I have two new 06 Hondas (TRX250EX and CRF230F) and my buddy has an 06 TRX450R, and all have a DIFFERENT OIL VISCOSITY CHART than the one we have been seeing in Honda manuals for many years.

The new one lists only 10W-30 for colder weather and 10W40 for warmer weather. And, there is a 5W-30 with an arrow covering the whole viscosity range. Gone is the old chart that included 20W-40 and 20-W50 viscosities, for very hot weather.

So, what is Honda telling us??? Are they trying to say that 5W-30 is an all-around oil for all seasons??? Motorcycle engines (even water cooled ones) run hot and they have relatively slack tolerances, so it is hard for me to believe that a 5W-30 oil is going to cut it in 100 degree summer weather!

Plus, it is puzzling that Honda GN4 and HP4 only come in 10W-40 and 20W-50. There is no 10W-30 or 5W-30. What gives, when they are recommending oils that they don't even sell. Pretty dumb marketing strategy when they force you to use another brand of oil...........

 

in interesting thing has happend to oil in the last 10 years or so. Oil is getting better every day, doesnt matter what kind. Even the cheap conventional oil is so good now days it's hard to get bad oil anywhere. A good high-quality 5w30 oil is pretty good for all around use now.

Ford cars and trucks now use a 5w20 oil, it's like water at room temperature, imagine what it's like on a 100 degree day towing a boat!! Yet they say it's the proper oil to use. I think it's the anti-wear additives in the oils now that simply weren't there 10 years ago.

I agree it sounds a little odd though for Honda to recommend an oil they really dont make, but they are recommending to use the 10w40 whenever possible, but a good SUBSTITUTE would be 5w30 but probably wont be the best for the engine, that's probably why they dont produce it, since it could potentially cause some oil burning issues since the oil is so thin, and the fact that it seems to find any small leak.

I would personally stick to the 10w40 oil, seems like a lot of the aftermarket oil companies carry good "motorcycle" oil in this viscosity and it's pretty much industry standard.

 

The thing with cars is, they have to meet CAFE (corporate average fuel efficiency......I think???), legislated by the government. To do this, they have had to convert to the thinnest oils possible, to cause the least drag. But, at the same time, they did have to tighten up the tolerances, because a thin oil just won't properly lube a bearing that has large tolerances.

Many, would say that we are getting screwed with shorter engine life, so the manufacturers can meet their CAFE standards!!!

Personally, I live where the summer temps are HOT! I took a trip last summer, hauling a 4 quad trailer up to Oregon Dunes, and the daytime temp up the central valley was 109 degrees. No way, do I want to be running a wimpy 5W30 oil in that kind of weather!

 

i agree. when it gets warm out, i want the higher viscosity. That's wierd that they dont have the 20w oils in the manual anymore. if you have to run a thinner oil than you want to, stick to a synthetic. They dont break down under high heat and high load conditions like some conventional oils do.

 

Maxima Extra in the quads, and Redline in the truck! Both, ester based synthetics.