" oil that unless one is RACING, one ought to maybe not use it. Seems it can gum up in your rings and unless you really push your engine, you might not burn all of it off, letting it gum up. Too bad too, cause I always loved that smell......(drifts off into memories of tail pipe sniffing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) (that's a joke, just in case anyone belives it).

Richard

 

[pruntyc]

Yes, I use the Amsoil at 100 to 1 in my Stihl chainsaw to. Fact is Amsoil guarantees it at that mix, in a good condition motor. In other words if you have a problem with the motor, that is not their fault, But if there is nothing already wrong with it, the 100 to 1 will do the job. I had that problem with my Stihl string cutter, they said at Stihl I needed to run it at top speed all the time to keep it from loading up and sticking the ring. But with the Amsoil, I don't do that and have no problem as it don't gum up.

 

[ipwanab]

I went through the oil wars years ago on big 2 cycle motocrossers. My brother and I got so tired of the endless debate, we stated mixing regular motor oil at the proper rate and never had any ill effects. We read that it would be fine and it was. The only adverse reaction was that it did not smell as good as Blendzall or Klotz. That said- I pay the 6$ a pint for Klotz in my weedeater (like you I love the soapy smell of Klotz, and if my head is only 2 feet from the muffler on the weedeater it's worth it.)

 

[kwright]

I restore and recondition motorcycles as a hobby, both two-stroke and four... though I'm particular to vintage Japanese 2-strokes from the '70s and '80s. I've got six bikes right now, four 2-strokes and two 4-strokes, with two bikes "under construction" and four in the queue.

I believe your Yamaha originally had oil injection (I could be wrong on this as I haven't worked on this model specifically, but I *think* I'm correct).

My recommendation: If you're intending to use the bike for casual riding, it will be tough to do better than Yamalube - available from any Yamaha dealer.

There are many execellent brands of synthetic & petroleum based (and combination) 2-stroke oils these days. A few have been mentioned already; Amsoil (the racing oil will probably be overkill, but it's an excellent product), Redline, Klotz... they are all fine products.

If it was my bike, I'd just use the Yamalube and call it good.

For what it's worth...

 

[TresCrows]

Old? as in how old and what kind? My 30yo Bultaco will probably prefer Klotz or Blendsoil or that type of thing and I do not stray to far from the original mixing ratios. I ran Klotz in it if memory serves when I was racing MX in the 70's.

A time back I became involved with Rotax two stroke aviation engines. There was great controversy about oil with them as well. They are both air and water cooled but the water cooled engines run hot like an air cooled so Rotax recommended the same types of oil. One oil highly recomended was Pennzoil for AirCooled Two-Strokes oil. Yeah, I know but this time pennzoil had a good product. Pennzoil bought eight identical Rotax engines and fitted them to a test trailer side by side and ran different oils in them under absolutely identical conditions simultaneously. The pics of the engines torn down at various intervals did not lie. It was clear that the Pennzoil product burned very clean and provided excellent protection. I ran the stuff in my homebuilt Rotax powered Kitfox for 300 hours before selling it. I still think it is a fine product. I would not hesitate to use it in lawn equipemnt, aircooled two stroke bikes and even let my life depend on it at 5,000 feet up a canyon in Northern Arizona while I flew wing to a Bald Eagle with my wing tip inches from a sheer rock wall. J

 

[RobertN]

She's not that old, 1986. I used to have the same bike, that I got new as a dealer leftover in '87.

A buddy just sold his '75 or '76 Honda 250R that he got new. I rode it once. It had no brakes or suspension compared to bikes these days, but that motor ran pretty dang good.

I think I saw Klotz on the shelf at the local shop. Will check it out.

 

[RobertN]

I mix to the oil manufactures spec. One oil mix is used for all my power equipment. In that case, I use Husky oil. Works well, is simple to mix with thier little one or two gallon rated bottles.

For my old dirt bikes, I used to run Bel-Ray, and then later Hi-Point, mixed at thier spec which was 50:1

I have not used Amsoil, but hae heard it is good. I have not seen it locally though.

 

[RobertN]

I have heard that Yamalube has always been a pretty good lube. Used to know guys that ran it in other brands of bikes, and they really liked it.

Only problem for me, is the Yamaha dealer is way across town, down in Sacramento, about an hour away. If I do not get stuff from the local dirt bike shop, then I have to drive, or most likely order some and ship it. Not to big a deal...

 

[pruntyc]

I'm with you Kwright, I believe it was oil injection when new. The one I had I can't remember for sure the year, but I think it was a 78, and it had oil injection. Monoshock, rode real good in the dirt, put the weight up front and slide the turns real good.

 

[TresCrows]

I would be careful about using synthetic oils in old engines unless you know there is no problem with the seals. Two stroke engines have crank seals and gaskets etc that might be adversely affected. My old Bultaco definitly reflects old world technology. Plain rubber seals etc such as it has are rare in a modern engine. I cannot use any gasoline for instanse that has alchohol or the seals will swell and be ruined. Some synthetic oils are not compatible as well. That is why I use old time but still available products like Klotz and Blendzoil etc in it.
Amsoil are good products, they are always right in the top performance when tested independently but no better, time and time again, than several others that are easier and cheaper to purchase. Mobil 1 also has a synthetic two stroke bike oil. I have an ancient Johnson outboard that is from way back long before I was born. It is a strange and bizzare antique that is from an era when the Ford TriMotor was still considered state of the art. When I was a kid we mixed 30W auto oil in the gas at like 15 to 1 I think. I don't think Amsoil or Mobil or much of anything else synthetic belongs in it. I would feel OK using the Pennzoil water cooled oil or aircooled oil more likely and have done so. J