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Golden Spectro: Synthetic Blend or Full Synth?

2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  Jerk_Chicken 
#1 ·
Just received two bottles of GS oil from Universal Cycles. From the last time I bought some, I noted they are using new packaging and grey bottles.

One thing that struck me as especially interesting was the wording "Synthetic petroleum BLEND". This leaves me wondering if now GS is not using full synth, but going with a synthetic/conventional blend and charging the same price.

Is anyone able to confirm or deny this possibility?
 
#2 ·
Jerk_Chicken said:
Just received two bottles of GS oil from Universal Cycles. From the last time I bought some, I noted they are using new packaging and grey bottles.

One thing that struck me as especially interesting was the wording "Synthetic petroleum BLEND". This leaves me wondering if now GS is not using full synth, but going with a synthetic/conventional blend and charging the same price.

Is anyone able to confirm or deny this possibility?
How true is that that GS is becoming difficult to get??

I understand GS is ripping the Customer off charging same as synth for a blend, but has oil quality suffered? As long as they re-engineer the additives to maintain the characteristics of the blend relative to the synth, it should be OK.

Sorry for not being able to help on the original question...
 
#3 ·
Apparently they did some renaming of their lines:

SPECTRO GOLDEN CARTRIDGE FORK FLUID

Spectro Golden (formerly Golden Spectro) Premium grade synthetic blend Cartridge Fork Fluid with exclusive "zero-stiction" additives - the ultimate Fork Fluid: Available in very ligt (85/150) and light (125/150)
For use in Kayaba and Showa upside-down forks
Preserves and conditions fork seals
Special anti-foaming additives
Description
Spectro Golden Cartridge Fork Fluid is a state-of-the-art synthetic hydraulic fluid specifically designed for today's advanced motorcycle fork systems to fight damping fade due to heat and aeration. Spectro Golden Cartridge Fork Fluid will exceed the performance of suspension fluids in these applications, especially with regard to "stiction," the movement restriction that occurs at the moment of direction change in a fork system.

Applications
Spectro Golden Cartridge Fork Fluid is recommended to replace all O.E.M. fluids and is excellent in both upside-down and conventional forks. Refer to the Spectro tuning chart for year and model viscosity recommendation. Refer to manufacturer's manual for oil fill capacity.
There's also a "Supreme" suspension oil.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the heads up...

on a side note... I found this page (probably you already know it... ) http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/states of lubrication.html

This quote drew my attention.... "Ever wonder what that rotten smell was? Yep, high levels of zinc, and phosphorus. These are the two most used antiwear wear additives used in oils today."

Does it ring a bell regarding Golden Spectro/zoke oil???

I've had other lubricants to have slightly rotten smell, but never as bad as GS. It leads me to believe it has/had zinc and phosphorus in maybe larger amounts than others.

Do you know any fork oil with Moly??
 
#5 ·
Anti-wear additives (zinc, moly, phosphates) are for motor oils. They reduce metal-on-metal wear on fast-moving, highly loaded parts of a piston engine (e.g. cams/lifters, pistons/cylinder walls).

Suspension fluid is something completely different. It doesn't need those additives because it's not primarily a lubricant and the parts it does lubricate have much lower loads. It can benefit from viscosity index improvers though.
 
#6 ·
chucko58 said:
Anti-wear additives (zinc, moly, phosphates) are for motor oils. They reduce metal-on-metal wear on fast-moving, highly loaded parts of a piston engine (e.g. cams/lifters, pistons/cylinder walls).

Suspension fluid is something completely different. It doesn't need those additives because it's not primarily a lubricant and the parts it does lubricate have much lower loads. It can benefit from viscosity index improvers though.
Suspension fluid isn't a lubricant?

Please, tell me how hydraulic fluids aren't made to be lubricants as well as hydraulic media.
 
#7 ·
chucko58 said:
Anti-wear additives (zinc, moly, phosphates) are for motor oils. They reduce metal-on-metal wear on fast-moving, highly loaded parts of a piston engine (e.g. cams/lifters, pistons/cylinder walls).

Suspension fluid is something completely different. It doesn't need those additives because it's not primarily a lubricant and the parts it does lubricate have much lower loads. It can benefit from viscosity index improvers though.
Bushings and stanchions work pretty much like a piston ring and cylinder walls work like.

Yeah, loads are much less... but forks don't have an oil pump to create an oil film between moving parts.

Not to mention stiction is felt much more even at smaller rates.
 
#8 ·
Golden Spectre - GOOD STUFF

I have been buying GS for some time now and the new packaging threw me a curve at first as I was not sure if it was the same goodness that my suspension forks love.

I compared the contents as labled and I recall they are the same - aka a blend. The mixture has not changed. Most 'Synth' oils are not completely synthetic, most are blends. Fully synthetics cost a multiple or regular oil and more than the blends on average.

PEACE
 
#9 ·
CSPRINGS said:
I have been buying GS for some time now and the new packaging threw me a curve at first as I was not sure if it was the same goodness that my suspension forks love.

I compared the contents as labled and I recall they are the same - aka a blend. The mixture has not changed. Most 'Synth' oils are not completely synthetic, most are blends. Fully synthetics cost a multiple or regular oil and more than the blends on average.

PEACE
Such as $17/qt when others run $8?
 
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