Oil choice

You did not post enough pics of the labels on your oil container. It is my understanding that many 5W-x oils are 'energy conserving' which means they have additives incompatible with a wet clutch. 'My understanding' does not mean your oil is that type.

The container should say it meets JASO 4T service classification MA, and the oil weight should be SAE 10W-30. (That's a quote from the Honda service manual). You can read more opinions here:


 
You did not post enough pics of the labels on your oil container. It is my understanding that many 5W-x oils are 'energy conserving' which means they have additives incompatible with a wet clutch. 'My understanding' does not mean your oil is that type.

The container should say it meets JASO 4T service classification MA, and the oil weight should be SAE 10W-30. (That's a quote from the Honda service manual). You can read more opinions here:


yea thats why I asked my question
 
The oil you use needs to meet JASO MA/MA2 requirements. If it meets those requirements it will be listed on the container. The oil also needs to be of the correct grade for your location, temperature.
 
Everything listed on that label is for oil specifications intended to meet some of the latest fuel/emissions, as well as other requirements, of late model automobiles. Most of the additives needed to meet those requirements are not compatible with a wet clutch application and may not meet other needs of a motorcycle engine, not to mention that it is not the correct viscosity rating.
 
is it synthetic or semi synthetic required. it seems to be a very vague area. dont know why honda cant just tell what oil to use
 
is it synthetic or semi synthetic required. it seems to be a very vague area. dont know why honda cant just tell what oil to use
They do, very clearly- See the attached.
Synthetic vs mineral is a personal choice based on preference and personal riding conditions. Synthetic is not listed by Honda as a requirement for the ST1300. Your engine will be perfectly happy with either. It is more important that you use oil that meets the standards stipulated by Honda rather than whether it is mineral or synthetic.

The ST1300 is old, and the oil recommendations that were printed for it are also old and no longer current with the latest oils and labeling standards. Automobile engine oils and automobile engine oil labeling standards have changed over the years. Keep in mind that choosing an automotive engine oil simply because it does not have a statement advising that it is an Energy Conserving, Energy Conserving II, or Resource Conserving engine oil no longer is a guarantee that it does not contain some or all of those additives and is no longer a reliable means for determining if said oil is suitable for use in a wet clutch application.
 

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yea thats why I asked my question

why honda cant just tell what oil to use
Well, Honda does. It either meets the quoted specs or its Honda GN4. Take your pick. IIRC, the weight oil you showed us - 5W-30 - is not shown in Honda's owners manual or service manual. Therefore, the simple answer to your question, "is this oil good for ST1300?" is 'NO'. A nuanced answer is going to be, you will probably be hard pressed in 200,000 miles of regular oil changes using your oil to discern a difference in the engine's performance or wear compared to another ST that used the recommended oil. That is assuming all other maintenance procedures are rigorously followed.

You are, of course, on your own here, in gray territory. If your engine seizes up on your oil, you will be hard pressed to collect on Honda's warranty for the engine. I'm being facetious - they stopped supporting these bikes a while ago, and your warranty is long since gone.
 
ok so thinking to order this, will it be correct?
 

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Never heard of this brand before. That would cause me to question the value. It seems to check the boxes as far as the specs go, except, it states that it is suitable for bikes with wet clutches but not for bikes with "catalytic convecters". The ST1300 has Catalytic converters. Maybe I am being a little too cautious, but I wouldnt jump to save a few bucks with this stuff.
 
Never heard of this brand before. That would cause me to question the value. It seems to check the boxes as far as the specs go, except, it states that it is suitable for bikes with wet clutches but not for bikes with "catalytic convecters". The ST1300 has Catalytic converters. Maybe I am being a little too cautious, but I wouldnt jump to save a few bucks with this stuff.
but not for bikes with "catalytic convecters".
YES I spotted that also, hence my hesitation. It's not a matter of cheap prices. This is £40+ on a sale at around £20. I cant find another make which has the correct info. Can anyone suggest one?
I have used this brand in my car before, but cars dont care so much maybe.

Has my 2004 st1300 european model got a CAT?
 
The other day, I noticed certain jugs of Shell Rotella now show a motorcycle on them with the Semi, RV, and truck. It's been my go to since buying my bikes. Easy to find when out and about here, too. If it is common there, you'd not go wrong with it. Otherwise aim for Castrol's motocycle oils, as you've used their car oil with no issues (those'd be POWER1 and ACT>EVO).
 
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