10w-30 or 10w-40 engine oil ???????

[DEMBONES]

Originally Posted by Friday

Let's hold off on any judgments until Honda re-introduces the Crosstourer and then see what the manual says.

Bollocks. It's still in production in EU and from the personal experience of many here I'd say it's proven to be a non - issue.

[Big_John]

Like many of you, I have tried it all over the past 20 years.  There was a finality for me when I read the Motorcycle Used Oil Analysis on BITOG.com.  Hundreds of thousands of miles of reports and research.

For me, hands down is Shell Rotella 15w40 conventional oil in most of my motorcycle applications.  It is usually $12 a gallon and carries all the JASO certifications.  It is one of the very best at NOT shearing and easily carries through the Oil Change Interval for any motorcycle.  It also provides some of the very best/smoothest shifting in a shared sump.

Now, there are some machines where I feel Full Synthetic is the way to go because of HOT conditions or extended drain intervals.  My GOTO here has been Shell Rotella 5w40 Full Synthetic at about $22 a gallon.  My only beef with this oil, is it tends to "burn" faster than the 15w40.

Very recently, Shell has just released a 15w40 full synthetic with fantastic additive/base numbers.  I have a gallon purchased and it is going into my KTM 950 Adv in the next few weeks.

But... for our VFRX's.....  Shell also has a 10w30 Semi-Synthetic that has the JASO-MA rating.  If you want to stay in grade with the owners manual.... this is your huckleberry!   And.... this is what I chose.  I just dumped the factory fill and poured this stuff in at $18 a gallon from Walmart.

A spin around the sub-division and it feels fantastic, super smooth shifting, etc...  Better than the Honda factory fill.


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[Big_John]

Originally Posted by Fat Bert

I always thought Honda recommended Semi Synthetic 10/40

but for DCT it needs the thinner oil option at 10/30

I think this is one of the sharpest observations I have read.... and I agree.  I bet the 10w30 recommendation has just about everything to do with the DCT, and less to do with the engine.  It would be too confusing to say a CT with manual gets 10w40 and a CT with DCT gets 10w30.

And hey... good compromise and bet on Honda's part with all of the super high quality and robust 30wt oils available.  No doubt the 1,237cc engine will last to at least 100k on 30wt oil when changed regularly.

I'm a Rotella guy in all my bikes.  In every application I can, I pour in T4 15w40 conventional, because it provides the smoothest shared sump transmission and clutch operation, base on my hands, ears and ass.  But I also recognize that there is a place for full synthetic and T6 5w40 is a phenomenal oil.  If I owned a CT with DCT, I would strictly stick to 30wt.

I am not sure where I will land with my manual CT..... but it will certainly be with one of the versions of Rotella in 40wt with the Jaso MA/MA2 rating.


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[DEMBONES]

No appropriate 10w/30 Rotella exists though.   

[DaveinNC]

Honda recommended 10w-40 oil for years in all of their bike engines, my owners manual for my 16 G'Wng even has a temp/viscosity chart. 10w-30 is recommended up to 90deg f (32.2c)  then it recommends 10w-40. Most of these oil viscosity changes to a thinner oil are a result of a compromise between engine protection and emissions/fuel economy mandates. EPA, Euro4, Euro5, whatever, its manufacturers trying to stay compliant with ever increasing standards. Here in North Carolina it gets Hot in the summer, High 90's is normal, winters are mild and we rarely see ice or snow. I run Mobil-1 T4 full synthetic 10w-40 in all my bikes. It's one of the best oils you can buy, it's available at the corner parts store and it keeps it simple.  There is a guy over at the V Strom forum who went 400,000 miles on an original engine running nothing but Havoline car oil. Don't over think this, it's not that complicated. Run 10-40 in a hot climate, if you are in Scandinavia or somewhere cold all the time 10w-30 is fine. Clean oil is more important than brand.

Enjoy your rides!

[Big_John]

Originally Posted by DEMBONES

No appropriate 10w/30 Rotella exists though.   

You are correct in the fact that Rotella T5 doesn't hold the MA/MA2 certification.  Fact is....it hasn't been submitted by Shell for the MA/MA2 tests.  That doesn't mean it won't pass.... it just hasn't been tested.  My close friend is a Tribologist, who works as a blending engineer for a lubrication company.  He knows is stuff.  He claims, hands-down, that Rotella T5 10w30 synthetic blend will easily pass MA/MA2 if Shell would ever pay to have it tested.  (Apparently, the test is very, very expensive.)

But all of that is irrelevant for those wanting to follow the manufacturers recommendations.

For the record, I dumped the factory fill at 300 miles and poured in Rotella T6 5w40 (which has the MA/MA2 certifications).  I ran the oil to 1,000 miles and dumped it today.  (I always do this with a new bike during breakin.)  I actually wasn't pleased with how the engine sounded and felt with T6.

I then poured in Rotella T5 10w30.  I was expecting the thinner oil to perform even less than T6, but I was wrong.  The 30wt was actually smoother and quieter than the 40wt.  The bike shifts smoothly and I am thrilled with it so far.  I will run this oil for 2k miles, where the bike has 3k miles total and change it out again.  At the 3k mark, we will see what I choose.


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[Jfro5867]

I know everyone yawns at the mere mention of an 'oil thread', however i quite enjoy reading peoples opinions and experiences. I have always used good quality 10w/40 in my bikes, up until now that is. Like many i noticed the specific requirement for 10w/30 in the CT. I didn't know what to do for the best either and wanted to service my bike myself because 1) i enjoy doing it and 2) i will take more care than any overworked and hassled mechanic back at the dealers. I read lots on here and then emailed one of the big oil companies. Answer from the oil guru was use 10w/30. He said oils nowadays are so advanced that you cannot go on what you did back in the 80's and 90's. The oil is designed to flow easily and cool with minimal resistance. BTW the advice was free with no obligation to buy their product at all. I used quality correct spec 10w/30. Bike runs as sweet as a nut.

[mick9879]

What he said...........................