Additional Oil Changes - Worth It?

[Guest GBH]

 

 

George - I didn't know that there was a 'Power 1' and a 'Power 1 Racing'.

Power 1 Racing was put in mine at the 600 mile service. I meets the spec.

 

John, Power 1 is semi and Power 1 racing is fully synthetic.

 

I just use Power 1 10-30 in the NC which is a great oil, I certainly will not use racing until it has covered 8K and fully beded in.

[Guest Southerner]

 

Honda filter £10 local dealer, Castrol Edge F/S £25 for 4 litres at my local auto shop ( granted it was on offer).

 

Thanks Duncan - Castrol Edge F/S, is that the full name? 10-30 I presume too....

[Guest bonekicker]

The point in marking filter to make sure it has been changed is because it's so easy to clean the outside of old one to look like new!!!

I am trying very hard in live too stop getting ripped off !!!!

[dandemann8 776]

Thanks Duncan - Castrol Edge F/S, is that the full name? 10-30 I presume too....

No it was 5W-30 Fully Synthetic, my father in law who's rode bikes and serviced all his bikes over the last 40 or so years is my matinence man as I prefer the riding side of biking....

Edited September 11, 2014 by dandemann8

[Guest Southerner]

The point in marking filter to make sure it has been changed is because it's so easy to clean the outside of old one to look like new!!!

I am trying very hard in live too stop getting ripped off !!!!

Michael, even a cleaned up filter would look a bit daggy with stone chips and 'road rash' after a few thousand miles of facing into the direction of travel...

Edited September 11, 2014 by Southerner

[Guest Southerner]

John, Power 1 is semi and Power 1 racing is fully synthetic.

 

I just use Power 1 10-30 in the NC which is a great oil, I certainly will not use racing until it has covered 8K and fully beded in.

George - what's your reasoning for not going fully synth until 8K? Nowhere in any blurb for the Power 1 Racing can I see any advice against using in a new engine. Just curious.

 

As I said, my dealer shoved in Power 1 Racing at 600 miles (I'm certain that's what I was told as I asked what they'd used) so you'd hope that a Honda main dealer would get it right.    

 

Anyhow, I'll most likely put in just the Power 1 on this occasion.

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

Honda filter £10 local dealer, Castrol Edge F/S £25 for 4 litres at my local auto shop ( granted it was on offer).

 

Why buy a Honda standard oil filter when you can buy a K&N power filter for less money!

It doesn't effect your warranty either and its a superior product.

--Mark--

[dandemann8 776]

Why buy a Honda standard oil filter when you can buy a K&N power filter for less money!

It doesn't effect your warranty either and its a superior product.

--Mark--

Tried a K&N and performance was worse on the mpg ( Pan European )so that's why I've not bothered.

[TheEnglishman 401]

Why buy a Honda standard oil filter when you can buy a K&N power filter for less money!

It doesn't effect your warranty either and its a superior product.

--Mark--

 

what makes it 'superior'?

[Guest bonekicker]

Dear John-- Rather than believing me or not, just before you take bike for service, remove front cowl,  spray the oil filter with wd a couple of times, clean with rag and just see how clean it is !!! 

 

I would like to know how many consumables that have been charged for end up on that internet site !!!  You may think not many 'But'

 

 

 

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

what makes it 'superior'?

 

 

Hi Neil, higher flow rate and superior filtration so it catches more engine crud than the standard Honda jobby. 

--Mark--

[steelhorseuk 1,690]

Tried a K&N and performance was worse on the mpg ( Pan European )so that's why I've not bothered.

 

Fair point Duncan, Bow to your experiences but I have not noticed any MPG degradation with the NC.

The bike is smoother though with the K&N peformance combo of oil and air filters. 

 

--Mark--

[dandemann8 776]

Fair point Duncan, Bow to your experiences but I have not noticed any MPG degradation with the NC.

The bike is smoother though with the K&N peformance combo of oil and air filters.

--Mark--

Might look closer into it next time, thanks.

Edited September 11, 2014 by dandemann8

[Guest Southerner]

No, no, no Michael - you could clean up your used oil filter as much as you like - I could still tell you it's used...  

[wozza 967]

If you're not going to ride your bike during the winter period I would change your oil. At least your barings etc will sit in nice clean oil and not contaminated oil.

[Guest cantyke]

Thanks bonekicker, Southerner and Carl_L for your tips on installing the filter. I think I will at least check out cap wrenches at my local motoring accessories shop. Who would have guessed flutes and algebra would be involved?

 

I haven't changed an oil filter since the mid 90s when I did my Vauxhall Nova. I didn't really care about getting it wrong, but I'm more fussy about my shiny new NC.

[Tex 36,817]

If you're not going to ride your bike during the winter period I would change your oil. At least your barings etc will sit in nice clean oil and not contaminated oil.

Agreed.

[Guest Southerner]

You had Vauxhall Novas in Canada? Or are you a UK ex-pat?

[Guest Carl_L]

Thanks bonekicker, Southerner and Carl_L for your tips on installing the filter. I think I will at least check out cap wrenches at my local motoring accessories shop. Who would have guessed flutes and algebra would be involved?

 

I haven't changed an oil filter since the mid 90s when I did my Vauxhall Nova. I didn't really care about getting it wrong, but I'm more fussy about my shiny new NC.

You're welcome. Couple of extra points though (which may not be relevant if you've already bought your filter):

1) If you intend buying your filter from a Honda dealer, ask them what they include before trying to source a cap wrench. Last time I bought one from a Honda dealer (3 or 4 years ago now) I was supplied with a 'service kit' - this was comprised of a filter, a cap wrench, and new drain plug washers (2 or 3 sizes, can't quite remember - I think the kit I bought covered more than one model).

2) If you follow Mark's (Smudge) advice & go for the K&N, note that these have a nut attached to facilitate torqueing & subsequent removal - people who go the K&N route don't have to worry about additional tools.

[michael 324]

Of course, changing the oil and change mid-scheduled-change does accomplish at least two things.

 

1/ If your riding style is such that it's multiple short trips without lengthy trips to ensure the engine and oil are brought up to full operating temperature to "boil off," or remove condensation that naturally occurs then more frequent oil changes reduce the time the inside of the engine is subjected to an acidic (albeit oily) bath.

 

In much of Canada where riding only occurs for 6-8 months there are plenty of recommendations that one changes the oil prior to parking the bike for the winter *and never starting it again until spring.* Starting and idling the engine is thought to promote the condensation and acidic by product by not allowing the engine and exhaust to fully heat up.

 

2/ changing the oil and filter completely eliminates the quandary of "should I change it or not."

 

 

Me? I change my oil/filter about twice as often as recommended. Maybe a little less frequently. Why? I reason it may not help, but it certainly won't  hurt. It allows me a few minutes alone in my garage with my tools and motorcycle. For a guy who spends all day in a cubicle farm it's like a vacation.

During those minutes I spend some time on my floor underneath the bike and looking at places I usually don't. Sometimes I take things off and lubricate them. Somethings I just clean them. Either way, I call it maintenance and file it into "it's more fun than a lot of things," folder.

[Guest bonekicker]

All I'm trying to do in a long way round at as always ( Remember I have 10 grandkids) is to try and make you a bit more street wise and to stop you believing some of the people in this world who do rip us off, it's like telling kid's don't touch the fire it burns--- but until they do touch and find out it burns and hurts they don't believe you!!!! 

 

Some thing's in life are learnt by mistakes--- it's better to learn from someone else's mistakes than our own. if any advice from anyone is given, think about it for a while--remember or ignore it--the choice is your's and your's only.

 

We all have the God given interweb these day's I only had a old and tatty copy of Dandy comic to get my life info from, so I have been ripped off and I don't want you all to be ripped off--- Look Think Learn Enjoy and Best of all Have Pride in Yourselves.

 

Boring Old Fart Boney   

[usabikes 440]

I checked an unmechanical friend's oil filter on his car (pardon my french) and found it so loose I couldn't believe it could seal. Could've undone it with 2 fingers. I have never used a strap wrench or any other kind of spanner to tighten an oil filter, always just hand tighten and it's probably still possible to overtighten this way too. What were the directions on the boxes over all those years? Something like: "hand tighten until seal seats and then tighten another 2/3 of a full turn". I like to make simple things hard but even I'm having trouble with that

 

Good idea to fill the new filter a couple of times with oil before you thread it on.

 

Excellent idea to do as Michael says and give it a new oil & filter before parking it up over winter and not starting it until Spring for the reasons he notes. Quite a lot of guys do the oil & filter in the Spring - nah.

[Guest Southerner]

If your riding style is such that it's multiple short trips without lengthy trips to ensure the engine and oil are brought up to full operating temperature to "boil off," or remove condensation that naturally occurs then more frequent oil changes reduce the time the inside of the engine is subjected to an acidic (albeit oily) bath.

 

Exactly - another good reason for me to do the mid-season change. When I need to go into my office (not every day), it's a short run of only five miles and the engine doesn't get properly warm. 

[roddy 845]

Every 4,000 miles as I plan to get 100,000 miles out of my bike and a rule of the thumb for any bike is to regularly change the oil and filter basic stuff even with our low revving low stressed engines. I dont know who has done the most miles on their bike , would be interesting to hear from  any high mileage folk  to see if they have done anything extra?

[michael 324]

The frequency of oil change discussion reminds me of the old codger who goes to the doctor with a myriad of small complaints.

 

The doctor looks up from his charts and tells the fellow, "I'm going to prescribe a high colonic enema."

"Will it help?"

Dr. looks over his reading glasses and responds, "Couldn't hurt."

 

So it goes with changing the oil and filter more frequently then the manufacturers recommendations. It might not help, but it couldn't hurt.