k boys, for those of you who didn't read it in the Exhaust post, my man accidentally did not follow directions :evil: and now I need to lube my baby. Should I change her oil type, use the oil that comes stock, or what! Lead me to redemption boys!

I use Amsoil synthetic in my 954. I think it shifts a lot smoother than with the stock oil and the temps seem to be a bit lower.

i use the stock oil, honda gn40, i havent had any shifting trouble, i dont think you really need to put any other oil in than stock, synthetic oil is pretty expensive, if you are on a budget i would stick with the stock oil :D

I run full synthetic. Some people run 10w40, some run 20w50.

15w50 mobil one full synth but you should not run any type of synthetic until after 3000 miles.

in your application it would be best to run stock honda gn4 as spike mentioned (or whatever non synth you choose). at least until after 3k mi. then go ahead and run any kind you want...
but remember another thing, 10w40 doesn't take too long to heat up while 20w50 does.

(the heavier the oil the longer warmup will be and the cooler the engine will run)


one Major thing to whatever oil you buy is to make sure on the back label in the circle that states the viscosity and sae make Sure it does Not read "energy conserving" on the bottom of the circle.
that stuff might wreck your clutch plates

gnt, just wondering why you like 15w50 compared to other weights. Also, why shouldn't you run synthetic until after 3000 miles?

I run factory Honda oil... I have never been able to justify the Synthetic.....

gnt, just wondering why you like 15w50 compared to other weights. Also, why shouldn't you run synthetic until after 3000 miles?

the only heavy weight full synth mobil that this here walmart sells. sure helps the trans action on the thumper and did the same on ye 'ol kanatuna. smoother and more posistive feeling...
and the 3k thing is so that the motor has ample time to settle into it's groove. (get fully broken in) I remember reading that on non forum pages and on many different forum pages but also (i'd have to double check) I think I remember reading that in one or two owners manuals

Sounds good gnt. You never stop learning :wink:

The owners manual says the first 300 miles are for the break in period. I've heard the best way to break them in is to run the bike like you would normally ride it, but don't redline it. I've never heard of waiting till 3000 miles. The best part about synthetic oil is it puts a coat of oil on all the parts, where conventional oil doesn't do this. So when the bike is started up it already has some oil on the moving parts until the oil pressure builds up.

I run factory Honda oil... I have never been able to justify the Synthetic.....

same. I know people that spend about 70 bucks for fancy oil and filters for their bikes.

me? 12 bucks for a 4 gallon honda oil jug and 9 bucks for a filter and crush gasket. I never had a problem.

I wonder how often those that spend $70, change there oil. I know from experience if I spend $20 vs $45 (for partial syn) or $70, the $20 change happens more often.
How often do you change? I am pretty good about my bike, not really good in my truck & bad on my lawn-mower (once a year).

Shit anyone spending $70 dollars on an oil change is on crack. Full syn with a filter is around $35-$40. Thats if your buying a Honda filter.
I change my oil every 1000 miles. gnt says he's using Mobil 1 full synthetic 15w50 from WalMart with no problems. Thats probably cheap since it's from WalMart. I'll have to check it out.

5 qt. jug for $20
my buddy uses the same oil and had a sample of his used oil sent in for analysis after approx 12k mi in his 454 chevy and all the crucial properties of the oil were still intact while the oil was dirty .

on my own personal level I feel the oil I'm using start to break down form Perfect state at around 1k mi and then it feels similar to semi synth until around 2k. that's when I change it. when the running characteristics that I can feel has changed.
I have put on well over 10k mi's so far(edit: this years mileage. ;) ) and have tried out everything I mention in this forum and if not I state where my info comes form.

I've tried non synth, semi synth and full synth. I have felt a difference with every one too.

Gnt,

I only have one concern about the newer generation 15w/50 mobil 1... I heard that they are adding friction modifiers to the new blend. ( MOLY! )
I used to run the older version without a problem. (26k still stock clutch remains without slipping,) I recently switched to the mxt4 10w/ 40 mobil 1. Investigate this for us, and let us know if the rumour is true, about the friction modifiers. :?

will do...

ok ladies and gents, here is some info i have learned. i have been a professional service
tech at a mazda dealer for 13 years, i have seen several tests and studies done on engine oil. the one that sticks out the most is at the testing facility valvoline uses. they used 10w40 oil in a 4 cyl engine, at 0 degrees f, it took 40 seconds for the oil to reach the camshaft!! that means lots of wear on parts, currently there is not one automoblie manuf that recommends 10w40 oil, yet it is the number 1 selling weight of oil, go figure. it isnt the viscosity thats the most important thing, it is film strength of the oil, tolerances are a lot tighter in engines these days as technology has improved, thats why thinner oil is most important. all the mazdas i work on recommend 5w20, they are going to come out now with 0w20. as to the oil change intervals, i dont follow the owners manual, because it says to change the oil every 4,000 miles, way to long, what happens is the additive package that they put in the oil brakes down and is not able to suspend the dirty particles and then it floats all over. and like myself with my 954 i try to change the oil every 1,000 to 1,200 miles, when you change it that often i dont see the need to buy expensive synthetic oil, if the manufacturer says run synthetic, then go for it, otherwise i would stick with the stock oil. also, dont ever run oil in your bike that is meant to be in your car, motorcycle oill has a different additive package because it also lubes the clutch and trans. hey, buying honda oil is also cheap insurance. :D

sweet info thanks spike.


I'm still searching when I get free moments here at work and so far I have found this statement Not all Mobil 1 contains the friction modifiers.&&The 15W-50 does not and it is OK'd by Mobil for use in motorcycles with wet clutches, this is printed right in some of their literature
I am now looking for the "literature" to back this up.


here's mobil 1's 15w50 page (http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil1_15W-50.asp#FeaturesAdvantageBenefitsTitle)

and their FAQ page (http://www.mobil1.com/products/trisynth/faq.jsp)

(I forgot to mention... I am hard as hell on my clutch and have had zero slipping while once I accidentaly put in some lower grade that had the "energy conserving" indication on the bottom of the grade label on the back of the oil container and I Did get slippage then)

other oil posts just in this forum.

1 post found (http://1000rr.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1486&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=oil)

synthetic motor oil? (http://1000rr.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=574&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=oil)

oil question (http://1000rr.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=651&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=oil)
going to go look throughout some of the stuff in the old forum where it was discussed plenty about the 3000 mile thing.


meatsick, yup,,, that's what the manual states but it doesn't state when the motor is Fully broken in and loosened up.
I have had 3 new bikes in the last 4 years. 1 was a superhawk v-twin and the other 2 were 954's and all the bikes loosened up after 2000 miles. 3k is just playing it safe...

a lot of people suggest Amsoil, where do you get it?

Ok, this next question is going to completely remind you all that I am totally a girl, but should I use half and half first if I want to go to full Synthetic?

Be kind, all my cars always have full syntec, and I have only worked on dirtbikes....

With my trucks, I would always ease them into the full synthetic by going with a blend first. With the 954, I went 2 changes with conventional and then went to full synthetic. I would change oil every 2 thousand miles.

so right to synthetic is ok you say....need to know who to blame if she blows up, I loves me some CBR.

WHOOOOH Kat, I did'nt say do as I do! :D Thats just what I did did'nt like how the 954 shifted from 1st to 2nd and wanted instant gratification. I would wait till 3000 miles like gnt suggested. I already had 3300 miles on the 954 before the change to full synthetic. After the change I would never go back.

3000 miles is so far away :-(. But obie k bie, I will wait, or try a blend first. I jsut couldn't find more than a quart in a blend in 10W-40 or 20W-50(couldn't find at all) course, I had to run to walmart at 9 pm cause I just NEEDED to ride.

I go with synthetic at 200 miles on all my new bikes, weeeeeee

Kat go to www.amsoil.com. You can order it straight from the company. I went from conventional oil straight to full synthetic. I notice a big change in the way the bike shifts. I asked the dealer if this would void the warranty and they said no. Just keep good records of everything you do.

WOn't ripping my bike apart my self and throwing a new exhaust on their void the warranty anyway...just an after thought?

Thanks though, I will pick some up next payday. Shifting is actually a problem on my bike, the only complaint I have had so far, or can even think of, this is the sweetest bike EVER, course, that is my opinion, and your whiny ass one doesn't count, D'oh! j/k

I have had a problem shifting into third, it is rough, I have to shift hard or rev past 7 grand to make it smooth, when I am granny shifting in traffic, it just isn't there. about to hit 500 since my last change, so I will order it now, by the time this weekend is done, should be at a grand and ready to change her again.

Warranty is up to each dealer, thats why its good to have a contact there, or just be in good relation with one. weeeeee

So after it's all said and done, what weight fully syn, do you all recommend. I saw 10W40 or 20W50??

10w40. weeeee

Well, I couldn't get any royal purple around here any time soon. All the places that carry it were out of the Max Cycle version. I went with Motul blend from the dealer. That shit makes a huge difference with shifting, but I thought it was supposed to run cooler, mine ran 181-182 degrees. It used to run right at 180 consistantly. hmmmm did I do something wrong??

so here's my question... wheelie be nice.....

if the oil goes in your engine, not your tranny, why is the shifting so much better?

Kat because it uses a wet clutch system. The following is from the Amsoil site.

Synthetics, Slipperiness and Wet Clutches
Many people have the perception that since synthetics are more slippery than petroleum oils (which simple don't reduce friction as well), that wet clutch packs in either their automotive automatic transmission or motorcycle transmission will slip when using super slippery synthetics.

Look at it this way. Wet sandpaper removes paint as well as dry sandpaper does. The slipperiness of the water does not impede the sandpaper's ability to function. The same applies to the slipperiness of synthetic lubes in wet clutches.

It is simply not an issue. However, just as rinsing the sandpaper keeps it cleaner longer so it functions better longer, so the synthetic lubricant keeps wet clutch plates cleaner longer so they function better.

And, since synthetics are superior cooling agents to conventional petroleum lubes, using synthetics will help wet clutches last longer, too.

Petroleum oils have low resistance to heat and allow varnish and glaze to form on clutch plates, which eventually leads to slippage and increased heat generation and eventually failure of the clutch pack.

Also, AMSOIL motorcycle oils are specifically formulated without any friction modifiers for compatibility with wet clutch packs. AMSOIL ATF lubricants are also designed with specific coefficient of friction values to meet the requirements of each and every specification that it not only meets, but far exceeds.

Petroleum oils have low resistance to heat and allow varnish and glaze to form on clutch plates, which can lead to slippage and increased heat generation and potential failure of the clutch pack. Synthetic oil is going to allow your wet clutches to perform better (especially under extreme heat, RPM and load conditions) and last longer than they would with petroleum oil subjected to the same operational conditions.

As a side note in respect to Automatic Transmission Fluid: synthetic ATF is not more “slippery” than petroleum ATF. The base fluids, whether or not petroleum oil or synthetic oil, play no direct role in the relative friction levels of wet clutches. The friction-modifying additives developed for petroleum oils work just as expected in synthetic PAO’s fluids. The longer the fluid resists oxidation, the longer the original frictional properties remain. The superior oxidative stability demonstrated for synthetic ATF’s thereby leads to extended retention of frictional properties

Now you know the facts. The next time your buddy mentions this as a potential issue, you can explain to him exactly why it is simply not an issue.

if you read your owners manual and the honda service manual they recomend HP4[gold]. its a syn blend.

Yeah, Well, Like I said I used the motul blend, and it caused the temp to rise. Only about 2 degrees, but I was expecting a slight drop in temp. I'm going to use the Royal Purple when I get the case of it here. How much does the HP4 run from the dealer? If it's any where close to the cost of using a non Honda oil, Like royal purple, I'll probable use the RP anyhow. I don't know, I just didn't like how honda's GN4 stood up. I know HP4 is different but....???

Thanks for that info, that was really cool. I put fully synthetic Motul in, had an easy choice, it was ll the stealership had :-). I had noticed all the differences that people have attributed to synthetic, I have also learned for the second time, Don't let you husband help!

First time, forgot to tighten my oil plug, that sucked
this time, FORTGOT TO PUT IT IN AND STARTED REFILLING!!!!!!

a quart of very expensive oil was thus dumped all over my garage floor!

homer simpson :doh: here for you. hehehe