EDIT-After writing this blog post, I have come to the conclusion that AMSOIL 10W-40 Metric Motorcycle oil is the best choice for the K1600.  I have come to this conclusion through several used oil analysis reports from several different K1600's using both the 0W-40 and the 10W-40.  Click here for the AMSOIL 10W-40 Metric Motorcycle Oil.

So, the riding season has pretty much come to an end here in Des Moines.  Not because of the seasonal drop in temperature, but because of the seasonal drop of melting/traction materials courtesy of several public works departments and the Iowa DOT. 

The end of the season for me is the final time of the year to do maintenance on our 2013 BMW K1600GTL.  For me, this final fluid change is not mileage driven.  It is just a "before bed" item.  I change the engine oil and final drive oil along with a thorough cleaning and waxing before putting the bike away.  My engine oil of choice is Amsoil's 0W-40 Formula 4-Stroke Powersports Oil.  This oil is Jaso MA/MA2 certified, so it meets the wet clutch requirements of this bike. 

run 4 to 6000 miles on oil changes, even though Amsoil's products offer extended drain intervals, I do prefer to change at no longer than what BMW recommends.  Although, with Amsoil, I do not fear getting caught in a situation where more miles are accumulated before I can get it changed. 

For the final drive, I am using Amsoil SevereGear 75W90. 

Below is what the final drive fluid looked like after the Billings trip, with about 8,000 miles on it.  To me, it looked like new. 

do the final drive change at every other oil change (12,000 miles) or at every tire change, Which for some, could be every 3,000 or so!!  I think most people are comfortable with 10k or so on the final drive changes and with Amsoil SevereGear in use, I would be completely confident in the protection offered. 

So, why do I change fluids at the end of the season regardless of mileage on the existing fluids?  From what I learned earlier in life through experience with boats, it is important to store the engine with fresh oil in it.  Through time, engine oil becomes acidic due to combustion by products.  One of the great properties of Amsoil fully synthetic lubricants is the ability to handle the acids without sacrificing the metals inside the engine.  While this is a great benefit, and one of the reasons why Amsoil is able to provide far longer service life than conventional oils along with most other synthetic oils, I still like to get fresh Amsoil in the engine for winter storage.  And, like most of you that are reading this, I still enjoy working on my stuff!!  Even if it is dumping out perfectly good oil and replacing it.  It's fun to me.  People sometimes ask me: "Why do you spend the extra money on Amsoil, if you are not taking advantage of the longer drain intervals?"  My answer is this: If there is an oil that is engineered to provide extended drain intervals while providing far superior lubrication and protection, why  wouldn't I use that same oil, even though I do change it more often?  And, Amsoil gives me the peace of mind of knowing that I am risking nothing if I don't get it changed as often as I would like!! 

By the way, Amsoil really isn't expensive.  Click here to find out how you can buy Amsoil at great prices!

Happy Thanksgiving from K16 Synthetics.

Well, it finally snowed!  This morning I awoke to the sounds of snowblowers doing their thing.  Then I thought, It's snowmobile time!!  Even though I don't have one, I know a lot of people who do.  Those people keep telling me how much I need one and how much fun I will have.  They are probably right.

Then, I thought about all of the great stuff Amsoil offers for the wintertime equipment.  Did you know that Amsoil is the official oil of the SnoCross Series?  Check out their site for more information: snocross.com. 

Today's sleds demand specialized lubricants.  Amsoil has them.  The Ski-Doo* Rotax* E-TEC* and Arctic Cat* C-TEC2* engines offer perfect examples. The E-TEC incorporates electronic equipment that can adjust the amount of oil the engine uses depending on operating conditions. As a result, the engine produces fewer exhaust emissions – and more severe operating conditions.
Similarly, Arctic Cat’s C-TEC2 engine features dual-stage injection, where fuel is injected directly into the boost port side of the cylinder at low rpm and also into the crankcase area at high rpm. Like the E-TEC, it uses less oil than previous engines. In one Arctic Cat promotional video, riders are told to expect fuel-to-oil ratios in the range of 65:1, depending on riding conditions. The result, according to Arctic Cat, is improved performance, fuel-economy and emissions. 
Getting the most out of your sled requires using an oil proven to stand up to the punishment doled out by modern engines. Two-stroke oils should focus on three areas of performance:

• Piston protection
• Exhaust power valve cleanliness
  
• Cold-flow properties

The intense heat and friction inside today’s snowmobile engines can overwhelm inferior oils, leading to scuffing and wear. Excellent lubricity — a term that refers to the oil’s ability to reduce friction — is essential for maximum wear protection. After 50 hours of intense dyno testing in a Rotax E-TEC 800R engine — enough time to replicate and entire riding season — AMSOIL INTERCEPTOR® Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil completely prevented piston scuffing.

You can read the entire report here.

The Ford PowerStoke 6.0 Liter engine is known to be very sensitive to oil quality and cleanliness.  Due to the design of the fuel injection system that uses oil pressure to drive the injectors, it is easy to see why using Amsoil's superior Diesel oils along with Amsoil's high efficiency bypass oil filter system makes sense.  Amsoil has all of the parts needed to make installation of a bypass filter setup a snap. 

While riding season here in Iowa is drawing to a close, many take the season's end as a time to get all of the fluids changed in their bikes.  This is a great time to get this done, too.  During the life of your engines oil, the oil becomes acidic.  This is the result of certain contaminants being suspended in the oil.  So, it is best to get fresh oil in prior to the winter storage. Amsoil is the perfect choice for your next oil change.  Amsoil is exceptional at dealing with the high heat generated by large, V-Twin engines.  See the test below:

This is a great time to step up to Amsoil!  We have many different motorcycle specific motor oils, Transmission and Primary fluids for Harley Davidson, several ATV/UTV specific oils and transmission fluids and the first fully synthetic 20w-40 motor oil for the Victory and Indian V-Twins.  We even have a full synthetic 10W-40 Scooter specific oil.  Personally, I have been using the 0W-40 4-Stroke Power Sports oil in my BMW K1600GTL for the past 12,000 miles with outstanding results.  In addition, I've been using the Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 gear oil in the K1600s final drive.  I have certainly noticed much better shifting and smoothness with the 0W-40.  Final drive fluid looks new at the 6000 mile changes. Let me know if you need more information on what your bike needs. 

Have you considered a bypass filter for your car or truck?  If you haven't, you should.  The Amsoil line of bypass filters are designed to pretty much eliminate engine wear and extend oil drain intervals even further.  Here is how they work:  In the example below, which is a Ford 7.3 Turbo Diesel application, the factory spin on oil filter is relocated to a more accessible location easing filter changes.  In addition to the full flow filter, a second filter is added.  This secondary filter is much more efficient at removing particles from the oil.  Particles as small as 3 microns are removed resulting in very clean oil.  Most engine wear is caused by particles of 4 micron and larger, so as you can see, by removing these particles that the full flow filter lets pass, engine wear is virtually eliminated.  We have custom filter setups for most of the popular diesel trucks like the Duramax, the Ford 6.7 and 7.3.  We also have universal kits that can be installed on almost any engine.  Gas or diesel.  Car, truck, boat, heavy equipment, you name it.  Let us know what your application is and we will get it done!

Fall is the time to winterize.  It is also the time to change your engine oil and drive oil.  Amsoil has the best products for your boat.  Better fuel economy, better wear protection and the added benefit of water intrusion tolerance for your drive oil.