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Manual says 10w30, which is good up to 95F, so I am fine with that weight, even though I have always ran 10w40 previously.
However, do I go for the HP4S full synthetic, or the classic GN4? Price is no matter, not looking to save a few bucks, just want the best oil. I assume the full synthetic is better, but does anyone know how this impacts clutch feel / life?
However, do I go for the HP4S full synthetic, or the classic GN4? Price is no matter, not looking to save a few bucks, just want the best oil. I assume the full synthetic is better, but does anyone know how this impacts clutch feel / life?
When I had the unique opportunity to rebuild my bike next to my neighbor's bike (same bike, we rode together/same terrain, etc.), the internals of his bike showed waaaaay less wear. It was so visually evident, I was shocked.
I asked him what oil he used:
Maxima Maxum4 Extra
I have never used another brand of oil since in my MX bikes. It's the best oil I've found in 20+ years, and this is for both engine and tranny wear + shifting feel.
Enjoy the new bike!
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Within reason obviously and assuming both oils are decent, like the two you listed are 👍
Often times it will come down to transmission feel and/or clutch engagement for me. For example, the Rekluse autoclutches I run (Core EXP 3.0 and Radius CX) often work and feel better with specific oil. I can't say the difference is related to protection, but it's definitely different.
I think Maxima ProPlus and HP4S are both excellent oils. Have some fun with this experiment!
I've never had any issues, only have been routinely impressed. I also call their engineers every year or so to understand new developments, what they think is the best for a certain application, etc. They're competent, honest engineers, no question.
My most recent experiments were Amsoil (because a buddy became a dealer) and Bel-Ray. Both oils were "nice/good" - meaning good shifting & clutching, seemed to produce little-to-no particulate/debris (I interpret this as good wear protection), and the engine clatter was minimal. In every experiment, as soon as I return to Maxima I always notice improved performance. Never fails.
While it seems like the manufacturers recommend rebuilding engines every millisecond, their oil-change intervals are longer than I would recommend based on seeing how the oil has degraded at different service intervals.
I, too, split the difference on my Hondas and change the oils every 7ish hours (I have old 2007 and 2008 CRF450Rs with the separate engine + transmission oil cavities)..
However, on my modern YZFs (2016 YZ250F, 2020 YZ450F), I seem to only be able to get like 3-4 hours on the oil before performance degradation can be felt (shifting gets notchy). The oil volume is soooo low that the oil just gets overworked. Boo, but true.
Oil changed every 4-5 hours, filter at each change (and cut every second oil filter open for inspection) and screens checked too. Never had an issue and every top end/rebuild I’ve had done comes with comments of “everything looks brand new”.
My reasoning for frequent oil changes is the same reasoning why we sample oil’s frequently at work (Diesel mechanic), you can usually see if something’s failing before it fails and hopefully save yourself some major carnage. And it gives you peace of mind.
Pit Row
From what I have heard, Redline, Motorex, and Motul are top shelf, too.
Short oil-change intervals are your friend.
Experiment - see what YOU like.
For me, it just takes away any guess work and makes stocking up my oil cupboard easy!
I think any modern oil which was developed for wet sump motorcycle engines would be just fine. Change it often and don't worry. Oil-related failures are very, very rare these days. I think Bel-Ray is the best, but by such a small margin that it doesn't really matter.
I continued to run HP4 in my Kawis, mostly because I had a crapload left after my Honda years. No issues noted.
I switched to Motorex when I got my KTM. My thought was that since KTM sometimes warranties stuff well beyond the norm, I’d like to run it so I’m following their direction. When I get beyond the reasonable warranty period I might switch as the Motorex is $$$.
I run the Honda synthetic (red bottle) in my RC51. Those things get toasty in the summer and so far it’s working well.
https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/
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