What type oil are you running?

[RedspawnSilver]

Originally Posted by Richard1

I don’t know much about the subject, but my shop told me it would be better if I put 6-8k miles on the bike before using a synthetic. Not sure why. I just went with whatever Honda recommended at my last oil change.

Supposedly it's the break in period, supposed to created a "groove" in your heads or something, that allows the oil to run better in your engine, once you've changed over... Don't know though, as we had this subject about 6 months ago and another guy swore about synthetic from day one. Even showed us a video of a crotch he races and was going about 200 mph or so...

I don't know, I think the main point would be to use good oil and change it when either the book tell you too, or if you run it harder than most, before then.

[Richard1]

That was my assumption also.

[macxpert]

I was put on to changing the oil at twice the frequency recommended by the factory by an old mechanic who maintained all the cars for the company I was working for at the time. He had years of data to prove that the engines had far fewer failures when the oil was changed very often. He saved the company heaps of money as those company cars lasted 15 years! They never sold a car that was less that 10 years old.

I don't ride "hard" as such, but I ride to work every day through rush hour traffic in Sydney heat so I think it is cheap insurance. I do it myself and it only takes a few mins of work, most of the time you spend waiting for the oil to drain out.

[RedspawnSilver]

Originally Posted by macxpert

I was put on to changing the oil at twice the frequency recommended by the factory by an old mechanic who maintained all the cars for the company I was working for at the time. He had years of data to prove that the engines had far fewer failures when the oil was changed very often. He saved the company heaps of money as those company cars lasted 15 years! They never sold a car that was less that 10 years old.

I don't ride "hard" as such, but I ride to work every day through rush hour traffic in Sydney heat so I think it is cheap insurance. I do it myself and it only takes a few mins of work, most of the time you spend waiting for the oil to drain out.

Was that with regular oil though or with synthetic oil? As I know that synthetic oil generally lasts about twice as long if not longer than regular oil...

[macxpert]

I got that advice back in the mid 80's. I don't know the exactly what the old guy used, but from memory it was Castrol GTX which was considered a "premium" oil in Australia at the time. My guess is that is was a good quality mineral oil. It was more expensive than regular oil by about 20 %.

I buy Shell motorcycle mineral oil for about AU $28 for 4 litres and I generally get 2 oil changes out of that. At AU $14 per change I don't sweat about getting every kilometre out of it.

[uwhunter]

OEM every 2500-3000 miles... on both of my bikes....

[pitbullfury]

Mobil-1 synthetic 20w-50 v-twin oil. I know the book calls for 10w-40, but my yukon also calls for 5w-30 but it gets 15w-50, I'm harder on engines than most and the ones I've pulled apart after hard usage showed nearly no bearing wear, the engines looked like the day they were assembled. Cold starts are hard on motors, heavier synthetic oil stays with the bearing longer during rest periods, plus it stays thick during stop and go trips were the engine gets much hotter and starts to break down the oil. Not trying to sell anybody on it, thats just my reasoning.

[machine3]

Castrol GTX, been using it for years in all my bikes, never a problem.
2000 Valkyrie Interstate
2003 VTX1800C
2004 CBR1000RR
2010 Fury

[BarFury]

Rotella T Synthetic and Purolator Pure One filters in all my vehicles. 10k mile oil changes, backed by oil analysis.

Cheers

[shr133]

I use the honda gn4, good oil good cooling, on my race bike I run full syn race oil more power but runs a touch hotter...