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22-11-2005, 09:21pm
Bit of interesting reading here.Im not posting this to hang shit on your millitec kawa as its not even mentioned,but i thought a few member would find this article interesting.
By Fred Rau, November, 2005
Some of you may already be familiar with an in-depth article I wrote about oil additives, called "Snake Oil! Is That Additive Really A Negative?" That was printed in Road Rider magazine, way back in 1992, and to date remains the most reprinted thing I have ever produced. Dozens of copies can still be found on the Internet, either by searching the title, or by using my name.
The focus of the article was on a half-dozen different types of oil additives, comparing the claims of their effectiveness against hard scientific research, and comments and opinions from various lubrication experts. In a nutshell, the final conclusion of the article was that virtually all of the products were completely worthless or, even worse, harmful to your engine, and that their use should generally be avoided.
Amazingly (to me, at least), in the months and years following the publication of Snake Oil!, I received literally dozens of letters, phone calls, e-mails and even personal visits from representatives of oil additive companies, trying to convince me of the effectiveness of their particular products. Almost without exception, they would begin by praising my article, stating that it helped weed out the con artists and phonies from their field. Usually, it went something like this: "You were so right to point out that none of those products works. They are all garbage. But now, let me tell you about our product, which is the only oil additive proven to actually do all the things we claim!"
The truth is, friends, I simply did not have the time and resources to carefully research each one of these new contenders as they came along, and besides, I felt fairly certain of what the final outcome of any such research would be, anyway, so I didn't bother. I did, however, keep a weather eye on the progress of several, along with some of those contained in the original report, and I'd like to offer you a bit of an update synopsis of what has transpired since then in the miracle elixir marketplace.
Slick 50: Perhaps the best-known and best-selling oil additive of all time, Slick 50 pretty much defined the market for oil additives. And yet in all our testing and research, we could find no benefit to its use at all -- none. Though we sent copies of our research to the Federal Trade Commission, it would be four more years before the government would react. Finally, in 1996, the FTC filed a complaint against the company, alleging that Slick 50 did not reduce engine wear, increase horsepower or fuel mileage, lower engine temperatures or emissions, meet military specs, coat engine parts with PTFE (Teflon), or do any of the other things claimed. The case dragged on through the courts for two years, during which Slick 50 changed hands, being sold off to Quaker State Oil Co. Also during this period, while the government was still trying to decide if Slick 50 was a scam or not, at least eight separate class-action lawsuits were brought against the company, noting the same grievances as the FTC lawsuit. The lawyers were lining up to cash in when the FTC decision was announced, which came around March of 1998. Basically, what transpired was that Quaker State -- Slick 50, Inc., while not admitting any guilt or conspiracy, agreed to pay out a total of about $25 million in rebates, court costs and lawyers' fees, and to never again make any claims that its product did anything beneficial to an internal combustion engine.
As good as that sounds, it really didn't do much of anything for those millions of people ripped off by Slick 50, and even more amazingly, allowed the company to remain in business and to continue selling this crap to the public. And an unfortunate testament to the gullibility of the average American consumer is that Slick 50 still sells hundreds of thousands of quarts of this swill every year, by simply advertising, "Buy the Legendary Performance!" Incredible.
Prolong: Originally advertised as an engine treatment to "prolong" the life of engines in older vehicles, Prolong was also visited by the FTC, soon after the Slick 50 decision. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Prolong threw in the towel almost immediately, agreeing to no longer claim its product would reduce engine wear, extend engine life, reduce corrosion, protect against breakdowns or do any of the other things originally claimed.
By giving up so quickly and easily, they managed to avoid any punitive fines, and got to keep their ill-gotten profits.
Valvoline TM8: Valvoline was one of many companies that, like Slick 50, claimed its product would coat your engine parts with Teflon, resulting in a myriad of amazing benefits. After the Slick 50 judgment, it was also one of many companies visited by the FTC. In the indictment, the FTC called TM8 "useless snake oil," making me wonder if perhaps they had read my article, after all. In any case, Ashland Oil, Valvoline's parent company, decided not to contest the accusation, and immediately agreed to pay out about $5 million in rebates and damages, and to cease making any of a long list of claims for its product's effectiveness.
Motor Up: The owner of Motor Up evidently decided to go his competition one step better in the outrageous claims department, stating that using this "engine treatment concentrate" would allow you to never have to change your vehicle's oil again. In response, the Federal Trade Commission also hit him harder than any of the other snake oil salesmen, not only ordering the recall of all products from retail sales shelves, but also requiring the owner of the company to report his employment status to the Feds for the next decade, just so they could keep an eye on him!
DuraLube: This is the one you used to see almost every night on those late-night TV infomercials. In this 30-minute format, DuraLube would make all kinds of incredible claims for what its product could do for your engine. Haven't seen them lately? That's because our consumer watchdog, the FTC, stepped in yet again. Rather than fight it out in court, like almost every other oil additive company, DuraLube folded without a fight, agreeing to recall all of its advertising, and to cease making any claims of benefits to internal combustion engines. Unfortunately for them, that wouldn't be enough, as at least six private, class-action lawsuits were also filed against the company, all of which DuraLube settled out of court, to the tune of about $3 million .
There are more -- lots more -- but you should get the idea by now. These scam artists generally all operate the same way. They package a low-grade mineral oil or cheap engine oil, usually with some kind of coloring added, and perhaps even with a sprinkling of some kind of harmless (we hope) additive, then aggressively market it as a miracle product that will save you money on gas, give you more horsepower, etc., etc. They blatantly lie about having scientific proof of its effectiveness, and hire actors to tell you how well it works. They know they will eventually be caught, put out of business and fined, by the government, but they really don't care. Look at Slick 50 for a good example: Sure, they ended up paying out about $25 million in fines and legal fees, but that was after, by some estimates, they took in over $500 million in profits! And it is the same with virtually all of the other companies. Even after fined, and possibly put out of business, they generally walk away with anywhere from $10-$20 million in profits, and not one has ever been required to go to jail. In fact, most of them go right back into business, within months, under a different company name. Wouldn't you, for that kind of easy money?
As a wrap-up to this short synopsis, I should make it clear that this is not an indictment of things like synthetic or synthetic-petroleum blend, major brand oils. The advancements in lubrication technology over the past decade or so have created some of the best oil products ever seen in our history, to the point where using just about any major brand oil in your bike, that meets the manufacturer's minimum viscosity rating, should provide more than enough protection for your engine for its entire service life. What you don't want to do is mess with those formulas, by adding extra stuff to your oil.
Remember, these oils contain complex additive packages, made up of various elements that are designed to be "synergistic." What that means is, they react to each other to produce the desired results. Try to think of it like a cake recipe (actually, the analogy is quite close). Certain ingredients are mixed, in fairly precise proportions, to react to heat in such a way as to produce a desired result -- a tasty treat, in this case. However, if you know that the two eggs in the recipe are what make the cake moist, would you really want to add two more eggs to make it better? Of course not. You would screw up the synergy of the ingredients, and end up with a mess that would most likely be inedible. Same with your engine oil. If you go adding something to the recipe to make it "slicker" or "wetter" or whatever, you will destroy the synergy of the original formula, and perhaps your engine, as well.
A quick case in point: One of the more popular additives is ZDDP, or zinc dithiophosphate, which has been proven to provide a superior boundary layer of lubrication under extreme operating conditions, when the oil polymers might break down. Sort of like a "last line of defense." Racing oils often contain extra concentrations of ZDDP, because it really only comes into play when an engine is operated at or near redline for extended periods. However, in extended use in a normal streetbike, ZDDP can also create a byproduct in the exhaust that is highly acidic. This is especially true in catalytic convertor-equipped bikes. That acid will eventually destroy your convertor, and damage your exhaust. It has also been known to eat the edges off exhaust valves.
Anyway -- the bottom line: Buy a quality, brand-name oil, in the proper viscosity rating for your bike. Change it regularly, along with the filter, and quit worrying about it. Every test ever done shows that this simple regimen will more than adequately protect your engine for literally hundreds of thousands of miles.
Please, please don't make the snake oil salesmen richer.
Phuck its the phantom!
By Fred Rau, November, 2005
Some of you may already be familiar with an in-depth article I wrote about oil additives, called "Snake Oil! Is That Additive Really A Negative?" That was printed in Road Rider magazine, way back in 1992, and to date remains the most reprinted thing I have ever produced. Dozens of copies can still be found on the Internet, either by searching the title, or by using my name.
The focus of the article was on a half-dozen different types of oil additives, comparing the claims of their effectiveness against hard scientific research, and comments and opinions from various lubrication experts. In a nutshell, the final conclusion of the article was that virtually all of the products were completely worthless or, even worse, harmful to your engine, and that their use should generally be avoided.
Amazingly (to me, at least), in the months and years following the publication of Snake Oil!, I received literally dozens of letters, phone calls, e-mails and even personal visits from representatives of oil additive companies, trying to convince me of the effectiveness of their particular products. Almost without exception, they would begin by praising my article, stating that it helped weed out the con artists and phonies from their field. Usually, it went something like this: "You were so right to point out that none of those products works. They are all garbage. But now, let me tell you about our product, which is the only oil additive proven to actually do all the things we claim!"
The truth is, friends, I simply did not have the time and resources to carefully research each one of these new contenders as they came along, and besides, I felt fairly certain of what the final outcome of any such research would be, anyway, so I didn't bother. I did, however, keep a weather eye on the progress of several, along with some of those contained in the original report, and I'd like to offer you a bit of an update synopsis of what has transpired since then in the miracle elixir marketplace.
Slick 50: Perhaps the best-known and best-selling oil additive of all time, Slick 50 pretty much defined the market for oil additives. And yet in all our testing and research, we could find no benefit to its use at all -- none. Though we sent copies of our research to the Federal Trade Commission, it would be four more years before the government would react. Finally, in 1996, the FTC filed a complaint against the company, alleging that Slick 50 did not reduce engine wear, increase horsepower or fuel mileage, lower engine temperatures or emissions, meet military specs, coat engine parts with PTFE (Teflon), or do any of the other things claimed. The case dragged on through the courts for two years, during which Slick 50 changed hands, being sold off to Quaker State Oil Co. Also during this period, while the government was still trying to decide if Slick 50 was a scam or not, at least eight separate class-action lawsuits were brought against the company, noting the same grievances as the FTC lawsuit. The lawyers were lining up to cash in when the FTC decision was announced, which came around March of 1998. Basically, what transpired was that Quaker State -- Slick 50, Inc., while not admitting any guilt or conspiracy, agreed to pay out a total of about $25 million in rebates, court costs and lawyers' fees, and to never again make any claims that its product did anything beneficial to an internal combustion engine.
As good as that sounds, it really didn't do much of anything for those millions of people ripped off by Slick 50, and even more amazingly, allowed the company to remain in business and to continue selling this crap to the public. And an unfortunate testament to the gullibility of the average American consumer is that Slick 50 still sells hundreds of thousands of quarts of this swill every year, by simply advertising, "Buy the Legendary Performance!" Incredible.
Prolong: Originally advertised as an engine treatment to "prolong" the life of engines in older vehicles, Prolong was also visited by the FTC, soon after the Slick 50 decision. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Prolong threw in the towel almost immediately, agreeing to no longer claim its product would reduce engine wear, extend engine life, reduce corrosion, protect against breakdowns or do any of the other things originally claimed.
By giving up so quickly and easily, they managed to avoid any punitive fines, and got to keep their ill-gotten profits.
Valvoline TM8: Valvoline was one of many companies that, like Slick 50, claimed its product would coat your engine parts with Teflon, resulting in a myriad of amazing benefits. After the Slick 50 judgment, it was also one of many companies visited by the FTC. In the indictment, the FTC called TM8 "useless snake oil," making me wonder if perhaps they had read my article, after all. In any case, Ashland Oil, Valvoline's parent company, decided not to contest the accusation, and immediately agreed to pay out about $5 million in rebates and damages, and to cease making any of a long list of claims for its product's effectiveness.
Motor Up: The owner of Motor Up evidently decided to go his competition one step better in the outrageous claims department, stating that using this "engine treatment concentrate" would allow you to never have to change your vehicle's oil again. In response, the Federal Trade Commission also hit him harder than any of the other snake oil salesmen, not only ordering the recall of all products from retail sales shelves, but also requiring the owner of the company to report his employment status to the Feds for the next decade, just so they could keep an eye on him!
DuraLube: This is the one you used to see almost every night on those late-night TV infomercials. In this 30-minute format, DuraLube would make all kinds of incredible claims for what its product could do for your engine. Haven't seen them lately? That's because our consumer watchdog, the FTC, stepped in yet again. Rather than fight it out in court, like almost every other oil additive company, DuraLube folded without a fight, agreeing to recall all of its advertising, and to cease making any claims of benefits to internal combustion engines. Unfortunately for them, that wouldn't be enough, as at least six private, class-action lawsuits were also filed against the company, all of which DuraLube settled out of court, to the tune of about $3 million .
There are more -- lots more -- but you should get the idea by now. These scam artists generally all operate the same way. They package a low-grade mineral oil or cheap engine oil, usually with some kind of coloring added, and perhaps even with a sprinkling of some kind of harmless (we hope) additive, then aggressively market it as a miracle product that will save you money on gas, give you more horsepower, etc., etc. They blatantly lie about having scientific proof of its effectiveness, and hire actors to tell you how well it works. They know they will eventually be caught, put out of business and fined, by the government, but they really don't care. Look at Slick 50 for a good example: Sure, they ended up paying out about $25 million in fines and legal fees, but that was after, by some estimates, they took in over $500 million in profits! And it is the same with virtually all of the other companies. Even after fined, and possibly put out of business, they generally walk away with anywhere from $10-$20 million in profits, and not one has ever been required to go to jail. In fact, most of them go right back into business, within months, under a different company name. Wouldn't you, for that kind of easy money?
As a wrap-up to this short synopsis, I should make it clear that this is not an indictment of things like synthetic or synthetic-petroleum blend, major brand oils. The advancements in lubrication technology over the past decade or so have created some of the best oil products ever seen in our history, to the point where using just about any major brand oil in your bike, that meets the manufacturer's minimum viscosity rating, should provide more than enough protection for your engine for its entire service life. What you don't want to do is mess with those formulas, by adding extra stuff to your oil.
Remember, these oils contain complex additive packages, made up of various elements that are designed to be "synergistic." What that means is, they react to each other to produce the desired results. Try to think of it like a cake recipe (actually, the analogy is quite close). Certain ingredients are mixed, in fairly precise proportions, to react to heat in such a way as to produce a desired result -- a tasty treat, in this case. However, if you know that the two eggs in the recipe are what make the cake moist, would you really want to add two more eggs to make it better? Of course not. You would screw up the synergy of the ingredients, and end up with a mess that would most likely be inedible. Same with your engine oil. If you go adding something to the recipe to make it "slicker" or "wetter" or whatever, you will destroy the synergy of the original formula, and perhaps your engine, as well.
A quick case in point: One of the more popular additives is ZDDP, or zinc dithiophosphate, which has been proven to provide a superior boundary layer of lubrication under extreme operating conditions, when the oil polymers might break down. Sort of like a "last line of defense." Racing oils often contain extra concentrations of ZDDP, because it really only comes into play when an engine is operated at or near redline for extended periods. However, in extended use in a normal streetbike, ZDDP can also create a byproduct in the exhaust that is highly acidic. This is especially true in catalytic convertor-equipped bikes. That acid will eventually destroy your convertor, and damage your exhaust. It has also been known to eat the edges off exhaust valves.
Anyway -- the bottom line: Buy a quality, brand-name oil, in the proper viscosity rating for your bike. Change it regularly, along with the filter, and quit worrying about it. Every test ever done shows that this simple regimen will more than adequately protect your engine for literally hundreds of thousands of miles.
Please, please don't make the snake oil salesmen richer.
Phuck its the phantom!