Honda GN4 Oil And Shift Quality?

[Mellow]

Now Mellow you know your suppose to be using that High dollar BMW oil and Filter right

Right.. guess my membership card is going to be revoked... it's all metal stuff that needs slippery stuff... so just stay within the parameters of what's recommended and it should be good enough. Experiment if you want.

 

[ASPC]

HP4S which is probably just a mediocre synthetic is $22 per litre, Redline which has a very strong additive package indeed is only $19 per litre. This irks me.

 

[dduelin]

I'm trying this for now. JASO MA2 which is what the BMW RT Manual recommends.

"SAE 5W-40, API SL/
JASO MA2, Additives (for
instance, molybdenum-
based substances) are
prohibited, because they
would attack the coatings
on engine components,
BMW Motorrad recommends
BMW Motorrad ADVANTEC
Ultimate oil. ":

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008MISDII?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Well, what the current RT manual recommends. BMW just had to go and do like the popular kids do and give the clutch an oil bath

 

[dduelin]

HP4S which is probably just a mediocre synthetic is $22 per litre, Redline which has a very strong additive package indeed is only $19 per litre. This irks me.

Well, if it is good enough for your criteria and wallet it's good enough for the ST1300. We have lots and lots of oil threads but none on oil related failures.

 

[ASPC]

Well, if it is good enough for your criteria and wallet it's good enough for the ST1300. We have lots and lots of oil threads but none on oil related failures.

Are there any oil related failures posted at all?

 

[Mellow]

Are there any oil related failures posted at all?

I've never seen one posted but not sure what it would look like.

 

[Mellow]

I've tried quicksilver in the past, seemed to work fine... I think Mobil 1 was the only thing I ever ran that 'appeared' made the bike shift better and I've tried Rotella, Yamalube, etc.. a few others..

https://www.amazon.com/QuickSilver-8M0060085-Stroke-Synthetic-Motorcycle/dp/B008PN3CT0/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=22GD93LZYOHJZ&keywords=quicksilver+10w30&qid=1657304582&s=automotive&sprefix=quicksilver+10w30%2Cautomotive%2C121&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVEsxM0JLUjNLVTFGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDI2MDQ1MkcxVUUwS0Q0MzRCJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNjEwMTczUEgwRDFGVjFFTjUwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[sherob]

I dumped the HD oil in my SGS at 300 miles and filled w/ Mobil1 20w50 and gear oil. I have to say it shifts in to neutral much easier... shifts much better period!

When I hit 2500 miles I have a Redline Vtwin pack to try... who knew trying different oil was so much fun, motorcycle oil anyway.

 

[ASPC]

When I hit 2500 miles I have a Redline Vtwin pack to try... who knew trying different oil was so much fun, motorcycle oil anyway.

True!

 

[Andrew Shadow]

If it were my bike... I'd get 10w30 and JASO and then the cheapest version.. I would see if there was an energy conserving label and avoid those if so..

If it is JASO MA, it can not be energy/resource conserving rated.

 

[Chris09]

I'm going back from full synthetic [previous owner] to GN4 10-40, only because I was late in reviewing my service history; [would have kept with the program] will see if I detect any degradation in cluth / transmission operation; won't be too many shifts in the mean time.
What's the expression - _around _ around, pretty soon you find yourself laying around; these are old friction sets, wish I would have known exactly the last oil bath on this twelve year old friction set.

 

[Igofar]

Slightly off topic about shift quality with different oils.
A few years back I offered at least three riders free oil changes with my Special oil, to compare it to theirs for shift quality etc.
IIRC one was using Mobil synthetic, another Honda, and I’m not sure about the other ones…the oils all had about 4K miles on them.
Everyone met in my driveway, and I took the bikes in one at a time, and changed their oil to compare my special oil to their favorite blend.
Everyone went for a ride afterwards, and each person raved about how smooth and quiet the shifting was, and everyone agreed to switch oil brands…
Surprised all of them when I didn’t change anyone’s oil, but just flushed their clutch fluid out
Folks often blame feel, and notchy shifting on oil, when more often than not it’s just their degrading clutch fluid.

 

[Larry Fine]

Surprised all of them when I didn’t change anyone’s oil, but just flushed their clutch fluid out
Folks often blame feel, and notchy shifting on oil, when more often than not it’s just their degrading clutch fluid.

I'd gladly pay for an oil change to have my clutch fluid flushed.

 

[Igofar]

Flushing/bleeding the clutch is faster and easier than changing the oil.
Takes about 10 minutes.

 

[Larry Fine]

Flushing/bleeding the clutch is faster and easier than changing the oil.
Takes about 10 minutes.

Do you have a simple step-by-step tutorial for the 1100? What tools are needed, which panels to remove?

The actual bleeding procedure I don't need help with. I'm still getting used to being able to walk again.

 

[ST1100Y]

Folks often blame feel, and notchy shifting on oil, when more often than not it’s just their degrading clutch fluid.

I'd experience only worn hub dampers and gummed up shifter linkage joints/pivot as impairing smooth shifting... and I ran all kinds of synth oils, 0W60, 0W50, 5W50...

And I'm still in the dark about what shifting/process the OP is referring to here...
- up/down while on the move (IMO more an issue of proper timing, slag in drive-line, impaired shifting kinematic...)
- having stopped in like 3rd gear, trying to get into neutral while stationary (also an issue of proper technique applied...)

The only issue I'm somewhat able to circle down to (old) engine oil is finding into neutral while stationary with a realy hot engine... (1st jumps directly into 2nd, 2nd jumps directly into 1st...)
Perform an oil change, all fine again...

 

[ASPC]

I'd experience only worn hub dampers and gummed up shifter linkage joints/pivot as impairing smooth shifting... and I ran all kinds of synth oils, 0W60, 0W50, 5W50...

And I'm still in the dark about what shifting/process the OP is referring to here...
- up/down while on the move (IMO more an issue of proper timing, slag in drive-line, impaired shifting kinematic...)
- having stopped in like 3rd gear, trying to get into neutral while stationary (also an issue of proper technique applied...)

The only issue I'm somewhat able to circle down to (old) engine oil is finding into neutral while stationary with a realy hot engine... (1st jumps directly into 2nd, 2nd jumps directly into 1st...)
Perform an oil change, all fine again...

I have not experienced rough shifts with 15W50 which I have used and like. But 50 weight oils are not listed in the ST1300 service manual as far as I know, let alone 60 weight oil.

The post is about oil specifically Honda GN4 and shift quality, and smoothness not shift issues or problems.

 

[Igofar]

Your bike with Honda GN4 in it, with dirty or degraded clutch fluid, will shift much differently with Honda GN4 in it with clean clutch fluid

 

[ASPC]

Your bike with Honda GN4 in it, with dirty or degraded clutch fluid, will shift much differently with Honda GN4 in it with clean clutch fluid

My bike has a new clutch slave cylinder and new clutch fluid.

 

[Igofar]

I've never seen one posted but not sure what it would look like.

In too many years to admit wrenching/building/racing/working on motorcycles, both privately, and at dealerships, I've only seen a couple OIL related failures etc.
I have seen a Honda Goldwing lunch a motor because of lack of oil, due to a chrome aftermarket oil filter, but that would be an oil filter issue, not oil related.
I've seen two or three ST's lock up their engines, one was a K&N filter split while riding, one tossed its drain plug while riding, and a police motor had some serious damage to the crank, and the dealership blamed the oil
But to be fair, most, if not all of these were failures because oil didn't get to where it needed to be, or left the area, and had nothing to do with the oil itself.
Now we're talking oil FAILURES here right, that does not count oil PROBLEMS, if that were the case, I've see several problems with clutch damage using the wrong oil etc.
Most recently, the new Rotella(s) NOW both weights, 5w40 and 15w40 semi synthetic, causing the clutch to slip enough to watch the tach needle raise without the bike keeping up.