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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 30 Sep 2015
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I used to be paranoid about oil too. Only used car oil though. Now I care less.

Looked for Castrol in Salta Argentina and only found 1 outlet and it was expensive as hell. I usually carry a small amount in case of burning oil (never happens anymore) or leaks, but I think I won't next time. A really small amount for chain lubing.
You can run it on low oil for a little while. The volume of oil per engine varies depending on lots of things including oil wear. So if you have to run it low for a distance to get some, you're not going to kill it (depending on how little oil is left). Just change the lot when you do find it.
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Old 30 Sep 2015
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I agree with above posts. No need to carry oil. But you should have said WHAT bike you are riding. Some bikes have more critical needs regards oil. Like some Air cooled bikes.

I only have recent experience in Mexico and part of Cent. America. In Mexico most oil there is Pemex rebranded as Pennzoil, Quaker State or Castrol. But it's all crap Pemex in a different bottle. It has NO additive packages like USA made oils do. Avoid.

BUT ... you can find imported oil there. All Wal-Mart stores carry imported oil like Mobil One Synthetic "high mileage" (the brand I use in my DR650, which is OK for clutch ... no friction modifiers). It says MADE IN USA. Most others say "HECHO EN MEXICO". I would not use ANY of those oils. Made in USA or made in France or EU or UK is what you want. Wal-Mart had several imported USA made oils.

Also, most good Motorcycle shops sell good synthetic imported oil ... but very expensive. Wal-Mart is pretty cheap. In Cent. America Moto shops also have imported synthetic Motorcycle oil. Very expensive but worth it IMO.

On my DR650 when touring I go 5000 miles between changes. Filter done every other oil change. Works out fine. If your bike burns oil, keep a liter with you, buy more "of the good stuff" when you can find it.

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Old 30 Sep 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmotten View Post
You can run it on low oil for a little while. The volume of oil per engine varies depending on lots of things including oil wear. So if you have to run it low for a distance to get some, you're not going to kill it (depending on how little oil is left). Just change the lot when you do find it.


This is true for most wet sump engines. But low oil level on a dry sump can destroy it quickly. Checking oil level on these bikes often is essential and it always needs to be at least showing on the dipstick.

There is very little oil in a dry sump engine reservoir as it is. And when it's low, the oil pump scavenge struggles to suck enough up. When that oil which is usually pumped through a filter then up a small pipe to your top end doesn't arrive, the results are rapid damage.

This is why you hear of burned out top ends on DRZs, XRs etc. People don't check it and big singles can burn oil.
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Old 2 Oct 2015
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I looked into it and was advised not to use car oil for my BMW F800GS. Sorry I don't recall the details, but it came from a knowledgable source. Your bike might be different. An old friend and extreme long distance rider would used Mobil One for his BMW K75. It really depends on your bike, so do your research.

I left New Jersey with supplies for one oil change, which was needed before I reached Mexico City. The upside of taking a few bottles of oil with you when you leave home, is the extra space that appears in the panniers or soft luggage after that first oil change. You will spend more on oil at dealerships south of the border, so shop at generic motorcycle supply stores.

My trip was fairly long, it included every country in Central and South America except Paraguay. I packed oil filters in my kit (and later was resupplied by my wife visiting me on the road over nine months.) A few times I had difficulty finding oil filters. Either they weren't in stock (Caracas, VN) or the price was through the roof (Belem, BR.) If your bike uses a common oil filter size, disregard the above.
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