Recommended oil typeI think the reason to use non-detergent is that it does not keep the unwanted stuff in suspension. These bikes do not have an oil filter. They have a centrifugal debris collector. If it stays in suspension it just keeps going though the engine and never gets collected. I have ran 30wt non-detergent in my rebuilt Dream for over 2000 miles. No problems yet.
Oilat the risk of starting a religion debate
I have been using HD oil in my CB77 for 43 yrs , no problems yet. yes it has been available that long. AFIK all HONDA branded oil has always been HD. I use non -detergent for killing weeds, not good for anything else. just my opinion..... Joe
I've debated back and forth on this subject of oil. I was using non-detergent SAE 30 oil for a while, and then I was using 10W40, and I just put 10W30 in my SuperHawk. I was reading in this month's Classic Bike (August 2007, page 88) and someone wrote into their 'Fixes and Tips' column on this very subject. The question was "Thick or Thin Oil for a Tuned Engine?". John Rowland, R&D Chemist with Silkolene Oils responded (this is was in regard to a Yamaha XS650): "With a faster, harder revving engine you need thinner oil to get to the moving parts quickly before any damage is done. If the oil is too viscous - too heavy or too cold - it can't keep up with the moving metal surfaces. As a result you get cavitation - vacuums forming and collapsing. This, over the long term, can damage the bearings because they are partially starved of oil. It can also erode alloy casings in extreme cases. To give you an idea of how fast some engine parts move, in a 4cm big-end the bearing shells are doing 56mph at 12,000rpm. The golden rule is to use the thinnest oil you can. The faster something is turning, the thinner the oil you need. If you're still unconvinced about the need for lighter oils in higher performance engines, bear in mind that F1 car race engines and some race bikes are now running 0W20 synthetic oils. All jet aircraft use synthetics so thin they are zero rated."
So, I guess my question is, what is the thinnest oil that can be reasonably be used in the SuperHawk engine? Is 10W30 okay??? What about that centrifugal oil filter??? Vince-I'm not sure what would be the thinnest oil, but I am still using the 30w non-det. oil.I went to NAPA to get mine and when I told the guy there what I was using it in he agreed it was good to use this because the det. oils are designed to carry the dirt and should run thru a filter.I was at the VJMC at white Rose last week and talked to one of the event organizers who's family owns one of the oldest Honda Dealerships in the state and counrty and he has been working on these bikes since the late sixties and says "these bikes like fresh oil" and says to change it no more than 500 miles.I change mine closer to 300.Oils cheap enough since it is only 1 1/2 qts.
i like torco. it's made specificially for motorcycles with wet clutches in mind.
http://www.onoffroad.com/Merchant2/merc ... LUBRICANTS it makes me feel all modern and stuff :)
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