I'm hitting the point where I am going to need to change the oil on my DR650 prior to riding the Sudan and Ethiopia. Does anyone know where I am able to purchase a good brand of motorcycle specific motor oil (preferably synthetic) in Cairo? The procedure I am capable of doing myself in a few minutes, but have not had much luck finding the actual oil since Turkey. Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

because i am in the same position as you, I need motorbike oil and not car oil because on my honda as for your DR the clutch is in the oil..so the car oil are not possible!
if you have an adress, please give me the tips because i am lost here!
yop
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There is a motorbike repairer in Cairo. He'll probably have oil for you. He is well known by overlanders.

The workshop is in an alley off Le Corniche (north bound) on the right just after Mercedes Benz. (GPS: N30deg01,289 E31deg13,825). Arriving from Suez, take the ring road south. Immediately before the Nile take the junction north onto the El-Corniche. Follow this for a while and over a steel bridge. At the other end of the bridge you will see a mercedes benz dealer and a little further a VW dealer on the right. Just after this and immediately before the road sign to the Citadel there is a small alleyway to the right. Anwar's workshop is just down this alleyway. Opens from 12:00pm


From the roundabout in front of the museum and hilton, head southwest. You will intersect after a couple of blocks with the Corniche -RIVER FRONT ROAD- and the Shepard Hotel will be on your left. Drive south along the Cornish for about five minutes, passing the Four Seasons until you get to a fair sized roundabout. You will know this is the correct roundabout as there is a large wall remaining fromn ancient times and this road has signs that say -CITADEL-. The bike shop is located behind the south east corner but you have to access from the other side of the road. To do so, dirve straight for a couple of minutes and stay in the right hand lane. You will see the road ride up into an overpass but stay right and loop back underneath to u-turn. As you come back north, you will pass a vw dealer and a mercedes dealer. Just before the right hand turn at the rounabout, there is a sign that says -CITADEL. The alley way to his shop is immediately under this sign.
His name is - Mohammed Anwar
Mobile: 010 145 4849

Guys, don't get overly concerned about the car oils vs. bike oils myth. I only ever run car oil in my bikes (I'm too tightfisted to pay a premium for bike oils) and over 38 years, and as many bikes, have never had problems with slipping clutches or any other ailments.

On the rare occasions I have had bike oil in a bike (usually because that was what the previous owner put in) I find it tends to drink the oil quickly and needs regular topups. Once I change to non-synth car oil the problem disappears.

When I crossed the Sahara many years back on a 2 stroke I found 2 stroke oil impossible to obtain so just used car oil in the 2 stroke tank too - oils pretty much are oils, as long as you have sufficient, you're fine. .

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Wise words.