Synthetic oil: Worth it? Oil-change frequency?

[Old Bob]

I'm not saying not to use it, its just that the claims made for its performance enhancing abilities are not seen on these engines.

there are ways to address the heat issue, I'll leave a link to a place that has everything you need

 

[loquin]

You are right about the power claims, Bob. There has been some testing that shows a small (1-2%) power increase in larger engines (250+ HP) that appears to be related to the lower average viscosity of the oils, rather than whether the oil is standard or synthetic. The advantage of synthetic oil in this case, is that the oil doesn't tend to get thicker over time, as the low-viscosity standard oil will do...

In our case, 1-2 percent extra power from a 2 horsepower engine doesn't amount to much, LOL. Leaning forward when riding would have a lot more effect!