You r right on brother. I have a Suzuki DL 1000 with 180,000 on it. Have serviced it dead on to your video. Never been in the shop a DAY! If people would treat their cycle to your advice, it would seriously financially hurt the motorcycle industry. Bikes would last 200k plus. Great video and ABSOLUTELY correct!
Thanks SID!! Your absolutely right! Unfortunately, people won’t listen. Budgets get tight and life gets busy. Keep up the great work brother! Ride safe!
I use Rotella on my $50,000.00 500 Cat and if it is good enough for that it will work on anything. Mine lasted 500,00 miles not problem. Also we used diesel generators in the oil field and on marine applications that never shut off and life forever by just keeping the oil filters changed regularly without changing oil at all.
Bought my first bike 2 months ago... Can't wait to start taking it apart and learning how to do maintenance on it myself. Until then, very grateful for these videos to teach me what I need to know. Glad I found a trustworthy source.
i have buddies that change their oil in the off season and thats it. Gets a phone call and they ask whats ya up to. I say doing an oil change on the bike. Them...didn't ya just do that last week or 2 weeks ago.... Me yep but we did that 6hr run the other day and I have been driving it back and forth to work and a few 50 k unwind runs lol. I give the used oil (from my cars and trucks as well) to a company that cuts the brush for powerlines and highways etc etc to use for chain oil. They appreciate it and every xmas I get a bottle of whisky and a case my gf's fav wine. Oil is cheap. I can do an oil change cheaper than a bottle of whisky or a case of beer and neither of those last as long as the oil change. So good money spent.
One of the best informative videos on the effects of engine oil and motorcycle engine wear and tear. It also proves my point that you can never "over change" your engine oil and filters. I do not believe in extended oil drain intervals.
Thank you for this very good explanation. I ride a Honda Transalp XL 600 V, 1999. It has just passed 120.000km / 75.000 miles. Has never been opened other than valve adjustment and oil / filter change within specs. I use the specified oil as in the manual, shift brands now and then, whatever is on sale of known brands. Runs very good.
Cody I hope you don't mind Me passing on some knowledge I got in the 80's , I raced motocross , and raced 4 strokes at a time 2 strokes dominated the sport . I was lucky enough to finish my racing on a Mitsui Works Yamaha TT-600 that had be converted from its Enduro trim into a full motocross bike , The Engine is just like a XT-600 but it had a lightweight crome liner and used soft rings and the XT- had a soft liner and used chrome rings , The problem was the Transmission would over heat Oil would break down and Third gear would go soft and explode, Mitsui Yamaha contracted a university to go through and test every available Oil on the market at the time , and they found the Only oil that stood upto pressure and temperature was Shell Rimula X Diesel Oil . they tested expensive oils like Bell Ray and they all broke down with the exception of the Shell, They Raced the Bike for 3 years before I got it and I raced it another 3 with no gearbox failures and virtually no Engine wear , I used too change the Oil after every 2 meetings and the filter every meeting . Excessive I know but the Oil I drained was used doing Oil changes in My families cars ;-) . Just thought I would pass this on , I know Oil Tech has moved on a lot since then
I too noticed all my Honda’s recommend oil changes every eight thousand miles and filter change every other oil change. I use Amsoil synthetic in both my Honda’s and one is 25 years old. No leaks and does not use any oil between oil changes. I normally change around 5000 miles or end of riding season which ever comes first. I either use Honda oil filters or Purolator motorcycle filters. Both of my bikes are liquid cooled and have V4 engines. Best advice, use what your manufacturer recommends, not what your buddy recommends.
Shell Rotella T6 5W40 is the best oil on the markett,for bike tractor mower and all because i take some test with all synthetic oil and the T6 Rotella is the best in a World for me.
Good advice here! But only thing I would like to mention is that Honda or any other manufacture do not make their own oil!! The petroleum companies make the oil but every brand of oil has their own additive, minerals added/ blended in their oil to their specs. With that saying that some brands may be better than others. Dirty oil/ lack there of is what destroys any engine. Other than that keep on keeping on!
These poor sods! Honda is a MOTOR company!!! I have owned all the Japanese brands over 45 years of riding. I even campaigned a 94 XR250R for 11 years for GNCC cross country and have scrambles. I never made it to the ISDN but that XR never coughed once and still had the original clutch when I sold it which I shouldn't have done, but life gets in the way. You are correct my man as far as engine oil there is none better than Honda pro engine oil!!!! In the gold bottle. And bless you for the resurrections to come. Peace
TheMotorcycleMD I sure appreciate your time and effort and sharing the knowledge. Thank you very much Cody. You do a great job on these videos. I have learned so much from you and used the lessons with great success. You have helped give me the confidence to make sure my 93 F2 is going to be more reliable. My F2 is working the best it ever has since I bought a few years ago. I ride it almost every day at least long enough for a "love my bike run". True Story Man, Thanks.
I have a 2014 Honda GL 1800C Valkyrie that I bought used in 2020, with only 100 miles on it. So while the oil was barely used, it is now 7 years old. I've decided to do an oil change to get fresh oil in and eliminate any break-in metal shavings, as the bike now has 1,000 miles on it. I spoke with the Honda dealer and they asked me whether I preferred conventional or synthetic. I asked their recommendation, and after telling them my bike's maintenance history, he said I should use conventional, because that's what they put in at the factory, and it isn't good to change. Yet, tons of guys on the forum use synthetic and report no issues, and at some point, every one of them switched from conventional. I told the dealer then to use conventional. He then said I could save $20 by using non-Honda brand oil as opposed to Honda brand, I don't know if there IS a difference, but it makes sense to me to use the Honda brand in a Honda engine. It's specifically formulated for a Honda motorcycle. Curious as to your thoughts on switching to synthetic, and if I stay with conventional whether I should use Honda or other brand. Based on your video, I think I know the answer to the latter. Thanks! 🛢
@@TheMotorcycleMD Yes according to the t6s oil ratings (JASO-ma and it's API ratings) not only meets but exceeds motorcycle engine oil requirements. I've used it for bout 5 years now in both my Vtwin and straight 4 supersport!
The main reason about high engine wear is overheating. Such situation happens mostly on air cooled engines because high temperatures reduce the clearance on moving parts leading to friction and severe wear. The radiator on a liquid cooled engine is the effective solution that improves the heat extraction avoiding premature engine wear caused by overheating.
86 Honda rebel 450 using Honda oil, However in maryland it's cold so I will switch to 5-20 for the winter synthetic oil till spring generally warm weather I go back to 10-40
Pro Honda motorcycle oil (GN4, HP4 and HP4S) is made by IDEMITSU KOSAN. Head office is in Tokyo Japan. Idemitsu Lubricants America ( formerly known as Idemitsu Apollo) is located in Torrance CA. I called and spoke with their represetative and verified this. It's NOT made by Mobil 1 or anyone else. In fact, LCR Honda has a MotoGP Idemitsu sponsored bike that's riden by Takaaki Nakagami #30. Hope this clears up the myth about Pro Honda oil once and for all.
It's called total base number of the oil, the number the new oil starts with is the good addition of additives which help your engine, towards the end of the oils life the "TBN" drops off, and when it starts to drop off it goes exponentially. Hence the old saying as you yourself pointing out change your oil early rather than late. Hope this helps.
Years ago I bought a new MV F1000. The dealer told me that the UK importer told them to onlu use Rock Oil Synthesis 10W60. I have only used Rock Oil in my bikes ever since, currently the 10W/40 grade for my Triumph Street Triple. This oil is a true full synthetic. Unlike some others, Rock don't bring out a new product with a new silly name every few years. I change the oil every 2000 miles or less.
Im 60 and started riding at 16 and have NEVER had an oil failure problem. I use regular motorcycle oil, and any brand so long as it meets your bikes specs.
Understand shear as a metric in oil thinning under heat and friction. Conventional oils will "shear" (thin) as their properties are depleted and they have absorbed the maximum contaminants. Oil serves three functions, cool the engine, lubricate and absorb contaminants.
Very interesting . New-bikes (with wet-clutches ) will 'shed' a large-amount of fibrous-particles until the clutch settles-down and 'beds-in' so an early-service is best . After watching an Aussie dirt-bike-racer , I now set-up all my tools etc for my oil-change Before I head-out for a ride. On returning, I change the-oil 'Instantly' to stop particulates dropping into crevices etc (requires rubber-gloves as oil is scalding-hot ) . After doing this for two-consecutive oil-changes my oil now looks nothing like it used-to . It remains so-clean compared to my previous 'regimen' of draining-it while it had 'some' heat . Clutch-particles are one of the-main-culprits for blocking filters and causing the valve to 'bypass' (where your engine circulates unfiltered-oil ) so I'd recommend changing-oil 300ks after a new clutch . My results have been the-same with : W650, GN250, XV1000 ( the XV was always the-dirtiest ) . If my eyes can see a huge-difference , imagine what a microscope would show . Dave nz
Cody ur the best. I wish i could work with you. Im a former Toyota and Honda tech. But i work on scotters. And now sell Honda parts. Your info is so informative for the noobs out there.
Great info. Can't tell you how often I see people who want to ride those 8k on their oil. Agree with you 100% 4k should be the absolute most for a bike you love and sooner if you can. Here in cali those miles go by so quick .. had to do changes 4 times last year.
Thank you for the great no bullshit video. Have a brand new Honda xr 650 l . There are so many rumors and marketing B.s it nice just to see and hear the truth . Getting ready to do first change . Toughest decision for me is Honda full synthetic or conventional Honda 10w 30 . Any advice from you would be greatly appreciated. I’m in Florida and very hot in summer months . Leaning towards synthetic? Drive bike very conservatively . Oil will be changed regularly. Thank you
Check manual, specs like api SN is the latest for today. So just see what yours wants. I use shell for my honda vfr 750 its way more then it requres. I run hardly and changing it often like 2k on harder ride and up to 3.5 on highway. Its never too often to change the oil and filter. It has a chlutch in oil and it contaminates the oil faster.. well its personal preference almost. I do as i do. Love your bike or not is perOnal choice
Right on. The API or JASO classifications say it all.. Motorcycle, outboard, small engine etc. are all different than automotive oil. (Use what you're suppose to) When oil companies like Shell (just an example) make oil for the engine companies they blend it with base oils and additive packages according to their specifications. Many companies like Honda, John Deere have very high standards of specific additive blends and quality control.
Hey! You're videos are great man! Super informational in a very straight forward and understandable way. I also like that you aren't trying to sell anything you're just givin the facts as they are🤘. I just found my passion for motor bikes this last summer as I bought a 74 Honda and now I am intrigued to work in a repair shop. I am curious to know what steps you made in order to get where you are today. I want to one day soon be in a shop working on old bikes, it seems like a rewarding career. Thanks again for your videos and info to keep my bike tip top. ✌️
I change my oil to 100% synthetic Amsoil Metric and original filter for my Fireblade, per 4.000 kilometers not miles. And I use a small strong neodimium magnet on the filter.
If an oil is the correct viscosity, has good hths, anti wear and detergent properties, the only other aspect to consider is the debatable topic of whether moly causes clutch slippage. Shell Rotella is a great motorcycle oil that exceeds Jaso ma2 standards. It's priced great so one can afford to change it out at shorter intervals if so desired. Some current motorcycle oils are running lower levels of phosphorus and zinc due to emmision and catalytic converters. Unknown whether this will have a negative effect on long term wear.
My 87 kawasaki voyager loves rotella 15/40. 1200cc. These go over 100,000 miles easily. I change it and filter every 3000 miles. Oil takes a beating in motorcycles.
What's your take on oil grade versus aged and rattly motor? Do you change to a thicker oil or add some oil additive or just let it rattle itself to bits? Engine is a K1 BMW so dry clutch and separate gearbox with nearly 200K on the clock.
I would probably use a little thicker oil on an old clunker. Clearances are looser and such. It will possibly prolong the rattling itself to bits part lol
i can't understand how a multigrade viscosity index can rise as the oilheats up but at same time the oil is getting thinner, do you know what the best lubricant is ?
Great job cody!! Thank you for such informations. Watching every video. I got a vlx 600 1996, almost did the carb settings with your help now it runs like a beast!!
In short : stick to the manual for oil type. Put enough but not too much. And change it frequently... My two cents is : - if you ride less than 4000 miles a year, change the oil every year - if you ride more than 4000 and less than 8000 change it twice a year - (and so on if 8000 to 12000 change 3 time...) The idea is that it is better to PLAN the change at a given date / time than making forecast for an accurate milage... If you are grosly worng in your yearly milage estimate it is easy to skip an oil change or ad one. If the oil change scheduling is bothering you too mush... go for a two stroke...
Motorex PowerSynt has the highest shear strength, which means it degrades less under high temperatures. That’s why it’s the only oil recommended for the super demanding KTM 1290 Beast 180hp V Twin. A higher hp 4 cylinder engine is less demanding than a high hp KTM V twin or L twin Ducati. It’s too expensive though.
Also? Not trying to knock You whatsoever here TheMotorcycleMD.........BUT.............please,Please,PLEASE...........STOP referring to an Internal-combustion "ENGINE"..........as a "Motor"!!! That's all I ever heard growing up,UNTIL I found out,that a "motor" is NOTHING MORE than an electrically-powered device!!! NOTHING MORE!!! So to help You out.........since I learned the difference between the two.............from then on (many,MANY years),ANYONE who uses the term "motor" to refer to an "ENGINE".............I don't believe ONE SINGLE WORD of what they say regarding ANYTHING within that "Engine",due to their lackadaisical term-usage!!! Other than that,Great video my Friend!!! Am now a subscriber!!! ~Peace~
menom7 Really not trying to start anything but I'm 67, Raced motorcycles, and cars. My whole life I've heard Motor. Yes, technically a Motor is a Baldor, or other brand elec. motor but, all I've heard is Motor for a car engine. Maybe it's just a USA thing, or a Slang term. Either way we know what he's talking about. Take-Care.
Haha,All Respect given To You Garry,in your reply!!! And believe it or NOT,I DO fully understand where your coming from!!! Despite me being raised in the northeastern part of this country,I moved about a decade ago,to a much more,shall we say "southern" part of this country,where EVERYONE (and yes,I mean that almost literally) uses the term "motor" for Engine!!! Lol. Believe me,I do my best to ACCEPT that term,but it's sometimes difficult,when these guys truly think "motor" means ENGINE,when it's nothing of the sort!!! Lol. Anyway........I appreciate your comment and You take care as well!!! :)
Any chance you would be willing to help someone with advice on an 87 Honda shadow 1100 I just got the bike and replaced the clutches but I used automotive oil being an automotive mechanic I readily have access to that oil what kind of damage could I be doing the bike did sit for 3 years before I got it
Great and informative video. Keep up the great. My first bike was a 1978 xs 400 o bought from my neighbor. I sold that and bought my 80s nighthawk and have had nothing but Honda's since Go Honda.
One of the best explanations on oil I have ever heard. Learned a couple things I didn't know. I have a question. I have a 2005 Shadow Aero vt750c. I've googled which weight of oil do I need. I've gotten 2 answers. 10w30 or 10w40. Does it matter which weight of oil I need?
Great video Cody I have a very basic thought process in life, listen to the professionals who you trust and go with it. I'm not a mechanic so grav knowledge where you can you are a great wealth of information!
worked in a car retail store, had a guy ask what oil he needed for his hybrid lexus told him the one he needed (didnt like the price) picked up a 5L bottle of minerial and told me its all the same. Never saw him again but still wonder if the engine shat itself half as much as i expected it to
You got lucky that the Briggs connecting rod didn't let go before you caught it my Friend. All excellent points and with Air cooled engines, oil condition plays an even bigger role and should be changed more frequently as the viscosity deteriorates more quickly. Do the new Honda oils contain the needed Zinc that our older bikes require for the clutch? What's your take on Rotella (with zinc) oils in place of the Honda motor oils without Zinc? At what point did Honda stop requiring the Zinc content in their bikes? I know all my 1970's machines say in the mechanics manuals to use it. Cheers Brother! Zip~
Briggs con rod! I’m appalled! Only Honda power equipment touches my lawn 😂 seriously. HR214 aluminum body mowers from Honda are the best that were ever built. After almost three decades of use. The smoking start ups started to bother me. Rings where wiped! I’ll dig up more info on that zinc topic soon!
My bad! lol...The Briggs Con Rod has the same off set rod cap configuration lol. I'm glad you caught the Engine before it let go! They're definitely a step above Briggs in reliability. Briggs tends to cut corners where they really shouldn't. Cheers Brother! Zip~
This might sound like a hack job but i have been a bike mechanic since 1990 and my personal HR popped a seal and seized the crank to the rod. Looked allot worse than that one. I have re sized allot of parts with a sunnen rod hone and rebuilt allot of cranks over the years so i did a cheep ass experiment with the honda crank. I decked the rod cap with a little sand paper and a flat surface and then re sized it with a 10 mm wrench and some valve grinding compound. Just spin the rod around the crank slowly tightening the rod bolts until it could be torqued. That was two years ago and its still mowing strong. lol Would not do it for a customer but at the end i checked it with a bore gauge and mic and it was perfect. It could only be done because no bearing is used.
The MotorcycleMD. You say you want to "dig up more info" on zinc? I have a link for you but if you are a zinc enthusiast or don't like a lengthy read don't go there because you will be triggered. And after reading and seeing how the Honda oil did in testing you may reconsider using it. And it looks like you don't need motorcycle oil and can use any automotive oil as long as the clutch plates are in good shape. Enjoy! 540ratblog.wordpress.com/
whyte dub this is the best information you can get. SAE is what you need to know. Society of automotive engineers. They establish the standard for all oils. When you buy oil, it has an SAE rating. It doesn’t matter if it says it’s motorcycle oil or not. All the other marks tell you the additives and detergents the manufacturer has added to the oil. The viscosity is measured in two numbers. One is how it behaves when cold, the other when warm or hot. This guy is trying to sell motorcycle oil but there is no such thing.
The biggest difference between synthetic oil, and conventional is in the name. Synthetic means man made. Conventional oil, is oil made from petroleum pulled from the ground. The issue is, oil from the ground is one weight. However you, in most cases, need a multi weight oil to make up for differences in metal clearance as the metal heats up, and expands. So to rectify that, on conventional oil, they add viscosity modifiers. the issue is, as the oil wear out, those viscosity modifiers wear out. So as the oil gets close to its drain interval, it starts to come closer, and closer to being the same weight, no matter the temp. synthetic oil, which is made by man, or inside a lab, can be made to be a multi weight naturally, or with out viscosity modifiers. This means that even as the oil wears, and all the cleaners, and anti foaming agents wear out, there are no viscosity modifiers to wear out, and so the oil stays a true, or pretty close to it, multi weight oil. With that being said, there are down falls to synthetic oils. The first one is price. Because it is made inside a lab, there is quite a bit more money going into making it, and so it cost quite a bit more. The second biggest problem with synthetic is that its molecules are much smaller. Those smaller molecules protect better, but if you have a engine that has run conventional a long time, then switched to synthetic, you hear a lot about leaks starting to happen. That is because smaller molecules, can fit thru smaller gaps. So what might be to small of a gap for conventional, might not be for synthetic.
Both Synthetic and Conventional have V.I.I.s ( Viscosity Index Improvers ) in them. The biggest difference is, Conventional has a much lower burning point than Synthetic. In other words, Conventional will Sludge/Burn at a much lower temp, whereas Synthetic is almost impossible to Sludge.
Also Viscosity of synthetics dont change as much as mineral oil. Mineral oils freeze in cold and get thinner when hot. Not changing viscosity is an important character.
Well i beg to differ in regards to synthetic oils especially. I have done test on my cars and bikes and all wear metal levels have been well with in spec at 20,000kms. If it makes you feel better change them earlier, but you can actually be doing harm. Oils require a few heat cycles for their additives to become fully active. You can actually increase wear by changing your oil too often. Most manuals that require full synthetic oil call for 16,000km's between changes. You are underestimating the quality of oils. Some filters are only good for 10,000 kms and I'll will change them out but not the oil. The greatest wear on an engine occurs at start up. Synthetic oil adheres to the metal services for much longer than conventional oil and therefore reduces wear on startup dramatically. Also, automatic car starters and letting your car "warm up" is doing more harm than any prolonged oil change interval could. As soon as your car has started get the pressure up by driving it, using the resistance of the vehicle weight to promote increased oil pressure to the top of the engine. So use a good synthetic, keep the oil level correct, drive your car as soon as it's started (keep rev's in lower range) and don't waste your hard earned cash changing your oil at 5000km's or miles. Please don't believe me, do the reading yourself.
I have two air/oil cooled bmw's with combined 200,000 km on them and do believe very similar principles apply to most aspects i've mentioned. However, I will emphasize that on these engines in particular using a good synthetic is even more important as synthetics do a better job of heat dissipation on bikes that are not liquid cooled and can deal with increased temps much better than dino based oils. I (and this is very personal again) with do two oil filter changes for every ($50) amsoil full synthetic 10w-50 oil change, as i pretty much do in my car. The filters are only rated for 10,000km intervals. I love to see you post some numbers or pictures on synthetic oil not meeting breakdown voltage and other physical and chemical properties of the oil and or slugging. Oil also does not lose it's lubricating properties if left in an engine case over time. Moisture build up and possible corrosion of parts depending of humidity levels could play a role if the engine isn't brought up to operating temps. for a period of time to burn off said moisture. I know parts i've mentioned were not covered, but in my opinion based on test results the old standards are simply archaic in there change intervals and a waste of money and resources. Please go to the actual manufactures site of oil producers and you will see they even recommend changes anywhere from 12k to 20k MILES on full syn. My numbers tell me these are on the conservative side. I must also mention that I have a dry clutches on my bmw boxers and separate gear oil. My ktm four stroke has a separate side for the wet clutch. The dark colour of the oil in bikes is caused by clutch debris and wear, and if housed in a common bath, would be a good reason to change more often. I would also argue on a very small point that the cam and bucket should not actually make metal to metal contact. They ride on a very small layer of oil when the engine is running. Startup is the hardest time on an engine. It is for this reason it's best to use a good synthetic oil that will continue to adhere to the metal long after dino oil has drained away. It is also important to get moving asap to build oil pressure and get it to the top of the motor. the behaviour aspects are way more important than the oil change intervals. I do agree with you that improper oil level and oil consumption can be catastrophic. I see many people not checking their oil before every ride! Riders do not realise that an oil pressure light going off, is not the same as oil level being low. They are obviously related most of the time, but if you have an oil pressure light going off due to oil starvation, you've probably done a great deal of wear to that engine caused by metal on metal contact and possible heat damage to parts.
Sam Birtwistle When the oil is cold you will have MORE pressure. Pressure will come down when your engine warms up. Let it warm up for the sake of the bottom end, the top end will be fine.
You my friend are correct. Oil pressure is greatest when the oil is viscous or cold. I should not have used the word pressure interchangeably with lubrication. They are not the same. If you want to reduce wear to your engine get your car moving as soon as possible. The best test, is it idling fine? I've never heard of bottom end having a lubrication problem when starting a cold vehicle. However, getting the oild to the top of the engine is done faster when the car is under load. This increases the pump rate of oil. Pressure caused by viscous or cold oil is not your friend. A car will get to operating temp much faster if driven warming the oil making it less viscous and enabling the oil to get to all parts of the engine. Please google if you should let your car warm up by idling. I think you will find a consensus that it's not good for your engine.
The bottom end/pistons/cylinders have oil. If I wasn't in such a hurry to get to work in the morning I would wait for them to get up to temp so they are the ideal size and shape to have load on the engine. That might not be as big of a deal with your air cooled engine.
can you explain to the people why oil looks so dirty after recent oil changes, but if you drain that dirty looking oil into a bucket, it appears very clean,
LOL on my 1984 VT750C Shadow...I don't have to CHANGE my oil EVER...I burn it enough I just ADD and ADD and ADD.... I'm about to take er on a long 1100km ride down into the States (I'm from Northern Ontario). I'm definitely burning a quart under 1000 miles so here goes nothing! Wish me luck I'm leaving Sunday!
Thanks for all the info and tips you share! Definitely a great help to make sure I do a great maintenance to my Honda Tornado XR250 ;) Greetings from Costa Rica buddy, keep it up!
Hello, Cody. I see this is an old video. I have a question about carbs. I have a situation when I give gas the bike dog out almost dies. She idle ok once I get it started. Now I can't get it started. Should I get another carb although this one is only 4 months old and it's been nothing but problems. It either idles high or low to the point it stalls. I tried to cal it but I am not a motorcycle repair tech. Do you have any advice on how to solve this problem? Thanks.
My Motorcycle manufacturer recomends 10w30 but unfortunately very hard to find here in my place. IT IS SAFE TO USE 10W40 OR IT WILL AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE? CLIMATE Temp. Is at 10-40 degrees celcius. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL THE ANSWERS.
Hi there Cody,thank you again, for a great explanation ,of why we need to take precautions, with our oil usage,a crucial part of maintenance, thank you friend,Extremely Important !!😊😊😊
Bajaj discover 100cc bike. Engine oil recommend 20w40 .but i used 20w50 winter time. Cold time used possible 10w30 semi synthetic.use 10w30 any problem piston rings?
i do find honda's 8k mile oci to be crazy.especially on the early v4's.they needed all the clean oil they could get, & a little more to the valvetrain could'nt have hurt either.i wont let mine idle for more than a minute or so because of that.
Hi Cody, What about my 1989 Honda Africa Twin, In the manual it says to use “good quality motor oil” rating SL/CF . It doesn’t mention motorcycle oil. Back in 1989 did motorcycle oil exists ? Is there a exception with car oils in older bikes ?
DHealy91 The "SL" standard has been replaced with the "SN" industry standard. And the "CF" has been replaced with the "CJ-4" industry standard. The new standards also meet the old standards. You need an oil that is API certified for both SN AND CJ-4 standards. Brand doesn't matter.
In Australia, some Penrite oils can be used in both cars & bikes. You just have to look for the motorcycle symbol on the bottle. Motorcycle oils usually are a better quality oil than car oils because of the more extreme conditions inside a motorcycle engine compared to a car engine. However some car oils are of a high enough quality with the right additive package that they can be used in motorcycles. It is safer to buy motorcycle branded oils, but with a little research you could find a number of suitable car oils as well.
I recommend using "OIL". So far it has worked out for me as opposed to using "NO OIL".
I use canola oil in my scooter to save money I can spend on beer
Bdrift10 you are 100% right , never take advice from a guy wearing kitchen gloves and works on Handa .
@@matowixunplugged7927 if you put some salt in the gas, it makes salad dressing come out the exhaust.
Good call. That's advice I can USE!
Deep frying oil works after making fries, you pour it in your engine to save environment.
I go with what the engine manufacturer recommends. Never listen to the oil manufacturer, or idiots in the youtube comment section....
BAM!
You r right on brother. I have a Suzuki DL 1000 with 180,000 on it. Have serviced it dead on to your video. Never been in the shop a DAY! If people would treat their cycle to your advice, it would seriously financially hurt the motorcycle industry. Bikes would last 200k plus. Great video and ABSOLUTELY correct!
Thanks SID!! Your absolutely right! Unfortunately, people won’t listen. Budgets get tight and life gets busy. Keep up the great work brother! Ride safe!
I use Rotella on my $50,000.00 500 Cat and if it is good enough for that it will work on anything. Mine lasted 500,00 miles not problem. Also we used diesel generators in the oil field and on marine applications that never shut off and life forever by just keeping the oil filters changed regularly without changing oil at all.
I would trust anyone that has a Cat that cost $50,000.00 because you watch every penny
Bought my first bike 2 months ago... Can't wait to start taking it apart and learning how to do maintenance on it myself. Until then, very grateful for these videos to teach me what I need to know. Glad I found a trustworthy source.
Valvoline Dura Blend The best 4T motorcycle oil
i have buddies that change their oil in the off season and thats it. Gets a phone call and they ask whats ya up to. I say doing an oil change on the bike. Them...didn't ya just do that last week or 2 weeks ago.... Me yep but we did that 6hr run the other day and I have been driving it back and forth to work and a few 50 k unwind runs lol. I give the used oil (from my cars and trucks as well) to a company that cuts the brush for powerlines and highways etc etc to use for chain oil. They appreciate it and every xmas I get a bottle of whisky and a case my gf's fav wine. Oil is cheap. I can do an oil change cheaper than a bottle of whisky or a case of beer and neither of those last as long as the oil change. So good money spent.
The Rotella runners are a lost cause. "I run it in my earth mover so it must be the best oil for everything!" Frick'n hilarious!
thanks Cody , I'm a backyard motorcycle-mechanic-wannabe , taking in every tutorial you put out , awaiting your next lesson.
One of the best informative videos on the effects of engine oil and motorcycle engine wear and tear. It also proves my point that you can never "over change" your engine oil and filters. I do not believe in extended oil drain intervals.
A great "Oil" video, Cody, without getting into an "oil thread" endless discussion.
Great content, brother.
Thanks man!
Thank you for this very good explanation. I ride a Honda Transalp XL 600 V, 1999. It has just passed 120.000km / 75.000 miles. Has never been opened other than valve adjustment and oil / filter change within specs. I use the specified oil as in the manual, shift brands now and then, whatever is on sale of known brands.
Runs very good.
As long as you keep the oil fresh, you are doing better than most! Keep it going man! Good job!
I promise to change the oil more often than specs. At minimum once a year or 4000km what comes first. It is so easy to do and the cost is low.
Cody I hope you don't mind Me passing on some knowledge I got in the 80's , I raced motocross , and raced 4 strokes at a time 2 strokes dominated the sport . I was lucky enough to finish my racing on a Mitsui Works Yamaha TT-600 that had be converted from its Enduro trim into a full motocross bike , The Engine is just like a XT-600 but it had a lightweight crome liner and used soft rings and the XT- had a soft liner and used chrome rings , The problem was the Transmission would over heat Oil would break down and Third gear would go soft and explode, Mitsui Yamaha contracted a university to go through and test every available Oil on the market at the time , and they found the Only oil that stood upto pressure and temperature was Shell Rimula X Diesel Oil . they tested expensive oils like Bell Ray and they all broke down with the exception of the Shell, They Raced the Bike for 3 years before I got it and I raced it another 3 with no gearbox failures and virtually no Engine wear , I used too change the Oil after every 2 meetings and the filter every meeting . Excessive I know but the Oil I drained was used doing Oil changes in My families cars ;-) . Just thought I would pass this on , I know Oil Tech has moved on a lot since then
Ryan, thank you so much for that input. The best information is tested and proven. Thank you for sharing that! Really love hearing info like this!
I too noticed all my Honda’s recommend oil changes every eight thousand miles and filter change every other oil change. I use Amsoil synthetic in both my Honda’s and one is 25 years old. No leaks and does not use any oil between oil changes. I normally change around 5000 miles or end of riding season which ever comes first. I either use Honda oil filters or Purolator motorcycle filters. Both of my bikes are liquid cooled and have V4 engines. Best advice, use what your manufacturer recommends, not what your buddy recommends.
I use Rotella t-4 15w40 diesel oil in my Yamaha Roadliner.It calls for 20w50, but it shifts better on the Rotella
Shell Rotella T6 5W40 is the best oil on the markett,for bike tractor mower and all because i take some test with all synthetic oil and the T6 Rotella is the best in a World for me.
Good advice here! But only thing I would like to mention is that Honda or any other manufacture do not make their own oil!! The petroleum companies make the oil but every brand of oil has their own additive, minerals added/ blended in their oil to their specs. With that saying that some brands may be better than others. Dirty oil/ lack there of is what destroys any engine. Other than that keep on keeping on!
These poor sods! Honda is a MOTOR company!!! I have owned all the Japanese brands over 45 years of riding. I even campaigned a 94 XR250R for 11 years for GNCC cross country and have scrambles. I never made it to the ISDN but that XR never coughed once and still had the original clutch when I sold it which I shouldn't have done, but life gets in the way. You are correct my man as far as engine oil there is none better than Honda pro engine oil!!!! In the gold bottle. And bless you for the resurrections to come. Peace
TheMotorcycleMD I sure appreciate your time and effort and sharing the knowledge. Thank you very much Cody. You do a great job on these videos. I have learned so much from you and used the lessons with great success. You have helped give me the confidence to make sure my 93 F2 is going to be more reliable. My F2 is working the best it ever has since I bought a few years ago. I ride it almost every day at least long enough for a "love my bike run". True Story Man, Thanks.
I have a 2014 Honda GL 1800C Valkyrie that I bought used in 2020, with only 100 miles on it. So while the oil was barely used, it is now 7 years old. I've decided to do an oil change to get fresh oil in and eliminate any break-in metal shavings, as the bike now has 1,000 miles on it.
I spoke with the Honda dealer and they asked me whether I preferred conventional or synthetic. I asked their recommendation, and after telling them my bike's maintenance history, he said I should use conventional, because that's what they put in at the factory, and it isn't good to change. Yet, tons of guys on the forum use synthetic and report no issues, and at some point, every one of them switched from conventional. I told the dealer then to use conventional. He then said I could save $20 by using non-Honda brand oil as opposed to Honda brand, I don't know if there IS a difference, but it makes sense to me to use the Honda brand in a Honda engine. It's specifically formulated for a Honda motorcycle.
Curious as to your thoughts on switching to synthetic, and if I stay with conventional whether I should use Honda or other brand. Based on your video, I think I know the answer to the latter. Thanks! 🛢
Rotellla T6 5w40. Diesel & motorbike approved. Cheap & good.
Is it motorcycle approved?
Yep, use in my 2009 Goldwing, smoov.😎
been using it in my 08CBRRR the last two years mixed up with a couple of Amsoil changes. I cant tell a difference.
@@TheMotorcycleMD Yes according to the t6s oil ratings (JASO-ma and it's API ratings) not only meets but exceeds motorcycle engine oil requirements. I've used it for bout 5 years now in both my Vtwin and straight 4 supersport!
@@Its-DLee I'm about to try it on one of my 2 cbr600rr and see it there's really a difference. I only been using hp4.
The main reason about high engine wear is overheating. Such situation happens mostly on air cooled engines because high temperatures reduce the clearance on moving parts leading to friction and severe wear. The radiator on a liquid cooled engine is the effective solution that improves the heat extraction avoiding premature engine wear caused by overheating.
86 Honda rebel 450 using Honda oil, However in maryland it's cold so I will switch to 5-20 for the winter synthetic oil till spring generally warm weather I go back to 10-40
Pro Honda motorcycle oil (GN4, HP4 and HP4S) is made by IDEMITSU KOSAN. Head office is in Tokyo Japan. Idemitsu Lubricants America ( formerly known as Idemitsu Apollo) is located in Torrance CA. I called and spoke with their represetative and verified this. It's NOT made by Mobil 1 or anyone else. In fact, LCR Honda has a MotoGP Idemitsu sponsored bike that's riden by Takaaki Nakagami #30. Hope this clears up the myth about Pro Honda oil once and for all.
It's called total base number of the oil, the number the new oil starts with is the good addition of additives which help your engine, towards the end of the oils life the "TBN" drops off, and when it starts to drop off it goes exponentially. Hence the old saying as you yourself pointing out change your oil early rather than late. Hope this helps.
Years ago I bought a new MV F1000. The dealer told me that the UK importer told them to onlu use Rock Oil Synthesis 10W60. I have only used Rock Oil in my bikes ever since, currently the 10W/40 grade for my Triumph Street Triple. This oil is a true full synthetic. Unlike some others, Rock don't bring out a new product with a new silly name every few years. I change the oil every 2000 miles or less.
Good info. Never realized how dirt gets in the oil thru the intake valves. I ride alot of dirt roads. I will change my oil more often now. Thanks!
Absolutely!
Spacerider i would also keep a good quality and good seal around your airbox. Thats where most dirt gets in.
Chris B thanks for that tip. I will check that.
Im 60 and started riding at 16 and have NEVER had an oil failure problem. I use regular motorcycle oil, and any brand so long as it meets your bikes specs.
Understand shear as a metric in oil thinning under heat and friction. Conventional oils will "shear" (thin) as their properties are depleted and they have absorbed the maximum contaminants. Oil serves three functions, cool the engine, lubricate and absorb contaminants.
Very interesting . New-bikes (with wet-clutches ) will 'shed' a large-amount of fibrous-particles until the clutch settles-down and 'beds-in' so an early-service is best . After watching an Aussie dirt-bike-racer , I now set-up all my tools etc for my oil-change Before I head-out for a ride. On returning, I change the-oil 'Instantly' to stop particulates dropping into crevices etc (requires rubber-gloves as oil is scalding-hot ) . After doing this for two-consecutive oil-changes my oil now looks nothing like it used-to . It remains so-clean compared to my previous 'regimen' of draining-it while it had 'some' heat . Clutch-particles are one of the-main-culprits for blocking filters and causing the valve to 'bypass' (where your engine circulates unfiltered-oil ) so I'd recommend changing-oil 300ks after a new clutch . My results have been the-same with : W650, GN250, XV1000 ( the XV was always the-dirtiest ) . If my eyes can see a huge-difference , imagine what a microscope would show . Dave nz
my 2007 small bike suggests 1500 mile changes, if i was an unaware person listening to you id go through 4000 miles...
Won't use a grade other than the manual says but will not go 8k miles if it says so. Why?
The piston in your thumbnail needs higher octane gas. That piston is damaged by detonation
Great video, not only this one. Very helpful and clear to understand, I will keep watching your channel. Greetings from Poland.
Thanks man! Greetings from Norfolk, VA!
Cody ur the best. I wish i could work with you. Im a former Toyota and Honda tech. But i work on scotters. And now sell Honda parts. Your info is so informative for the noobs out there.
Glad you enjoy the content man! 🙌 Thank you for your Kind words!
Great topic - important stuff for those who want to get the most out of bikes.
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it
Great info. Can't tell you how often I see people who want to ride those 8k on their oil. Agree with you 100% 4k should be the absolute most for a bike you love and sooner if you can. Here in cali those miles go by so quick .. had to do changes 4 times last year.
Thank you for the great no bullshit video. Have a brand new Honda xr 650 l . There are so many rumors and marketing B.s it nice just to see and hear the truth . Getting ready to do first change . Toughest decision for me is Honda full synthetic or conventional Honda 10w 30 . Any advice from you would be greatly appreciated. I’m in Florida and very hot in summer months . Leaning towards synthetic? Drive bike very conservatively . Oil will be changed regularly. Thank you
Check manual, specs like api SN is the latest for today. So just see what yours wants. I use shell for my honda vfr 750 its way more then it requres. I run hardly and changing it often like 2k on harder ride and up to 3.5 on highway. Its never too often to change the oil and filter. It has a chlutch in oil and it contaminates the oil faster.. well its personal preference almost. I do as i do. Love your bike or not is perOnal choice
Right on. The API or JASO classifications say it all.. Motorcycle, outboard, small engine etc. are all different than automotive oil. (Use what you're suppose to)
When oil companies like Shell (just an example) make oil for the engine companies they blend it with base oils and additive packages according to their specifications. Many companies like Honda, John Deere have very high standards of specific additive blends and quality control.
Valvoline Dura Blend The best 4T motorcycle oil
I'm with you Honda is awesome!
Hey! You're videos are great man! Super informational in a very straight forward and understandable way. I also like that you aren't trying to sell anything you're just givin the facts as they are🤘. I just found my passion for motor bikes this last summer as I bought a 74 Honda and now I am intrigued to work in a repair shop. I am curious to know what steps you made in order to get where you are today. I want to one day soon be in a shop working on old bikes, it seems like a rewarding career. Thanks again for your videos and info to keep my bike tip top. ✌️
I change my oil to 100% synthetic Amsoil Metric and original filter for my Fireblade, per 4.000 kilometers not miles. And I use a small strong neodimium magnet on the filter.
I use real salted butter in dirtbike. It wotks great. Also use veg or canola oil.
If an oil is the correct viscosity, has good hths, anti wear and detergent properties, the only other aspect to consider is the debatable topic of whether moly causes clutch slippage. Shell Rotella is a great motorcycle oil that exceeds Jaso ma2 standards. It's priced great so one can afford to change it out at shorter intervals if so desired.
Some current motorcycle oils are running lower levels of phosphorus and zinc due to emmision and catalytic converters. Unknown whether this will have a negative effect on long term wear.
Great point! Time will tell! I have heard great results from Rotella during long interval chemical analysis!
My 87 kawasaki voyager loves rotella 15/40. 1200cc. These go over 100,000 miles easily. I change it and filter every 3000 miles. Oil takes a beating in motorcycles.
What's your take on oil grade versus aged and rattly motor? Do you change to a thicker oil or add some oil additive or just let it rattle itself to bits? Engine is a K1 BMW so dry clutch and separate gearbox with nearly 200K on the clock.
I would probably use a little thicker oil on an old clunker. Clearances are looser and such. It will possibly prolong the rattling itself to bits part lol
Learned a bit……. Did not know engines burn a quart per thousand miles!!!! Explains several questions I had on my vt1100. Thanks
You do a very good job teaching and explaining things. Happy New Year brother:)
This guy knows his sh*t. Very informative and accurate. Good video.
i can't understand how a multigrade viscosity index can rise as the oilheats up but at same time the oil is getting thinner, do you know what the best lubricant is ?
Great job cody!! Thank you for such informations.
Watching every video.
I got a vlx 600 1996, almost did the carb settings with your help now it runs like a beast!!
Better go change the oil ha, great stuff mate , you explained it in layman's terms. Most people should get it excellent.
In short : stick to the manual for oil type. Put enough but not too much. And change it frequently...
My two cents is :
- if you ride less than 4000 miles a year, change the oil every year
- if you ride more than 4000 and less than 8000 change it twice a year
- (and so on if 8000 to 12000 change 3 time...)
The idea is that it is better to PLAN the change at a given date / time than making forecast for an accurate milage...
If you are grosly worng in your yearly milage estimate it is easy to skip an oil change or ad one.
If the oil change scheduling is bothering you too mush... go for a two stroke...
First time I have watched your channel.... very well explained, I subscribed and I’ll check in to watch more ! Very well done.
1 quart (2 pints) at least every thousand miles?!!! Now I know I've got the most perfect bike on the planet!!!
Always quality video with some deep extras
Motorex PowerSynt has the highest shear strength, which means it degrades less under high temperatures. That’s why it’s the only oil recommended for the super demanding KTM 1290 Beast 180hp V Twin. A higher hp 4 cylinder engine is less demanding than a high hp KTM V twin or L twin Ducati. It’s too expensive though.
Very Good video Cody.. you explained exactly what dirty and long over-do oil change can do to the internal parts.
I use Mobil 1 - 0W40 fully synthetic in my car and Bike, I think the engines will last more than me.
yt678901 I use Mobil 1 15w-50 in my R1, have been for years.
An older but invaluable video!
Cody, I have trouble wrapping my head around a wet clutch system. Your thoughts?
I’ve been using Astroglide since I was 15...never had a problem.
😂🤣
Good Demo. Most people should know this but it's surprising how many have no Clue.
No truer words have been said brother!
Also? Not trying to knock You whatsoever here TheMotorcycleMD.........BUT.............please,Please,PLEASE...........STOP referring to an Internal-combustion "ENGINE"..........as a "Motor"!!! That's all I ever heard growing up,UNTIL I found out,that a "motor" is NOTHING MORE than an electrically-powered device!!! NOTHING MORE!!! So to help You out.........since I learned the difference between the two.............from then on (many,MANY years),ANYONE who uses the term "motor" to refer to an "ENGINE".............I don't believe ONE SINGLE WORD of what they say regarding ANYTHING within that "Engine",due to their lackadaisical term-usage!!! Other than that,Great video my Friend!!! Am now a subscriber!!! ~Peace~
menom7
Really not trying to start anything but I'm 67, Raced motorcycles, and cars. My whole life I've heard Motor. Yes, technically a Motor is a Baldor, or other brand elec. motor but, all I've heard is Motor for a car engine. Maybe it's just a USA thing, or a Slang term. Either way we know what he's talking about. Take-Care.
Haha,All Respect given To You Garry,in your reply!!! And believe it or NOT,I DO fully understand where your coming from!!! Despite me being raised in the northeastern part of this country,I moved about a decade ago,to a much more,shall we say "southern" part of this country,where EVERYONE (and yes,I mean that almost literally) uses the term "motor" for Engine!!! Lol. Believe me,I do my best to ACCEPT that term,but it's sometimes difficult,when these guys truly think "motor" means ENGINE,when it's nothing of the sort!!! Lol. Anyway........I appreciate your comment and You take care as well!!! :)
www.etymonline.com/word/motor
Any chance you would be willing to help someone with advice on an 87 Honda shadow 1100 I just got the bike and replaced the clutches but I used automotive oil being an automotive mechanic I readily have access to that oil what kind of damage could I be doing the bike did sit for 3 years before I got it
love the way you explain these concepts!
Great and informative video.
Keep up the great.
My first bike was a 1978 xs 400 o bought from my neighbor. I sold that and bought my 80s nighthawk and have had nothing but Honda's since Go Honda.
Motul 300v in my opinion the best oil in the market.
One of the best explanations on oil I have ever heard. Learned a couple things I didn't know. I have a question. I have a 2005 Shadow Aero vt750c. I've googled which weight of oil do I need. I've gotten 2 answers. 10w30 or 10w40. Does it matter which weight of oil I need?
Great video Cody I have a very basic thought process in life, listen to the professionals who you trust and go with it. I'm not a mechanic so grav knowledge where you can you are a great wealth of information!
worked in a car retail store, had a guy ask what oil he needed for his hybrid lexus told him the one he needed (didnt like the price) picked up a 5L bottle of minerial and told me its all the same. Never saw him again but still wonder if the engine shat itself half as much as i expected it to
You got lucky that the Briggs connecting rod didn't let go before you caught it my Friend. All excellent points and with Air cooled engines, oil condition plays an even bigger role and should be changed more frequently as the viscosity deteriorates more quickly. Do the new Honda oils contain the needed Zinc that our older bikes require for the clutch? What's your take on Rotella (with zinc) oils in place of the Honda motor oils without Zinc? At what point did Honda stop requiring the Zinc content in their bikes? I know all my 1970's machines say in the mechanics manuals to use it. Cheers Brother! Zip~
Briggs con rod! I’m appalled! Only Honda power equipment touches my lawn 😂 seriously. HR214 aluminum body mowers from Honda are the best that were ever built. After almost three decades of use. The smoking start ups started to bother me. Rings where wiped! I’ll dig up more info on that zinc topic soon!
My bad! lol...The Briggs Con Rod has the same off set rod cap configuration lol. I'm glad you caught the Engine before it let go! They're definitely a step above Briggs in reliability. Briggs tends to cut corners where they really shouldn't. Cheers Brother! Zip~
This might sound like a hack job but i have been a bike mechanic since 1990 and my personal HR popped a seal and seized the crank to the rod. Looked allot worse than that one. I have re sized allot of parts with a sunnen rod hone and rebuilt allot of cranks over the years so i did a cheep ass experiment with the honda crank. I decked the rod cap with a little sand paper and a flat surface and then re sized it with a 10 mm wrench and some valve grinding compound. Just spin the rod around the crank slowly tightening the rod bolts until it could be torqued. That was two years ago and its still mowing strong. lol Would not do it for a customer but at the end i checked it with a bore gauge and mic and it was perfect. It could only be done because no bearing is used.
The MotorcycleMD. You say you want to "dig up more info" on zinc? I have a link for you but if you are a zinc enthusiast or don't like a lengthy read don't go there because you will be triggered. And after reading and seeing how the Honda oil did in testing you may reconsider using it. And it looks like you don't need motorcycle oil and can use any automotive oil as long as the clutch plates are in good shape. Enjoy! 540ratblog.wordpress.com/
Just discovered your channel,wish I found it when I had my zrx1100. Those carbs gave me so much shit it had to go. You have me subscribed fella.
This is a awesome video - great stuff!
My book says SAE 10 40 or SAE 30 for my 1980 honda cb750k 4. Would you please do a video of the starter clutch. Thanks.
whyte dub this is the best information you can get. SAE is what you need to know. Society of automotive engineers. They establish the standard for all oils. When you buy oil, it has an SAE rating. It doesn’t matter if it says it’s motorcycle oil or not. All the other marks tell you the additives and detergents the manufacturer has added to the oil. The viscosity is measured in two numbers. One is how it behaves when cold, the other when warm or hot. This guy is trying to sell motorcycle oil but there is no such thing.
I own a 1985 honda vf1000r and looking for engine oil . I will go with Honda oil. thanks
I have a 93 shadow 1100 i use only honda oil in it and i change the oil every season no matter if i put 500 miles on my bike or 2000
The biggest difference between synthetic oil, and conventional is in the name. Synthetic means man made. Conventional oil, is oil made from petroleum pulled from the ground. The issue is, oil from the ground is one weight. However you, in most cases, need a multi weight oil to make up for differences in metal clearance as the metal heats up, and expands. So to rectify that, on conventional oil, they add viscosity modifiers. the issue is, as the oil wear out, those viscosity modifiers wear out. So as the oil gets close to its drain interval, it starts to come closer, and closer to being the same weight, no matter the temp. synthetic oil, which is made by man, or inside a lab, can be made to be a multi weight naturally, or with out viscosity modifiers. This means that even as the oil wears, and all the cleaners, and anti foaming agents wear out, there are no viscosity modifiers to wear out, and so the oil stays a true, or pretty close to it, multi weight oil. With that being said, there are down falls to synthetic oils. The first one is price. Because it is made inside a lab, there is quite a bit more money going into making it, and so it cost quite a bit more. The second biggest problem with synthetic is that its molecules are much smaller. Those smaller molecules protect better, but if you have a engine that has run conventional a long time, then switched to synthetic, you hear a lot about leaks starting to happen. That is because smaller molecules, can fit thru smaller gaps. So what might be to small of a gap for conventional, might not be for synthetic.
I stand behind your information with 100% confidence of being correct. Exactly what I was taught.
I think thats not correct. You have mixed up lots of stuff and you think thats correct.
yt678901 then tells us what is correct.
Both Synthetic and Conventional have V.I.I.s ( Viscosity Index Improvers ) in them. The biggest difference is, Conventional has a much lower burning point than Synthetic. In other words, Conventional will Sludge/Burn at a much lower temp, whereas Synthetic is almost impossible to Sludge.
Also Viscosity of synthetics dont change as much as mineral oil. Mineral oils freeze in cold and get thinner when hot. Not changing viscosity is an important character.
Great job Cody! Thank you.
Thanks Chadd! 🤙
Superb explantion of the types of oil and why changing it often is a very good idea.
Well i beg to differ in regards to synthetic oils especially. I have done test on my cars and bikes and all wear metal levels have been well with in spec at 20,000kms. If it makes you feel better change them earlier, but you can actually be doing harm. Oils require a few heat cycles for their additives to become fully active. You can actually increase wear by changing your oil too often. Most manuals that require full synthetic oil call for 16,000km's between changes. You are underestimating the quality of oils. Some filters are only good for 10,000 kms and I'll will change them out but not the oil. The greatest wear on an engine occurs at start up. Synthetic oil adheres to the metal services for much longer than conventional oil and therefore reduces wear on startup dramatically. Also, automatic car starters and letting your car "warm up" is doing more harm than any prolonged oil change interval could. As soon as your car has started get the pressure up by driving it, using the resistance of the vehicle weight to promote increased oil pressure to the top of the engine. So use a good synthetic, keep the oil level correct, drive your car as soon as it's started (keep rev's in lower range) and don't waste your hard earned cash changing your oil at 5000km's or miles. Please don't believe me, do the reading yourself.
Thanks for your comment! But this video has absolutely nothing to do with cars! 🤙
I have two air/oil cooled bmw's with combined 200,000 km on them and do believe very similar principles apply to most aspects i've mentioned. However, I will emphasize that on these engines in particular using a good synthetic is even more important as synthetics do a better job of heat dissipation on bikes that are not liquid cooled and can deal with increased temps much better than dino based oils. I (and this is very personal again) with do two oil filter changes for every ($50) amsoil full synthetic 10w-50 oil change, as i pretty much do in my car. The filters are only rated for 10,000km intervals. I love to see you post some numbers or pictures on synthetic oil not meeting breakdown voltage and other physical and chemical properties of the oil and or slugging. Oil also does not lose it's lubricating properties if left in an engine case over time. Moisture build up and possible corrosion of parts depending of humidity levels could play a role if the engine isn't brought up to operating temps. for a period of time to burn off said moisture. I know parts i've mentioned were not covered, but in my opinion based on test results the old standards are simply archaic in there change intervals and a waste of money and resources. Please go to the actual manufactures site of oil producers and you will see they even recommend changes anywhere from 12k to 20k MILES on full syn. My numbers tell me these are on the conservative side. I must also mention that I have a dry clutches on my bmw boxers and separate gear oil. My ktm four stroke has a separate side for the wet clutch. The dark colour of the oil in bikes is caused by clutch debris and wear, and if housed in a common bath, would be a good reason to change more often.
I would also argue on a very small point that the cam and bucket should not actually make metal to metal contact. They ride on a very small layer of oil when the engine is running. Startup is the hardest time on an engine. It is for this reason it's best to use a good synthetic oil that will continue to adhere to the metal long after dino oil has drained away. It is also important to get moving asap to build oil pressure and get it to the top of the motor. the behaviour aspects are way more important than the oil change intervals.
I do agree with you that improper oil level and oil consumption can be catastrophic. I see many people not checking their oil before every ride! Riders do not realise that an oil pressure light going off, is not the same as oil level being low. They are obviously related most of the time, but if you have an oil pressure light going off due to oil starvation, you've probably done a great deal of wear to that engine caused by metal on metal contact and possible heat damage to parts.
Sam Birtwistle When the oil is cold you will have MORE pressure. Pressure will come down when your engine warms up. Let it warm up for the sake of the bottom end, the top end will be fine.
You my friend are correct. Oil pressure is greatest when the oil is viscous or cold. I should not have used the word pressure interchangeably with lubrication. They are not the same. If you want to reduce wear to your engine get your car moving as soon as possible. The best test, is it idling fine? I've never heard of bottom end having a lubrication problem when starting a cold vehicle. However, getting the oild to the top of the engine is done faster when the car is under load. This increases the pump rate of oil. Pressure caused by viscous or cold oil is not your friend. A car will get to operating temp much faster if driven warming the oil making it less viscous and enabling the oil to get to all parts of the engine. Please google if you should let your car warm up by idling. I think you will find a consensus that it's not good for your engine.
The bottom end/pistons/cylinders have oil. If I wasn't in such a hurry to get to work in the morning I would wait for them to get up to temp so they are the ideal size and shape to have load on the engine. That might not be as big of a deal with your air cooled engine.
can you explain to the people why oil looks so dirty after recent oil changes, but if you drain that dirty looking oil into a bucket, it appears very clean,
That is kind of hard to explain, I would use paper to display your oil on your dipstick. 8,000 miles oil is far different looking then 2,000!
LOL on my 1984 VT750C Shadow...I don't have to CHANGE my oil EVER...I burn it enough I just ADD and ADD and ADD.... I'm about to take er on a long 1100km ride down into the States (I'm from Northern Ontario). I'm definitely burning a quart under 1000 miles so here goes nothing! Wish me luck I'm leaving Sunday!
Thanks for all the info and tips you share! Definitely a great help to make sure I do a great maintenance to my Honda Tornado XR250 ;)
Greetings from Costa Rica buddy, keep it up!
Another great video, Cody. Thanks!
Hello, Cody. I see this is an old video. I have a question about carbs. I have a situation when I give gas the bike dog out almost dies. She idle ok once I get it started. Now I can't get it started. Should I get another carb although this one is only 4 months old and it's been nothing but problems. It either idles high or low to the point it stalls. I tried to cal it but I am not a motorcycle repair tech. Do you have any advice on how to solve this problem? Thanks.
Is there such thing as changing oil to often on a motor bike like dose the oil have to neutralise for it to work better?
I knew already what you said, but you explained it very well...
great, this video gives me lots of tips when it comes to maintaining my engine. thanks
My Motorcycle manufacturer recomends 10w30 but unfortunately very hard to find here in my place. IT IS SAFE TO USE 10W40 OR IT WILL AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE? CLIMATE Temp. Is at 10-40 degrees celcius. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL THE ANSWERS.
Hi there Cody,thank you again, for a great explanation ,of why we need to take precautions, with our oil usage,a crucial part of maintenance, thank you friend,Extremely Important !!😊😊😊
Bajaj discover 100cc bike. Engine oil recommend 20w40 .but i used 20w50 winter time. Cold time used possible 10w30 semi synthetic.use 10w30 any problem piston rings?
Hey I use motul 7100 on my air cool bike. Now my country temperature is 25 degree Celsius. Can you recommend a grade. Thank you
I thought that he would explain what kind of that we can use for our motorcycles. Which kinds of oil can be we use?
i do find honda's 8k mile oci to be crazy.especially on the early v4's.they needed all the clean oil they could get, & a little more to the valvetrain could'nt have hurt either.i wont let mine idle for more than a minute or so because of that.
How do you check the oil in a Yamaha VStar 650. No dipstick.
Excellent video mate.Ride safe and have fun.
Does the synthetic oil gets bad after a year in the engine if the motorcycle does make the required mileage for the oil change?
Great video. Very insightful
At 3k to 4k miles, what’s that in hours typically?
Ram the point home. Good tutorials.
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Hi Cody,
What about my 1989 Honda Africa Twin,
In the manual it says to use “good quality motor oil” rating SL/CF .
It doesn’t mention motorcycle oil.
Back in 1989 did motorcycle oil exists ?
Is there a exception with car oils in older bikes ?
Back in 79 GN4 Honda motorcycle oil existed. No exceptions. Cars still used two different oils. Bikes still had clutches encased in the motor.
DHealy91 The "SL" standard has been replaced with the "SN" industry standard. And the "CF" has been replaced with the "CJ-4" industry standard. The new standards also meet the old standards. You need an oil that is API certified for both SN AND CJ-4 standards. Brand doesn't matter.
In Australia, some Penrite oils can be used in both cars & bikes. You just have to look for the motorcycle symbol on the bottle. Motorcycle oils usually are a better quality oil than car oils because of the more extreme conditions inside a motorcycle engine compared to a car engine. However some car oils are of a high enough quality with the right additive package that they can be used in motorcycles. It is safer to buy motorcycle branded oils, but with a little research you could find a number of suitable car oils as well.
what do you think about motul 300v that oil works better in my honda than any other I've used?