Recommended oil for honda F4i engine

[formula]

Hey,

I am trying to figure out which oil to use to get the best performance out of a Honda F4i wet clutch motorcycle engine. Right now the idea is just to use the oil recommended by Honda (called GN4). However, I was curious if there is another oil that I could use that would keep constant viscosity as heat is appled over time, not allow the clutch to slip due to excessive lubrication, and will maximize horsepower all while staying under $5 a quart. I know, it's quite a few requirememnts. Also, would additives like zinc be something to investigate? Any help is appreciated.

 

[wingdr]

Formula, the best oil I have found for Honda clutches is valvoline 4 cycle motorcycle oil 10W40. Stay away from Honda GN4 & HP4, 'cause of the moly... will cause slippage under hard use!!!
I use the valvoline and can pull the frt wheel off the ground on a 1500 GoldWing. Try it, you'll like it, and its only about $3 a qt, Tim

 

[Blake Sobiloff]

formula, you might get more responses by posting in the motorcycle lubrication forum.

There's nothing wrong with GN4, and contrary to wingdr's assertion I doubt that Honda would manufacture and recommend an oil that causes the clutch to slip. I'm running Redline oil, which contains 600 ppm of moly (that's tons more than what's in GN4), in my Kawasaki KLR650 and have no clutch slipping issues. "Moly" comes in many different forms, too, only some of which can cause clutch issues.

The best bang for your buck in motorcycle oils are the 15W-40 Heavy Duty Engine Oils (HDEOs) marketed towards diesel engines. Examples include Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, Castrol Tection Extra and Mobil Delvac. They're API certified for gasoline engines so they're safe to use in your bike, they have very little viscosity spread so they won't shear down as quickly as many other oils, they have an extremely robust additive pack that will protect your engine, they're widely and easily available, and they're inexpensive. Sounds like they meet all your requirements!

(You won't gain any horsepower between oils of the same viscosity. The only way to gain horsepower is to use a lower than recommended viscosity, like a 30-weight or 20-weight. However, these thin oils provide additional horsepower at the expense of engine and transmission longevity. I would not recommend their use unless you're racing and don't mind rebuilding your engine and transmission every season.)

Change your HDEO every 1,500 to 3,000 miles depending on how hard you ride. Consider getting a UOA to guide you towards the appropriate length OCI.

The only additive worth beans is Lube Control 20, but it probably isn't worth it in your application. Save your money and get some UOAs instead.

Have fun on your sweet bike!

 

[wingdr]

Blake, I have put almost 240,000 miles on honda touring bikes. And yes they will slip if driven hard 'cause of the moly honda uses. formula said performance, so IMHO, that rules out honda m/c oil. I have found that the valvoline m/c 10W40 works better than the 15W40 diesel oil's. I have been working on m/c for 20 yrs, and its just my opinion, Tim

 

[road_rascal]

Boy, you really asked a loaded question here! I've been using Mobil 1 15w/50 (red and gold cap) in my '97 Honda 750 Nighthawk for close to 60,000 miles without any problems. Last time I had an analysis the oil had almost 6,000 miles on it and was still well within specs. Quite a few other riders in my group use Mobil 1 15w/50 and have had no problems. I'm going to start using it in my newly aquired '98 GL1500 (which only has 9400 miles on it).

edit: Sorry- I see the new post in the M/C forum. Never mind.