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<< To start << Go back Premix oil guidance 2002-09-10 Two cycle or two stroke oil that is up to the job isn't hard to find since most oils today are of good quality. There are however a few guidelines about which type of oil you should use and how to mix it. Some things has to be said about the gas too. Syntetic oil Syntetic oils are often associated with racing and high performance. Most people recognize the smell from the racetracks in both MX and road racing. Modern syntetic oils are often too good to be used in a bike operating at lower RPM's. They require a higher temperature to be burnt throughtly. The usage of high quality syntetic two stroke oil in a bike used for trail riding or recreational enduro using torque more than high RPM's will result in oil clogged exhaust systems, clogged exhaust mechanism or even worse, the piston ring could get stuck in the piston and causing a seized piston. Syntetic oils comes to it's best in smaller engines 50cc, 80cc and 125cc operated at higher RPM's and higher temperatures. This is also true in a 250 driven by a an expert pushing things real hard. Mineral oil These oils are not as temperature resistant as syntetic oils. Therefore you can avoid some of the negative consequenses that syntetic oils have. The downside is that they don't work equally well under stress and full gas situations. Most riders that play ride will however be more happy with a mineral based oil. Particulary if your engine is a >350cc. I for myself preffer to use mineral based outboard two stroke oil in my 500cc KTM. I started using outboard oil in the early 80's when I rode a Yamaha YZ465 and have never had any problems with that. I wouldn't recommend it in a 250cc or smaller bike though. The 500cc two stroke is operating at very low RPM's most of the time. That is the key here. Mixing rate Some oil manufacturers claims that you could and should have a rate as low as 50:1 (2%). This is something I dissagree upon. Mostly the discussion is about sufficient lubrication for the piston and the cylinder. This is NOT the problem! The biggest problem with two little oil is the pin and connecting rod bearing in the crank. It requires at least 33:1 (3%). Generally I think it's better to use 3% mineral oil mix instead of 2% syntetic which is something that often is considered. Pump gasoline Todays gasoline doesn't contain led. Instead there are additives that raises the octane rate. In 96 - 100 (super) gasoline these additives sometimes doesn't go to well along with the two stroke oil. Syntetic in particular. However we need the octane to prevent detonation and pinging. The only solution is to mix the oil just before riding and never use old premix, not older then a couple of days. If your bike can be run on 95 (premium) octane that is generally much better with regards to the oil in the mix. So which oil is the best? This is a tricky one and the answer depends on your bike, riding altitude, riding style, gas, engine wear, water or air cooled just to mention a few of the factors included. Well known brands as: Amsoil, Pennzoil, Castrol, Maxima, Havoline, Putoline among others all have good reputation and should be considered safe. There is a good article about some two stroke oils in ultralight aviation applications here. B Hahn |
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