Honda GN4 Oil And Shift Quality?

ASPC

ASPC

Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Messages
599
Location
Louisiana
Bike
07 ST1300 ABS
I’m thinking about trying GN4 but before I do I wondered what the people who use it think about shift quality?

10w-30 and 10w-40.

Also I’m curious about a synthetic Honda Motorcycle oil and if it made any significant difference to shift quality.

My reason for this is because if the oil is changed at or before the service interval theoretically nothing more is needed than basic inexpensive GN4.

What experience do you have with this?

I have a feeling that even basic engine oil could become very expensive soon.

Thanks.
 
I tried the 10w30, 10w40, and the synthetic version of the 10w40 in my little Honda CRF250L.
With all three, the shifting got really bad around 2k miles, so I went back to my Valvoline Premium Blue 15w40, and now even with the extreme heat that I ride this little bike in, the shifting remains smooth and quiet for up to 5k miles (I won't leave oil in any of my bikes beyond that point).
Turn your noise up at my choice, but it has just been working for me quite well in all my bikes :rolleyes:
 
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I can only give you my experience with the GN4 since I have not tried any other oil. Shift quality is good and stays good until changed. But here lately I'm only doing about 3 to 4K miles a year so don't know after that. GN4 is not a synthetic oil. Honda does make a synthetic oil for motorcycles but again the GN4 currently exceeds my needs. I suggest you try it and if it ain't working for you don't buy it again.
 
Ya gotta love watching oil threads.

Personally, never used GN, as it's an extra long trip to buy it. Use what works for you, no need to switch if you're happy
 
Igofar said:
I tried the 10w30, 10w40, and the synthetic version of the 10w40 in my little Honda CRF250L.
With all three, the shifting got really bad around 2k miles, so I went back to my Valvoline Premium Blue 15w40, and now even with the extreme heat that I ride this little bike in, the shifting remains smooth and quite for up to 5k miles (I won't leave oil in any of my bikes beyond that point).
Turn your noise up at my choice, but it has just been working for me quite well in all my bikes :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I tried it, my st1300 didn’t like it. Otherwise I would use it.
 
red one said:
I can only give you my experience with the GN4 since I have not tried any other oil. Shift quality is good and stays good until changed. But here lately I'm only doing about 3 to 4K miles a year so don't know after that. GN4 is not a synthetic oil. Honda does make a synthetic oil for motorcycles but again the GN4 currently exceeds my needs. I suggest you try it and if it ain't working for you don't buy it again.
Click to expand...

Apparently they do. Honda Pro HP4S Full Synthetic 4-Stroke Motor Oil 10W-30 32 oz.
 
Bush said:
Nothing like a quality full synthetic oil for long oil life and best protection. 'Nuff said.
Click to expand...

Currently running Motul 7100, shifting is worse than mobil 1 15w-50 car oil, which isn’t bad oil.
And someone on here said they didn’t like the shifting with Motul 7100 either.
But this thread is about GN4.
 
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As a side note, the ST's and MY CRF250L that I tried the GN4 in ran Hotter that other oils.
 
I have used both Honda GN4 or HP4S, depending which motorcycle, for quite a while. I go at least to the 8,000 mile change interval Honda recommends with the GN4, and I have never had any trouble with shifting. I have gone beyond the 8,000 mile interval when the need has arisen using the full synthetic HP4S in my ST1300 , and I have never experienced any shifting problems using it either.

I don't happen to believe that Honda branded oil is superior just because it has Honda's name on it. I switched to the Honda oils back around 2013, not because they have Honda's name on them, but because they are JASO MA certified oils. I began experiencing clutch slippage using non JASO MA engine oils in another motorcycle, not my ST1300. The simplest and easiest attempt at fixing the clutch slippage was to use a JASO MA oil. The Honda oil was the easiest for me to get at that time that was certified to be JASO MA oil. Switching to the Honda oil cured the clutch slippage. This is not because it is Honda branded oil, but because it is JASO MA oil. That experience caused me to decide to stick to using JASO MA oils only, and the Honda oil was the easiest JASO MA oil for me to get back then and I have just kept using it.
ASPC said:
But this thread is about GN4.
Click to expand...
Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
I have used both Honda GN4 or HP4S, depending which motorcycle, for quite a while. I go at least to the 8,000 mile change interval Honda recommends with the GN4, and I have never had any trouble with shifting. I have gone beyond the 8,000 mile interval when the need has arisen using the full synthetic HP4S in my ST1300 , and I have never experienced any shifting problems using it either.

I don't happen to believe that Honda branded oil is superior just because it has Honda's name on it. I switched to the Honda oils back around 2013, not because they have Honda's name on them, but because they are JASO MA certified oils. I began experiencing clutch slippage using non JASO MA engine oils in another motorcycle, not my ST1300. The simplest and easiest attempt at fixing the clutch slippage was to use a JASO MA oil. The Honda oil was the easiest for me to get at that time that was certified to be JASO MA oil. Switching to the Honda oil cured the clutch slippage. This is not because it is Honda branded oil, but because it is JASO MA oil. That experience caused me to decide to stick to using JASO MA oils only, and the Honda oil was the easiest JASO MA oil for me to get back then and I have just kept using it.

Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
Click to expand...

Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail, very good info!
 
Andrew Shadow said:
I have used both Honda GN4 or HP4S, depending which motorcycle, for quite a while. I go at least to the 8,000 mile change interval Honda recommends with the GN4, and I have never had any trouble with shifting. I have gone beyond the 8,000 mile interval when the need has arisen using the full synthetic HP4S in my ST1300 , and I have never experienced any shifting problems using it either.

I don't happen to believe that Honda branded oil is superior just because it has Honda's name on it. I switched to the Honda oils back around 2013, not because they have Honda's name on them, but because they are JASO MA certified oils. I began experiencing clutch slippage using non JASO MA engine oils in another motorcycle, not my ST1300. The simplest and easiest attempt at fixing the clutch slippage was to use a JASO MA oil. The Honda oil was the easiest for me to get at that time that was certified to be JASO MA oil. Switching to the Honda oil cured the clutch slippage. This is not because it is Honda branded oil, but because it is JASO MA oil. That experience caused me to decide to stick to using JASO MA oils only, and the Honda oil was the easiest JASO MA oil for me to get back then and I have just kept using it.

Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
Click to expand...
My guess would be EPA and squeezing the most MPG out of the bike.
But it is a known fact that thinner oil (at operating temperatures) moves heat faster than thicker grade oil.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
I have used both Honda GN4 or HP4S, depending which motorcycle, for quite a while. I go at least to the 8,000 mile change interval Honda recommends with the GN4, and I have never had any trouble with shifting. I have gone beyond the 8,000 mile interval when the need has arisen using the full synthetic HP4S in my ST1300 , and I have never experienced any shifting problems using it either.

I don't happen to believe that Honda branded oil is superior just because it has Honda's name on it. I switched to the Honda oils back around 2013, not because they have Honda's name on them, but because they are JASO MA certified oils. I began experiencing clutch slippage using non JASO MA engine oils in another motorcycle, not my ST1300. The simplest and easiest attempt at fixing the clutch slippage was to use a JASO MA oil. The Honda oil was the easiest for me to get at that time that was certified to be JASO MA oil. Switching to the Honda oil cured the clutch slippage. This is not because it is Honda branded oil, but because it is JASO MA oil. That experience caused me to decide to stick to using JASO MA oils only, and the Honda oil was the easiest JASO MA oil for me to get back then and I have just kept using it.

Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
Click to expand...
I remember on the new Goldwing that the GN4 was the recommended oil and the synthetic was optional? Those of you that have an 2018 and up Goldwing could you tell which is it GN4 or Synthetic oil that is specified.
 
Ever since I started using GN4, I've noticed that my hair up top is getting sparse. (Though I don't think the hair loss is related to GN4).

Seriously, I use GN4 because it's cheap, easily available, compatible with my wet clutch and I doubt my ability to detect an improvement subjectively when nothing is wrong in the first place. I also find anecdotal evidence to be suspect (my cynicism only).
 
Andrew Shadow said:
Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
Click to expand...

So Honda says I now need HPS4 10W30 for my 2007.:rolleyes:

Perhaps I should try that.
 
Andrew Shadow said:
I have used both Honda GN4 or HP4S, depending which motorcycle, for quite a while. I go at least to the 8,000 mile change interval Honda recommends with the GN4, and I have never had any trouble with shifting. I have gone beyond the 8,000 mile interval when the need has arisen using the full synthetic HP4S in my ST1300 , and I have never experienced any shifting problems using it either.

I don't happen to believe that Honda branded oil is superior just because it has Honda's name on it. I switched to the Honda oils back around 2013, not because they have Honda's name on them, but because they are JASO MA certified oils. I began experiencing clutch slippage using non JASO MA engine oils in another motorcycle, not my ST1300. The simplest and easiest attempt at fixing the clutch slippage was to use a JASO MA oil. The Honda oil was the easiest for me to get at that time that was certified to be JASO MA oil. Switching to the Honda oil cured the clutch slippage. This is not because it is Honda branded oil, but because it is JASO MA oil. That experience caused me to decide to stick to using JASO MA oils only, and the Honda oil was the easiest JASO MA oil for me to get back then and I have just kept using it.

Re: GN4 in an ST1300;
If your ST1300 is a 2007 or later, the only Honda oil recommended now is the HP4S in 10W30. GN4 10W40 is no longer in their recommendation for post 2006 model years.
2006 and earlier model years, GN4 10W40 is still recommended.
I don't know what, if anything, changed in model year 2007 to precipitate this change in their recommendation, but it apparently provides better internal engine heat management than the 10W40.
Click to expand...
Andrew,

The assumption that the only 10w30 Honda oil available is synthetic HP4S is incorrect. GN4 is available in 10w30 and 10w40.

And yes, Honda's research white paper on oil gave them the data to change to 10w30 as the primary recommended viscosity starting in MY2007. The shift was across the entire water cooled street bike line. Nothing in the engines changed but 10w30 runs cooler operating temperatures than 10w40.
 
Does anyone see any reason not to run GN4 10w-30 in 2003 - 2006 bikes if it will help it run cooler?
 
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