Synthetic oils – what do you think?

Just wondering what your views are on synthetic oils. Do you think they are worth the money, have you had any better economy/performance with them etc? My personal view is that I wouldn’t stray away from the manufacturer’s spec too much as most bike companies do apparently do some pretty tough testing on the oils.

They are pricey (synthetics) but in general for the capacity which most bikes hold it’s not that big an issue. My KTM 625 holds about 2 litres so I can get a few changes out of a gallon litre can. KTM recommends Power Synt 4T of 10W/50 viscosity.

Oil companies reckon that the additives in Synthetic oil help clutch performance, reduce wear and tear etc. Here’s Mobil’s pitch:

“Historically, conventional oils lack the performance of synthetic oils in the areas of low-temperature performance and high-temperature oxidation stability. Conventional motor oil is made up of an inconsistent mixture of long and short chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. In the extreme heat of an engine, short-chain molecules can evaporate, and unstable molecules can oxidize and break down. Conventional oils also contain much greater amounts of impurities, such as sulfur, reactive and unstable hydrocarbons, and other undesirable contaminants that cannot be completely removed by conventional refining of crude oil. “

True or sales pitch?