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Just wanted to know what everyone else was running in their vintage hondas. The manual says 10w40 Im just nervous about putting such a heavy oil in a 31 yr old bike that was never opened up lol.
10-40 is the recommended weight of the old Hondas. Didn't know it was considered heavy, I thought it's on the light side. In the really hot weather I will switch to 20-50. Those old bikes aren't really that picky when it comes to oil.
Regular automotive oils have friction modifiers and detergents. These are BAD when the clutch is bathed in engine oil.
Motorcycle specific oils do not contain friction modifiers or detergents. Try the Rotella diesel oil, it has the same ratings as a regular motor oil, and none of the negatives encountered when used in a motorcycle- no additives.
The stuff is made in such great quantities as it is used in the Transport Trucking Industry, and therefore it is much cheaper than motorcycle specific oils.
Don't run synthetic in a Honda SOHC4 (at least I wouldn't). Its a wet clutch, so the clutch plates get bathed in synthetic oil, and many folks say it won't work as well.
Also, Synthetic tends to make its way through gaskets a little easier. I switched to synthetic in my BMW (dry clutch) and started seeing more weeping in my base gaskets. So I'm going back to dino-oil.
Im going to scrap ths damn bike soon. Of course the very last screw on the filter cover is fried. Impact driver isnt doing anything. I drained out the old oil and drained the winter gas. I thought I was going to get to ride tonight
Dino oil contains parafin (read: candle wax) and will lead to deposits (sludge/grime) within any engine when used. The ONLY advantage there is its less prone to leaking because the semi-porus gasket material or un-lapped metal surfaces will clog with said parafin. There is NO way to completely filter those insolubles. The only solution is..
..Synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is derived from man made substances in a laboratory. The surface tension of the oil is lower than conventional oil, giving it a fantastic ability to shed heat. The amount of insolubles is so small that it will literally strip old deposits away by diffusion. Synthetic oil has a much higher oxydation temperature than conventional oil, resisting thermal breakdown by almost three-fold. And finally film strength. The film strength in one perticular oil (Royal Purple) is so great, I have personally examined the bearing surfaces in 900 horsepower engines to find the only wear to be from the initial break in, and none after.
oil is always going to be a slightly heated debate. its really trial and error / preference and also depends on the bike of course. but like most have stated ive always heard to stick with reg dino oil in bikes, as far as sludge build up... change it regularly and that will solve that whole problem. i realize oil is getting pricy but its a motorcycle not a turbo diesel F-250. i say stick with the dino oil or like matt said a diesel oil (which i had never heard of til now but makes sense).
I use Mobile 1 20w50 full synthetic oil as I'm running a dry clutch and need not worry about slip and the bike's air/ oil cooled. Plus as a added bonus the oil's not being contaminated by the clutch material ;D And when on really long rides Wal-Mart or any good auto store will carry Mobile 1 oil. ;D
I've used Golden Spectro 20w50 in the 650 since I got it. Great oil, not so great price. Runs a LOT better than the suggested YamaLube 20w50, but it's hard to find anything in that weight anymore. Special order takes a few weeks. I bought a jug of Rotella T 15w40 just recently. Cheap as chips and easy to find. A lot of the boys in the 650 garage swear by it. If it's good enough for them, its good enough for me. $40 Golden Spectro (2 liters) as compared to $10 Rotella T (2 liters) per oil change makes a big difference.
The number of different opinions about whats the best oil is exactly the same as the number of people you ask. Everybody is different. You just gotta go with what you feel is best for your beast.
I bought a big bottle of the Rotella the other day, and made with the changing of the oil. Later that day, I had an oil change again, when it sprayed all over my left leg, which was just before I stuck my thumb out and hitched home.
Probably not related, but I am glad I got the big bottle, so that I can fill it up again when I rebuild. It was more than $11, if I recall though. But then, I recall poorly sometimes.
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