Scooterotica

I have used 25l of Exol semi synth. It ran out about 6 months ago during which I have used odd pots of Valvoline and Castrol that I have had knocking around for a few years. It never occurred to me that oil had a shelf life and, to my eye, looked exactly the same as if new.

My favourite oil is SIP Formula as, in my experience, it leaves your top end really clean. However, it is twice the price of Exol.

I have just bought another 20l of Exol because it is so cheap.

As others have said, at 3% on a Lambretta it is smokey at fire up and for a couple of miles after. However, on a Vespa at 2% there are no signs of being smokey.

I think sometimes we over think the relative merits of all these 2 stroke oils.

Resurrecting this as I now have to admit I was wrong and really wrong, just taken top end off to discover the exact same issue that eveyone else has been saying.Got to admit I was shocked at what I saw I only left the scoot for 2 months and went to kick it over and a sudden knocking noise from top end sent me cursing.Strip down revealed rings stuck with 1 snapped, black burn marks around the top half the piston and coked up to hell.Barrell screwed when the ring gave way, this could only of been due to using the oil as it was perfect on original install less than 1000 miles ago.So heres me apologising for being adamant it wasn't the oil.Now going to start using Motul.
PS anyone want to buy 10 litres cheap lol.

Out of interest - Nicosil or iron barrel ? bore to piston clearance ?

I'm just about to order a 3rd 20litre drum of semi synthetic

I've ran it on my 2x nicosil TS1s for many thousand high speed long hauls with no issue on regular strip and ring replacement.
Ran on 3% but dropped to 2.5% on the GP to go to brid last year with no drama - so gonna start the year on 2.5%
Will be running the above and my steel lined TS1200 on it this year.

I ran it on my tuned vespa for a good few hard motorway long hauls and the rings gummed up but I knew the bore was worn out - before that may miles started using at 3% but ended up at 2%.

It's an odd one....but I can only speak as I have found.

Just to add to this, I've just stripped a TS1 for a mate for major service and found the rings were gummed slightly, not solid but allowing blow past them - they needed care to remove them or they would have broke - ran on 4% fully synthetic Rock Oil, running a bit rich but only used for hard riding rallys not ride outs and pottering, done about 5k
Stripped, ring grooves cleaned out, new rings ...... again only speaking as I've found

GTFOMWSC wrote:Resurrecting this as I now have to admit I was wrong and really wrong, just taken top end off to discover the exact same issue that eveyone else has been saying.Got to admit I was shocked at what I saw I only left the scoot for 2 months and went to kick it over and a sudden knocking noise from top end sent me cursing.Strip down revealed rings stuck with 1 snapped, black burn marks around the top half the piston and coked up to hell.Barrell screwed when the ring gave way, this could only of been due to using the oil as it was perfect on original install less than 1000 miles ago.So heres me apologising for being adamant it wasn't the oil.Now going to start using Motul.
PS anyone want to buy 10 litres cheap lol.

Is their any chance that one of the rings broke while it was running and caused the black burn marks on the side of the piston and also the gumming and coking up of the second ring,rather than the oil.

Its an indian 200 66.6mm mild tune ran spot on all last year so I was thinking, put it up for the winter in november as I use a vespa for winter in case I have a mishap.Went out to it to give it a quick start up etc etc, went to kick it no compression thought clutch was stuck so took off the cable and it had comp again,suddenly a horrible noise from the top end started which wasn't there before so turned it off and then the resulting strip down.Sort of knew rings were on the way out but the result can only be over time not all of a sudden the ring that snapped hadn't gone a while back that happened there and then.Rings were gummed up but not solid tbh but were near enough solid.Can only think they were getting solid by non use in the last 2 months and its oil alright that caused it showed it a couple of people who are thinking the same.Weirdly I use it in my p2 and so far seems good but thinking I should strip it down just to see.

so the rings were on the way out anyway which would account for the blowby? the ring could have snapped on startup being that its been laid up for 2 months and on initial start up after that long theres likely to have been no petroil in the barrel for that first kick.

Jeez I've left scoots longer than that and then kicked them over and never has any ring suddenly decided to snap!.I have the benifit of seeing this mess and can say that I have had rings wear and usually its brown blowby not oily black and sticky and in less than 1000 miles it looks like I have shares in BP!

Why don't we call it a day and leave it that some folk think exol oil is the dogs whats its and others think it crap.

Tractorman wrote:Why don't we call it a day and leave it that some folk think exol oil is the dogs whats its and others think it crap.

Agreed ! I think it's good oil for the price and I run 4 lambretta on it , as of yet, no mechanical failures on the top end - ran this for about 5 years , had about 7 tubs - mind you it is easy blame the oil when things go wrong ...