Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 question

[sunruh]

i highly regard honda's road bikes. i owned one for quite a while. it puzzles me that they dont show a broader range of weights. are we truely expected to use 10w30 in phoenix and fairbanks (death valley and duluth)? with the same oci?
that's where i really dont agree.

 

[TucsonDon]

Here's a scan from my '07 Goldwing Owner's Manual:

As you can see, it's a bit ambiguous:

o Where 30 and 40 separate is not clear
o If there's a maximum upper range it's not clear
o It's not clear if 30 is specifically disallowed at the higher ranges
o It's not clear if 40 is specifically disallowed at the lower ranges
o It's not clear what "Other viscosities shown in the following chart may be used when the average temperature in your riding area is within the indicated range" really means ... by "other viscosities" do they mean perhaps 20W-50?

What's your reading?

 

[wileyE]

EXACT same chart they put in my little CRF, LOL. I don't think either grade is disallowed otherwise they would have drawn separate arrows. More like one is preferred at either end of the range. Almost every bike motor honda builds is proved on 10w30 during their durability testing. 10w30 has been recommended for several of their bikes for years now. No emissions or gas milage conspiracy, they just proved it works to themselves.

 

[TucsonDon]

Originally Posted By: wileyE
No emissions or gas milage conspiracy, they just proved it works to themselves.

Oh, come now, sir ... if I can't claim a dark conspiracy here, what do I have to live for?

 

[wileyE]

OK , here's a conspiracy for ya Don. Honda specs 10w30 because they know people will have a hard time finding that grade that isn't EC rated. So, your forced to buy their 10w30 Honda oil.

Hows that? Secret, there ARE many 10w30's on the shelf that aren't EC, they wear the HM label. So take that Honda!

 

[sunruh]

from my yzf manual

 

[TucsonDon]

It looks like Honda and Yamaha agree that -10C is the lower limit of sanity when it comes to riding.

I'd say I agree with that. Lower is possible, of course ... but for the life of me I don't see how any riding enjoyment could be had.

60F is my ideal riding temperature.

 

[TucsonDon]

Originally Posted By: wileyE
OK , here's a conspiracy for ya Don. Honda specs 10w30 because they know people will have a hard time finding that grade that isn't EC rated. So, your forced to buy their 10w30 Honda oil.


Ah!

You've made my day. Thanks!

 

[sunruh]

Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
It looks like Honda and Yamaha agree that -10C is the lower limit of sanity when it comes to riding.



14 is NOT cold. back in my youth (not in texas) during the winters i would ride my yz125 in the snow and on frozen ponds. brake/throttle control is pretty key on a frozen pond when running knobbies.
coldest i ever did was -5 with a windchill of -47

i tell you what, i'll take that over 113 anyday!!! which is the other end that ive ridden in. i sucked my 90oz camelback dry and then drank another 2qts in the truck with the a/c on max before even leaving the property.

this is just me, but i dont see how any oil less than 20w50 would be used in phoenix 6mo of the year.
yeah, yeah, yeah its a dry heat
SO IS MY OVEN!!!

 

[TucsonDon]

Originally Posted By: sunruh
14 is NOT cold.

Says you!

Originally Posted By: sunruh
back in my youth

Ah, there's the key. Kids are instilled with a certain imperviousness to the effects of silly things ... like riding motorcycles on frozen ponds in windchill of -47!

Originally Posted By: sunruh
brake/throttle control is pretty key on a frozen pond when running knobbies.

I would imagine slamming the front brake with the bars locks right or left would be a bad move, huh?

Originally Posted By: sunruh
i tell you what, i'll take that over 113 anyday!!! which is the other end that ive ridden in. i sucked my 90oz camelback dry and then drank another 2qts in the truck with the a/c on max before even leaving the property.

The ability to dehydrate in those kinds of temps in the dry desert heat is more than most -- including myself -- realize. I darn near killed myself last summer by pressing past the limit of hydration. It took me an hour and several 20oz waters just to regain my sense of balance. Foolish me.

Originally Posted By: sunruh
this is just me, but i dont see how any oil less than 20w50 would be used in phoenix 6mo of the year.

Here I am placing trust in the printed word of Mother Honda. I'm trusting my Wing's cooling system is up to it.

That and the magical power of Shell Rotella T, which is magic mojo-oil, don't you know.

Originally Posted By: sunruh
yeah, yeah, yeah its a dry heat. SO IS MY OVEN!!!

Yeah, but think of all the yummy things your oven is capable of producing. So it follows logically that the Phoenix heat would do the same with motorcycle oil, doesn't it?

Well?

 

[BigJohn]

This whole discussion around Winter weights, etc.... Yeah, I learned something recently.

For the past two winters, I assumed my bike was having trouble starting with 10W40 in the winters. This winter, I strayed from 10W40 and went with 5W40 Rotella Synthetic. Without surprise, I went out, one cold morning and the bike struggled like heck to start. Seemed like it was trying to stir some tar in the crank case.

On a completely unrelated note....I decided to purchase a battery tender for my bikes battery. Interestingly, on a day where we had 4 degree temps, I decided to "test" the bike to see if it would start. With it on the Tender, it started up like it was 80 degrees.

So, I have now learned that a bike's struggle to start in cold weather has so much more to do with the strength of the battery than the thickness or thinness of the oil.

By the way...here is the tender I have....

Schumacher (SEM-1562A) (See Link)
6 or 12 Volt
1.5 AMP - Maintain
Fully Automatic with Float-Mode Monitoring
Cost a whopping $19.97 at WallyWorld....



Also, I have three quarts of M1 R4T 10w40 sitting on my shelf, waiting for the March oil change (out of Winter storage). Originally, I purchased 6 quarts of this stuff (a whopping deal when Checkers had M1 for sale....and I snagged it for $4.50 a quart!!!!...Yeah, it is $14.50 a quart at my motorcycle shop.)

The only problem is.....seems my V-Strom likes to drink this M1. Over a 2,000 mile run, I lost about 1/2 a quart. Now in the oils defense, a bit of that run was on I25, running at 80 mph at about 6,500 to 7,000 RPM's.

I am sure it is a great oil, but because of the consumption....I am a little leary now. Come March, I think I am going to do two quarts of M1 R4T 10W40 and one quart of Amsoil 20W50 V-Twin. I bet that cures the consumption issue.

 

[Redline955]

There really is no need to change your oil after winter storage. I change my oil in early winter, and just run it until I change it the next year.

 

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted By: Redline955
There really is no need to change your oil after winter storage. I change my oil in early winter, and just run it until I change it the next year.


I suppose you are right and makes sense to me, but I don't want to run long on that 'winter storage oil'. My bike goes in the garage in December and doesn't see the light of day until March, as weather allows. Those runs in March are on the 'storage oil'....Rotella 5W40, but April 1st...she gets a fresh fill regardless of mileage or time.

 

[Redline955]

I did that too, and realized that it was a waste of money. Any condensation that may occur over the winter will be evaporated as soon as the bike reaches operating temp.