20K service - decided to do it myself..

[mgillespie]

OK, been online shopping this morning.

Got the D.I.D chainkit as advised from DK on ebay:

£84 delivered

Got a genuine Honda front sprocket, a oil filter, tool, bung/washer from David Silver:

£40 delivered

Got a set of Irdium plugs from ebay:

£26 delivered

Tyre from moto-tyres.co.uk:

£80 delivered

With a 4 litre can of oil:

£20 (buying local)

Makes my total service: £250. Quite a substantial saving from what the local garages were quoting, and I also got better components in there too... The airfilter looks OK, so will just give it a tap out. I can change that at any point, rather than fixed intervals.

On the subject of oil. Any recommendations?

[GSPD750]

OK, been online shopping this morning.


On the subject of oil. Any recommendations?

motorcycle oil? That's what I put in mine. 20w-50 synthetic blend.

Ok....here we go.

Cheers and keep us posted.

[barftone]

10-40 semi synthetic (car stuff does for me)

[StumpyFingers]

I use Castrol GP1 10w40 Motorcycle oil in mine.

[mgillespie]

Done a bit of reading up, and it seems Motorcycle oil is no different to car oil (aside from the price). Better spending the difference on a higher quality brand of car oil..

Testing Motorcycle Oil

MCN's Conclusions

In speaking to a number of people involved in the production, marketing and distribution of motorcycle-specific oils, we could not find anyone who could present a valid argument for discrediting the testing done by Dr. Woolum. In general, they all tried to turn the conversation another direction by bringing up other possible advantages to using their products, while ignoring the viscosity-retention question. Yet without exception it is their own advertising that consistently brings the subject up, touting the special shear-stable polymers as the primary reason motorcyclists should purchase their products.

It is this practice to which we take exception, as we have been unable to find evidence to support these claims. In short, it seems to be nothing more than a clever marketing ploy designed to enhance their products' image and separate motorcyclists from their money.

MCN is ready to print any research or test results provided by the oil companies to support their claims of superior viscosity retention, with this one proviso: The comparisons must be against actual, SG-rated oil products that can be purchased off the shelf at the average auto parts store. Tests against generic, basic-stock mineral oil or against the lower-rated SE and SF oils would lack any credibility in a real-world context.

Despite more than six months of research, reading all the claims and counter-claims printed by dozens of industry experts and lubrication experts, MCN cannot and does not purport to know all there is to know about the differences between automotive and motorcycle oils. However, what we do know is that we can find no substantive evidence that using a high-quality, name-brand automotive oil in an average street motorcycle is in any way harmful or less effective in providing proper lubrication and protection than using the more expensive, motorcycle-specific oils.

[jarl]

Done a bit of reading up, and it seems Motorcycle oil is no different to car oil (aside from the price). Better spending the difference on a higher quality brand of car oil..

Testing Motorcycle Oil

Just avoid energy saving car oils, they have a tendency to make your clutch slip.

[mgillespie]

Surely the 10W40 bit determines the viscosity of the oil between hot and cold, and thus determines clutch slippage? How would a motorcycle 10W40 differ from a car 10W40?

[GSPD750]

Surely the 10W40 bit determines the viscosity of the oil between hot and cold, and thus determines clutch slippage? How would a motorcycle 10W40 differ from a car 10W40?

The article you posted is from 1994. Outdated IMO.

Automotive oils have friction modifiers that can cause wet clutches in motorcycle engines to burn up quickly. That I can agree with.

Viscosity only determines the recommended temperature range of that specific oil...not clutch slippage.
ie. 10W40 ranges from -10c to over +40c. Good if you operate your m'cycle in sub zero temps.

Their are many articles on the web on car oil vs m'cycle oil ...and many debates. It's always been simple for me. My motorcycle uses motorcycle oil.

[mgillespie]

Genuine Honda front sprocket arrived this morning, and I kinda feel I have wasted £20. Sure there is a rubber moulding on it, but it's not between the drive splines and the teeth, which is from what I can tell (without x-raying it), a solid item, and thus won't give any "cushioning" effect...

Going backt to oils, there is much debate, but the fact remains, no motorcycle oil manufacturer has come up with credible evidence that motorcycle oil and car oil are any different and just keep resorting back to the "why would you risk it" argument for spending 40% more on your oil. (personally I want to spend that 40% on a better quality car oil).