On 24 October 2014, at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, Shell provided a sneak peek into the Shell PurePlus Technology that will soon be incorporated into the Shell Advance Ultra premium motorcycle oils. This technology produces a high quality base oil from natural gas, instead of crude oil, yielding superior performing lubricants. The combination of these base oils and advanced additive technology will produce Shell Advance Ultra premium motorcycle oils with improved performance benefits.
Shell PurePlus Technology is a revolutionary gas-to-liquid (GTL) process, developed over 40 years of research that converts natural gas into crystal-clear base oil with virtually none of the impurities found in crude oil. The base oil is produced at the Pearl GTL plant in Qatar, a partnership between Shell and Qatar Petroleum, and the world’s largest source of GTL products today. GTL base oil provides enhanced viscosity, friction and volatility performance compared to more prominently used traditional base oils made from crude oil. Through the integration of the gas value chain in Qatar and Shell’s global Lubricants Supply Chain, Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology will be made available to motorcyclists in Malaysia from January 2015.
Shell conducted a perception trial in Malaysia, which saw riders using different motorcycle bikes and engine capacities, riding through different Malaysian motorways, trunk roads and hilly terrains, to get initial reactions from opinion leaders on the use of the new Shell Advance Ultra motorcycle oil in their bikes. The most significant result was that at the end of the trial, 77% of riders[1] claim to experience smoother ride and more power with the combination of the new Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology and Shell V-Power 97.
Some of the reactions from this trial included:
- Thirty eight year-old Puon Swee Loong, owner of a 3-year old 800 cc Italian superbike, said “The bike feels brand new and it’s very obvious at full throttle. I have never experienced my bike stretching to 180km distance before the next refuel.”
- Owner of a 4-year old Austrian 1000cc superbike, Rossaedi Bin Hamid, said “I finally understand the importance of starting with a clean engine. Shell has helped me to remove residue thoroughly from the previous oil I was using so that my engine only contains this new Shell Advance Ultra, for a full-on experience!”
- Zulkhibri bin Mohd Yusof, 40, who rides a 4-year old Japanese 650cc bike, said, “From first to second and third gear, the response was fast and clutch-changing was very smooth with this new Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology.”
Leo Kin Mun, Shell’s Technology Manager for Shell Advance, said, “We are working very hard to deliver this technology in our Shell Advance Ultra range of motorcycle oils. Our customers can expect better performance benefits as well as our most advanced and latest lubricant technology in this premium product.”
“There is a growing population of big capacity engine motorcycles in the country. With the new Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology, we have a first-of-its-kind lubricant with the potential to not only meet but also exceed the performance requirements of today’s high capacity and performance motorcycle engines,” Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd Managing Director Tuan Haji Azman Ismail said.
The 2015 season of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup will see Shell Advance Ultra made with this ground-breaking Shell PurePlus Technology being used in the racing motorcycles. Our drivers of the future will be riding their bikes with this premium motorcycle oil of the future.
Watch this space to learn more about the product as Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology will be on sale in the Malaysian market from January 2015 with two viscosity grades 10W-40 and 15W-50. A perception trial was conducted with a group of 13 bikers using the new Shell Advance with PurePlus Technology and Shell V-Power 97. Total mileage covered approximately 800km, routes included highways, trunk roads, hilly terrain, Multiple road bends and curves in Peninsular Malaysia.
