What's the difference between car engine oil and motorcycle oil?
Hi, my name is David.
And in this video I will explain exactly how they differ.
Can I use my car's engine oil for my motorcycle engine or vice versa?
I hear this question quite often.
A legit question at first.
However, motorcycle and car engines are actually different.
Let's get into it.
Car engines are bigger compared to motorbike engines...
and they operate with fewer revolutions per minute or RPM's.
Take a normal sized modern car for example.
Its engine, a 1600 CC divided over three cylinders, with an average RPM...
somewhere between 1,200 and 2,500, during normal use.
Now, motorbike engines and all their components...
like driveshafts, combustion chambers, pistons...
are smaller and operate best at higher RPM.
Somewhere between 6,000 and 14,000.
If you compare the 1600 CC, three-cylinder engine...
to a 600 CC engine divided over four cylinders...
you can see that high RPMs, in smaller combustion chambers...
generate more pressure, heat, friction and wear.
Accordingly different demands are set for each type of engine.
The second difference is that motorcycle oil is not only used for the engine.
The same oil is also used to lube the gearbox and in some cases the clutch.
This is important, because oil intended for cars...
contains an anti-friction material...
and so it is not usable for this purpose.
The third and main difference: viscosity.
Oil for motorbikes has to be thin enough to reach...
all the small parts when it's still cold...
and it should be thick enough to stay in place.
Even when the oil becomes hot.
If you would like to learn more on viscosity grades...
check our video on oil grades by clicking on the I-card in the top right corner.
So, getting back to the question at hand.
Can I use my car's oil for my motorcycle or vice versa?
No, you really shouldn't.
I'm curious about your experiences.
Have you ever made the mistake of putting the wrong oil in your engine?
And with what result?
Drop a line in the comments.
As you know, there are many different types of motorbikes.
Adventure-sport, custom, naked, scooter sport tour, super sport, touring, trail enduro.
And this is why at Castrol they have engineered a wide range...
of motorcycle engine oils.
There are two stroke engine oils for your scooter...
or off-road bike.
And there are many four-stroke engine oils...
including the one I really like to use a lot for the bikes that I work on.
I'm talking about the Castrol POWER1 10W-40.
It has been developed with cutting-edge formulation technology.
It delivers superior acceleration at the touch of the throttle...
as it flows fast and optimizes internal engine friction.
Overall this is a very solid choice when you're concerned with...
optimizing the performance of your motorbike's engine.
But, whatever oil you choose for your beloved bike or car...
make sure to never ever pour oil that is not meant for it into your engine.
Always use the recommended oil by a manufacturer...
or use an online tool, like the Castrol oil finder...
by clicking on the I-card in the top right corner.
If you put car engine oil into your bike...
this will, in most cases, do no harm to the engine if it's not used for too long.
But it's very bad for your bike's clutch and gearbox.
Now the other way around.
If you decide to use motorcycle oil for your car.
Car engine oils are designed to work...
with complex exhaust aftertreatment systems...
and these are not found in motorcycles.
So there is a risk of damaging these systems in the car...
as the motorcycle oil is unlikely to meet the correct specifications...
the car manufacturer determined when designing the engine.
So, please do make sure to get your hands on the best engine oil...
for your vehicle when you want to twist that throttle and rev up.
For more information on all kinds of engine oil...
check out the castrol.com website in the description below.
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Thanks for watching and see you next time.