Final Drive Hypoid Gear Oil

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Pro Honda Hypoid 80-90 is what has been keeping my final drive happy. $3.95 per bottle. Good for 2 changes.
 

st11ray

2006 ST1300
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I've used the Mobile 1 75w90 every other oil change since 1997. I change the oil every 5k.
 
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I guess my question was why no 'hypoid' in the wording on the Mobil 1, as I assume our gears are hypoid gears. Other gear oils are referred to as hypoid.
 
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Let's raise the level of controversy in this oil thread, just for fun, see attachment. :eek:

gear oil.JPG
 
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Interesting Doug !
Sure goes against the grain on ST-OWNERS.
Comments anyone regarding "motorcycles - no"
 
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I'm just messing with you Dean, the Amsoil gear oil I used 8 years ago doesn't say hypoid either, nothing to be concerned about. I change mine about once every 10 years, whether it needs it or not.
 
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I'm just messing with you Dean, the Amsoil gear oil I used 8 years ago doesn't say hypoid either, nothing to be concerned about. I change mine about once every 10 years, whether it needs it or not.
Darn, I guess I missed the just for fun part.
 

wjbertrand

Ventura Highway
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Just a note, the ST's final drive isn't actually a hypoid design. Of course using a hypoid rated lube doesn't hurt anything, but I would not sweat it if it wasn't rated so.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_bevel_gear

"Comparison of spiral bevel gears to hypoid gears[edit]
Hypoid gears are stronger, operate more quietly and can be used for higher reduction ratios, however they also have some sliding action along the teeth, which reduces mechanical efficiency, the energy losses being in the form of heat produced in the gear surfaces and the lubricating fluid.
In older automotive designs, hypoid gears were typically used in rear-drive automobile drivetrains, but modern designs have tended to substitute spiral bevel gears to increase driving efficiency.
Hypoid gears are still common in larger trucks because they can transmit higher torque. A higher hypoid offset allows the gear to transmit higher torque. However increasing the hypoid offset results in reduction of mechanical efficiency and a consequent reduction in fuel economy. For practical purposes, it is often impossible to replace low efficiency hypoid gears with more efficient spiral bevel gears in automotive use because the spiral bevel gear would need a much larger diameter to transmit the same torque. Increasing the size of the drive axle gear would require an increase of the size of the gear housing and a reduction in the ground clearance.
Another advantage of hypoid gear is that the ring gear of the differential and the input pinion gear are both hypoid. In most passenger cars this allows the pinion to be offset to the bottom of the crown wheel. This provides for longer tooth contact and allows the shaft that drives the pinion to be lowered, reducing the "hump" intrusion in the passenger compartment floor. However, the greater the displacement of the input shaft axis from the crown wheel axis, the lower the mechanical efficiency"
 
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I had a problem with the synthetic leaking past the seal and spitting oil all over the side of my tire . I went back to the standard hypoid gear oil and haven't had any problems since .
 
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I had a problem with the synthetic leaking past the seal and spitting oil all over the side of my tire . I went back to the standard hypoid gear oil and haven't had any problems since .
It truly amazes me that after Honda spends a lot of money on research and development, and puts the results of that research and development in your owners manual people still want to do whatever they want.
 
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Using thinner oils for both engine and final drive in my 2013 ST1300A yields a more responsive bike. I can confirm being able to feel the difference now having used different types of viscosity ranges. SAE 10W30 in engine and SAE 80 GL-5 in rear diff gives more fun compared to the more-viscous-than-necessary oils Mark referred to earlier.

Kees
I would like to see that difference measured.
 
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It truly amazes me that after Honda spends a lot of money on research and development, and puts the results of that research and development in your owners manual people still want to do whatever they want.
I'd hazard a guess that more people on this forum use synthetic gear oil in the final drive than conventional, and we have one report of it somehow leaking past the seals even though its the same viscosity rating as the conventional oil. BTW, I'd guess Honda spent 5 minutes writing "use 80W hypoid oil" in the owner's manual, and that was probably the extent of their "spends a lot of money on research and development" for this particular topic. Just about anything on wheels other than commercial trucks use this type of gear oil in the final drive.
 
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I'd hazard a guess that more people on this forum use synthetic gear oil in the final drive than conventional, and we have one report of it somehow leaking past the seals even though its the same viscosity rating as the conventional oil. BTW, I'd guess Honda spent 5 minutes writing "use 80W hypoid oil" in the owner's manual, and that was probably the extent of their "spends a lot of money on research and development" for this particular topic. Just about anything on wheels other than commercial trucks use this type of gear oil in the final drive.
In Honda's case I would assume they use the same stuff they sell us in their race bikes. You know moto gp, World Super Bike, etc. So race proven?
 
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In Honda's case I would assume they use the same stuff they sell us in their race bikes. You know moto gp, World Super Bike, etc. So race proven?
those bikes are chain driven, no gear oil required.
 
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those bikes are chain driven, no gear oil required.
I know no Gear lube but would they use Pro Honda Chain lube? a long time ago I use to see the decals on Honda race bikes saying"Pro Honda Oil and Chemicals".
 
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a race bike isn't setup or maintained anything like a street bike, so "using what the race team uses" wouldn't be applicable beyond a few items anyway.
 
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I dunno....To me if they use it in their 24 hour endurance races at higher rpm than our bikes will ever see I guess its ok to use in my lowly st1100:)
 
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I dunno....To me if they use it in their 24 hour endurance races at higher rpm than our bikes will ever see I guess its ok to use in my lowly st1100:)
Let's look at it the other way around. How many oil related failures have we encountered with the ST1100? Whether you use the same oil as the race team or not isn't going to make any difference at all. On the other hand, race bikes blow up engines all the time, so maybe they should switch to a different oil every time that happens because its the oil's fault? I think you're greatly exaggerating the importance of one type of motor oil vs. another.
 
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