So what kind of motor oil should I use on my 01 Honda 400ex? Is regular synthetic car oil okay? Or do I need a specific kind? Be specific please! Thank you in advance.

 

I use a 4 stroke ATV oil, 5W30 i think it is...

 

07 400ex i use maxima synthetic 10-40 or 20-50.do not use car oil it is not the same. car motor oil does not have additives for high friction clutches.

 

i use maxima synthetic. but any atv or motorcycle specific oil will work, like valvoline ATV is the cheepest at $4 a quart, but a good synthetic motorcycle oil will run you in the neighborhood of $10+ a quart. but its worth it you get superior protectior and longer oil life! im in the camp that uses synthetic oil and think it really is worth the extra money.

oil is cheap, rebuilds are expensive

 

Some good reading:

http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm (lately I can't get this page to open!)

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0308_oil/index.html

http://www.maximausa.com/technical/l...beNews2002.pdf

http://www.p1-performance.com/pdf/oildoc.pdf

"Car" oils are a no go, for a couple of reasons. Since 1993 they have had a downgraded anti-wear additive package (ZDDP) because of catalytic converters, and the ZDDP has been replaced with the inorganic friction modifier moly, which will make your wet clutch slip. Use to be you could run a "diesel" oil and still get a descent additive package, but they too have now been downgraded because of cat converters.

It's pretty simple.....you won't go wrong if you run a motorcycle specific oil that is API SG/JASO MA. The SG insures that it has pre-1993 levels of ZDDP, and the MA insures that it will not make your wet clutch slip. Beyond that, there are three different types of synthetics, and the best of the three are the esters.

I like all of Maxima's oils, becasue they have a monster additive package! Their Extra is an excellent ester based synthetic, but it is expensive!

If you want a performance oil that may net you a little extra torque and horsepower, yet still give you the unltimate in protection, then I would recommend Redline (motorcycle oil in the BLACK bottle), or Maxima Ultra or 530MX (for very cold weather). These all contain a new generation of organic friction modifiers that are wet clutch safe! This is the direction where the future of performance is headed, but these oils are expensive!!! (One note, even though Redline is JASO MB it is still wet clutch safe, so don't let that scare you off!)

All that said...you may look in your owner's manual and it says you can run car oil if it is not "energy conserving". In most parts of the world, it will be impossible to find a "motorcycle specific" oil, so "car" oil is better than no oil at all! Is it the best for your motorcycle...absolutely not, so if you are not forced to run it, find some motorcycle oil instead.

 

More good reading, on why you need to change you oil often, especially if you have a new generation 450: http://www.belray.com/scripts/future...1-64a4cf6d0144

A little history: http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/engine_oil_history.shtml

 

What quad to you have????

5W30 might be ok in very cold weather, but probably not in the warmer seasons. In general, air cooled engines run hotter and have slacker tolerances than water cooled, so they need "thicker" viscosity oils.

See your Owner's Manual, for what viscosity is appropriate for what outside temperatures!!!