Yamalube Synthetic vs Non-Synthetic Oil
Story by Trevor Hunter
One thing that will stand the test of time amongst gear heads is the argument over oil. What oil company should one use? How often should one change it? Synthetic or non-synthetic oil? The debate goes on and on with no clear cut winner, at least in our eyes. We recently tested some different Yamalube oils in our YZ450FX test bike looking to see if there is any difference in performance between their standard 10w-40 All Purpose engine oil and their 10w-40 Full Synthetic GP Racing Spec engine oil. We aren’t here to say what’s better for the life of the engine, but rather what we feel out in the dirt.
The GP Racing synthetic oil had slightly smoother shifting both up and down, being most noticeable on upshifts under a heavier load. It was more apparent on fast straightaways, uphills, and deeper sand and loam in comparison to the ease of shifting running the standard AP engine oil.
In addition to the ease of shifting, the window of engagement was wider with the synthetic oil. We had more feel and could finesse the clutch easier with running the GP oil, whereas the engagement using the AP oil felt more like a hydraulic clutch with an on/off feeling and smaller window.
The difference in shifting smoothness isn’t really enough to sway us to one oil vs the other, but the cutch feel is more important and is enough of a difference that most of our testers, especially those who prefer the cable clutch “feel” and engagement, would rather run the synthetic oil. Does the extra cost of the synthetic oil play a role into this? It sure can. But purely based on feel alone, there is a difference amongst oils and it’s up to you to decide what you prioritize most.
