Engine oil

[VNA]

I guess if you're an oil producer, you'd be thinking, well, we sell millions more litres of car oil than bike oil, so we'll invest more in research and improvement for the former, and as long as the latter more or less keeps up with engine technology, well it's unprofitable to spend too much time and resources on it?

They make the oil that the automotive manufacturers demand.  They in turn have been driven by emission standards.  So it's driven by standards. 

It doesn't look as if the oil you put in your bike has changed much since the late 80's.  In the car world it's changed considerably.

We may yet see advances in motorcycle oil as emission standards are tightened up again.  Just the same as for cars, if the manufacturer demands a high spec oil, the oil producer will come up with the goods and it'll go in your bike.  If not we'll continue with basic oil that hasn't changed much since 1988. 

There is also the 'not been tested to the latest standards' thing that is quoted on the web.  Another internet myth I suggest.  If Yamaha asks for an obsolete API oil, that is exactly what the oil company will deliver.  No more no less.

Whatever you do, do not put bike oil in your car!