This is my first atv and I think that i'm really going to love it. I was reading the owners manual last night and I never read anything about a breakin period. Like driving under a certain speed or no wide open throttle launches or anything like that. Can you guys tell me how I need to ride it for the first 100 miles or so. The atv has 1 mile on it right now. I just want it to last forever which I know that hondas do. Also someone told me to run 5w-30 oil in it. The owners manual looks like 10w-40 covers just about everything. What do you guys recommend on the oil and what octane of gas do you guys recomomend like 87 or 89 or 93. Any good info that you guys can give me about breaking it in would be appreciated the same with the oil and gas. Thanks

 

Can anyone tell me about the oil and gas and braek in

 

Run the oil and the octane level Honda recommends . Don't beat it and don't baby it for the first 100 miles. Use both modes in the transmission. Exercise your new ATV.

 

I always run 10w-40 in my Wheelers. I would recommend runnning 93 octane. Hope you enjoy your new wheeler!


Team Taylor Racing

 

Use the oil and gas recomended in the book that came with your Honda. As far as driving break it in like you intend drive it later. It's a Honda no worries.

 

Up here in the the Northstar state, 5-30 IS the way to go in the winter. If it drops much below 10F, and your machine lives outside, it will work much better. If it is primarily above 20F when you ride, 10-40 is OK. As others have said, follow the chart in the owner's manual. My opinion on gas...I can't tell much difference between 87 and 91 octane in any of my Honda's. However, in MN here, the premium fuel is frequently NON oxygenated, which I think keeps much better than the oxygenated stuff. In this state, some pumps are marked that way, for small engines, snowmobiles, etc. So if your machine sits idle for long periods, you may want to consider that if Arkansas is similar. As far as break in, I think Specta put it the best, but I would qualify that and say before you run it hard make sure it is fully warmed up, ESPECIALLY when in the break in period.

 

10W-40 is the way to go. In Arkansa you won't need anything else.
Honda compression on utes runs around 8.2-9.0:1. Regular gas is plenty
good enough. Honda recommends 86 octane min., and regular is 87.
I never run anything but in my Rancher.

Honda recommends a 20 hour break-in period. No hard acceleration,
1/2 throttle max for the first 5-8 hours. Use all gears and ranges equally.
Use brakes equally as well. Accelerate and decelerate constantly.
Do not run at a constant speed for any amount of time in that first 8 hrs.
Oil and filter change at 20 hrs, but I do it
at 10 and 20. Valve adjustment at 20.

 

Just one more note, use your engine braking too. You need to brake in "both sides" of your engine. Both acceleration and deceleration.

 

Thanks for all the info guys.