Honda Full Synthetic or Amsoil ?

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They cost me about the same. I change the oil once a year. Regardless. Honda 919 . Factory filter .Cost isn't an issue . But just curious about what the Hive's thoughts was. :) Thanks WarDawg
 
If the cost is the same personally I would use Amsoil. Just way too many satisfied users out there. I don't use it now because I have a huge redline stash that I got on an AAP close out. But when that runs out I will go Amsoil unless somepne else has a big giveaway. I have seen a guy run amsoil 20w50 in a Harley shared sump water cooled Vrod and change it every 2-3 years
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and his bike still runs fine and uses no oil.
 
Amsoil probably looks better on paper but in the engine both would perform just fine. Honda your paying a OEM brand markup. Amsoil your paying a multilevel marketing markup. If your running 10w30 in it another option is some of the hi milage oils, about the only 10w30's on the shelf that aren't "energy conserving".
 
amsoil all the way...i use it in my R6 and have no complaints what so ever (besides being a little expensive)..but heck, if it costs the same as a factory brand than no question in my opinion..
 
I've run through a lot of different oils in the past 10 years, and the one oil that I keep going back to for the motorcycles is Amsoil.

Honda oil is nothing special.
 
Well we know that the Amsoil MCF is a PAO group IV synthetic. The Honda oil is most likely a group III oil. If they cost the same my personal choice would be the Amsoil. Not saying anything bad about the Honda oil because it's probably great stuff but the documentation and many UOA's are available for the Amsoil.


Disclaimer: I don't use either of these oils.
 
So yall are saying a Oil advertised as Full synthetic is really a group III oil. I didn't know that. So Honda Racing Full synthetic oil isn't really synthetic at all. Amsoil it is... Thanks guys. WD
 
Originally Posted By: WarDawg
So yall are saying a Oil advertised as Full synthetic is really a group III oil. I didn't know that. So Honda Racing Full synthetic oil isn't really synthetic at all. Amsoil it is... Thanks guys. WD


The term "Synthetic" is really a marketing term. It's hard to know if the Honda oil is a PAO based oil because it doesn't say so. For example, Castrol Syntec, Rotella Synthetic and many others are Group III oils. This doesn't make them bad oils. In fact, some of them perform very well, indeed. Assuming that the Honda oil and the Amsoil are closely priced (and I were in the market) I would personally buy the Amsoil because its' composition is well documented. It may be that the Honda oil is PAO-based but in the absence of any real data..... again, I would buy the Amsoil.
 
They just contract with oil companies to package a oil for them. Honda oil may be no better than any other full synthetic oil found on any discount store shelf. The can mark up the price because owners perceive it better than other oils because is has the Honda name on it when it may be just the opposite.

All of Amsoil is Gr. IV PAO based 100% synthetic except for the XL product line and the PCO 15W-40 Diesel blend.

If you want the best, get the Amsoil. If all you want is a average commodity oil, go for the cheapest brand name meeting your spec.
 
Hi,

Probably time for a little reality check... Unless you are just flogging the living Hexx out of that 919 everytime you get on it, or putting in many hard Track days, or seriously racing, it VERY unlikely you would see much difference in any aspect of wear or performance with any good, major brand oil that is correct for the bike. That said, some oils do seem to have a little better shifting quality. If you seriously expect to get 100,000 miles out of that motor, then, yeah, oil selection becomes a little more critical. Ditto if you are an ultra hardcore type that WILL actually, tear it down and mike internal components and are preoccupied with wear. The vast majority of bike owners never hang on to a bike long enough to ever tell what impact oil brand had on it. My guess is that you would have 80,000 totally trouble free miles on that bike using Honda dinosaur GN-4 if you change it at reasonable intervals. I have a friend with a VFR800 with 64,000 totally trouble free miles on it and the valve adjustment is still within specs....he uses the "cheap, average quality" Honda GN-4 petroleum oil and changes it reasonably regularly.

I do NOT work for Honda or have any affiliation with Honda, but I do have a very close friend who works in their engineering dept. He is emphatic that their oils are "good" and DO go through performance testing to meet a rigid standard and provide levels of performance to assure customer satisfaction. As he says: "It makes no sense whatsoever for a reputable manufacturer to put an inferior oil into thousands of high quality, well designed, high performance engines." (which Honda and most motorcycle engines are.) They also do not want to pay warranty claims due to lubrication failure. (Duh!!) Are their oils "overkill" or "way in excess of normal customer needs"?? No.... Can you find a "better" oil (As Bill Clinton says: "What do you mean by 'better'?")...possibly....will your 919 know the difference....very likely not (unless it is in abusive service or you put 85,000 miles on it.). Prices may or may not be a good deal; that is your call.

To most of us, bikes are a hobby and we address that in different ways. Some enjoy exploiting the economical side of maintenance and extend oil changes, etc. and others change oil and filters in their "baby" "way too often".... different strokes for different strokes.

All this said, Amzoil is good stuff, no question. I have used it a good deal and (not having torn down the engine to measure wear on the components) felt it was good oil. However, I have never had ANY problem over 40 years of riding with any "good" high quality brand of oil....but I change the oil "too often" so it is kind of hard to tell. Good luck!

Regards.....
 
The original post asked about Honda oil and Amsoil so we (collectively) stayed on that road.

But your post makes some excellent points.

I'm not a high-mileage rider (collectively 30,000+ annually)Having owned more than 40 bikes.... and five bikes at present...... They're all filled with conventional motor oil, and always have been.

Some in our riding group use conventional auto oil and seem to favor Castrol or Valvoline in the 10W-40 variety and an automotive filter. Hey don't laugh... one of these has 100,xxx and the other 138,xxx as of October. The guy down the street and around the corner runs a 1500 Gold Wing on the "oil change special" from the local parts store and he's coming up on 150,xxx.


So yes, there are many other options. Thank-you for reminding us.
 
If Honda Brand oil was Pao, it would be well over $10 perquart

CastrolR4 came out with a 10w50 visocity, previosly a 5w40 which I've run before

This is the real stuff in synthetics, and its on sale at cycle gear for like $7 perquart, thats very cheap for the real stuff.

Stick you nose in the Bottle , all you'll smell is Plastic explosives, No crude smell
 
Just about anything that is sold by a manufacterer is made for them and overpriced. They like you to believe it is needed for warranty etc. Also it makes people warm and fuzzy to buy Honda oil for their Honda.

Not that they are not good products. Though you most likley you can get a better product for the same or less money.
 
I used buy yamalube from a dealer service dept who had it in 55gal drums. Bring in a empty gal jug and they'd fill it. Price was 1/2 of what the quarts were on the shelf.
 
WD,

Very few "Full" or "All" or any other "synthetics" are really Group IV or V synthetics. There are companies that are ethical enough to disclose their basestocks. Last time I looked Redline, Motul, Fuchs, Maxima, and even Amsoil advertise that their oils contain Group IV or V basestocks. We all know that most Group III synthetics will perform virtually as well as IV or V but it just nice to know what you are really paying for. Like the difference between "good" scotch and "really" good scotch -- they will both get you drunk, you just like to know what you are buying. IMHO
RL
 
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