HELP Honda 400 hawk oil??

[Justin]

quote:

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Originally posted by JonS:
I am about to get a 1978 Honda 400 Hawk. It has 4000 miles on it and the carb was just rebuilt. Do i need a special motorcycle oil for this bike? Multi-grade or straight weight? I was planning on using some Motorcycle oil from "Fleet Farm" that is 10w-40. Then i read on the internet that it could use straight 30w. If i used straight weight, i would use Citgo 30 or Delo 30. Which one?

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JonS,

Hi. I have a '76 Honda CB400F.

The one oil you should avoid is regular car oil because it contains "friction modifiers" that increase gas mileage (Noticed by the "Starburst" symbol on the bottle I believe). In a motorcycle though, you can't use these oils because of slippage of the clutch with the unit construction (Motor and clutch are lubed by same oil.)

There are several motorcyle oils out there, but personally, I run Chevron Delo 400 15w-40.

Before, I ran Valvoline motorcycle 10w-40. Did fine, but I'd like something a little better...

Once again, in my opinon, definitely do not go with a straight weight, and go with a 15w-40 "fleet" oil.

Justin.

 

[satterfi]

I had a '79 Kawasaki KZ400 which is very similar in design. I used Castrol GTX 20w50 for many years but then switched to M1 15w50.

If I still owned it I'd use Redline 10w40 or M1 15w50. I would not use any dino oil of any viscosity in it.

I have no idea why people recommend a straight weight oil other than ignorance of the performance of a decent multi-weight syn oil.

 

[Justin]

quote:

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Originally posted by satterfi:
If I still owned it I'd use Redline 10w40 or M1 15w50. I would not use any dino oil of any viscosity in it.

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A little dino oil bashing there?? Geeezzz. There's not a thing wrong with running Delo (dino!) in a motorcycle. As long as you change in when suppose to, it will work great.

 

[satterfi]

Justin has a good point that Delo 1300 (or similar) oil would be a good choice.

I'm a full syn snob when I'm buying oil for my cars and bikes. Their is nothing wrong with the better dinos and blends.

 

[Justin]

quote:

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Originally posted by satterfi:
Justin has a good point that Delo 1300 (or similar) oil would be a good choice.

I'm a full syn snob when I'm buying oil for my cars and bikes. Their is nothing wrong with the better dinos and blends.

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Sorry if I came down hard on you there. I just don't like it when (syn snobs as you say) bash dino oil...the good dino oil that is.

Like you said, there's nothing wrong with the better dinos. Personally, I run Delo 400 15w-40 in just about everything (trucks, cars, bikes, boats). Mobil Delvac 1300 Super is also good. Many people also use Rotella-T in their stuff as well, although it doesn't seem to look quite as good as the previously mentioned two.

On the other hand, Rotella-T is probably better than most "regular" dinos out there.

[ March 25, 2003, 05:09 PM: Message edited by: Justin ]

 

[Propflux01]

I have had a Honda 450, used Castrol 20w-50, changed at 2k intervals. rode 42,000+ onit before ridding myself of it for an 1100 Suzuki. Castrol 20w-50 and 2k intervals there also. 24K and Never a problem out of either. My second choice is Pennzoil 20w-50, but never have a problem finding the Castrol Dino. I would advise searching the forums for analysis' on "diesel' oils for bikes.

 

[JonS]

I am about to get a 1978 Honda 400 Hawk. It has 4000 miles on it and the carb was just rebuilt. Do i need a special motorcycle oil for this bike? Multi-grade or straight weight? I was planning on using some Motorcycle oil from "Fleet Farm" that is 10w-40. Then i read on the internet that it could use straight 30w. If i used straight weight, i would use Citgo 30 or Delo 30. Which one?

 

[JonS]

Why would you use syntheic in a bike? Doesn't it have friction modifiers in it? Why no mention of 10w-40 bike oil? 20w-50 seems heavy for this bike. It only has 4000 actual miles on it. I am getting it from a relative who had it since new.

 

[Justin]

quote:

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Originally posted by JonS:
Why would you use syntheic in a bike? Doesn't it have friction modifiers in it? Why no mention of 10w-40 bike oil? 20w-50 seems heavy for this bike. It only has 4000 actual miles on it. I am getting it from a relative who had it since new.

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You can use 10w-40 bike oil.

My recommendation...like I said before...pour in some Delo 400 15w-40 and be happy.

 

[JonS]

How do i know if i have "friction modifiers" in the oil? Doesn't Delo have them?

 

[Norm Olt]

JonS: Synthetic or not, the important thing is to try and find an oil that will meet the original design standard, or BETTER.

The wet clutch performance is the aspect of the oil you should be concerned about, some of the various & sundry friction modifiers can "plate" onto the clutch and cause some slippage.

If you use a dino motorcycle-specific oil you should not experience this problem: a "Fleet" oil of 15W-40 will probably work just fine: I used them for a couple years in my '82 GoldWing GL 1100. Keeps the engine very clean, too. There are, no doubt, other dino oils that will work just fine.

But when it comes down to the final analysis, the use of a premium synthetic oil can have many advantages, including better lubrication & protection, heat control thru lower operating temps, improved clutch action & shifting.

Since you are only using 3-4 quarts to begin with, and depending upon how long your intervals are & how much you ride, a premium 100% synthetic like the Amsoil 10W-40 (AMO) or 20W-50 (ARO) may be optimal. It costs less than the 100% synthetic motorcycle-specific oils like MAXIMA, Castrol R4, BelRay, Motul, etc. and has the same JASO MA rating which is, as far as I'm concerned, the one to look for.

It is designed for longer change intervals, so you can leave it in for a year (depending upon the miles you accumulate) and feel very safe, you can change the filter (cut it open to see if it is trapping anything) and top off if you wish.

I switched to this product from the Castrol ACT>EVO product (another very good m/c oil) for the above reasons in my ZX-11. I can ASSURE you that this motor puts a lot bigger strain on any oil than either my old 'Wing or your (almost) new Hawk.

Shifting was IMMEDIATELY improved

For the amount of additional utility & protection the price is well worth it IMHO! Enjoy your Hawk!

 

[JonS]

Can someone tell me or show me a picture of where the oil filter is on this bike? I have never seen one on a bike. This is my first bike, sorry.

 

[satterfi]

It's probably a cartridge element. You'll need to remove the filter cover from the bottom of the engine.

You need to find a service manual.

Try

http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp

quote:

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Originally posted by JonS:
Can someone tell me or show me a picture of where the oil filter is on this bike? I have never seen one on a bike. This is my first bike, sorry.

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[Norm Olt]

satterfi's advice is Right ON! It is the first thing you should do.

The most important thing you can do from a safety standpoint is determine whether the tires & tubes on your Hawk are less than 3 or 4 years old. You need concrete proof that BOTH were replaced. These may be the original tires and/or tubes if your bike only has 4000 miles on it.

FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY (& that of others) DO NOT THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE THEY "LOOK GOOD" IT IS SAFE TO RISK KILLING YOURSELF!

I know this is

but it is very important, especially if you are a new rider!

 

[Propflux01]

most 10w-40 and 20w-50 oils do not have friction modifiers in them, usually only the 5/10w-30's and below. You can use a synthetic such as Mobile One 15w-50 or one of Amsoil's products without a worry about clutch slippage. My 450 is based on the same motor your 400 is. I used castrol 20w-50 in the summer, 10w40 in the winter. works well with these weights of oil.

 

[BOBISTHEOILGUY]

Guys, Might I suggest you do a little reading...

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000006;p=1,#000032

Explains more about how car oils differ from m/c oils.

There is lots of info about Fm's as well, just do a search and you'll find all you want to know about moly in clutches and such.

 

[JonS]

I was planning on putting on 2 new tires this year. I would expect them not to cost alot.

 

[Justin]

quote:

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Originally posted by BOBISTHEOILGUY:
Guys, Might I suggest you do a little reading...

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000006;p=1,#000032

Explains more about how car oils differ from m/c oils.

There is lots of info about Fm's as well, just do a search and you'll find all you want to know about moly in clutches and such.

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Read through all that stuff, and I'm still going with Delo 400 15w-40.

Justin.

 

[Propflux01]

I remember seeing a test of a well-known 'motorcycle' oil (golden Spectro if I'm not mistaken ) that didn't fare as well as over the counter oils. Even the owners manuals do not state the use of 'motorcycle-specific' oils. Car manufactureres don't specify Amsoil or Shaefers, even though these are supposedly 'superior' oils, andd why wouldn't they if it would make a car or bike last longer....? I'm sure gonna buy another Ford, Chevy, Honda, Suzuki, Whatever, if I get a long time of use from it.........

 

[Norm Olt]

"Even the owners manuals do not state the use of 'motorcycle specific' oils."

Well, actually they do. Even on a 20 year-old bike it will state the weight and SAE grade. It had not been necessary before the advent of the "energy concerving" formulations that the wet-clutch aspect came into consideration. SG & SH oils don't, for the most part, seem to have this problem. Now, try to find some...

You are correct that the newer models (except HD) usually don't REQUIRE a certain brand, but it is kinda' silly to use an SJ "Energy Concerving" car oil

when you can avoid the possible problem for a few dollars more (HMMMM... That would be a good title for a movie)