Think about how long 100 hours really is! That is riding 8 hours a day for 12.5 days, or 2.5 work weeks.

I doubt most folks actually ride 100 hours a year. Oil goes bad just sitting there in the sump, even when the engine isn't being used. And if you are using some $2/quart Spiffy Lube that is poorly buffered against going acidic (they had to leave something out to meet that price point!), things will be getting pretty grim.

 

By suggesting the OP to buy a manual and follow it!!! (I have seen you suggest this many times, and rightly so.) Not listen to somone on the internet that suggests to change his oil in one tenth the time that a Honda engineer says to. ONE TENTH!!!! ROTFLMAO

To put it in perspective, if I suggested the other way around I would suggest to change oil every one thousand hours!!!

To the OP. Honda spends millions of $.$$$,$$$.$$$ of research on the products they sell. They know when to change oil in their products. BTW, I'm not asking you listen to me, please listen to Honda.

Please don't listen to some self proclaimed never raced a thing in his life oil expert. (BTW speakijng of racing Recon, I just got another trophy the other night and set 4th fastest time.) When is the last time you have won a race? Placed? Built an engine? Tuned a chassie? Took tire temps? Have anything remotely to do with racing or high perf engines?

If you really want to know if Honda is correct with their recomendations send your oil off to a place like Blackstone Labs. They will tell you for sure whether Honda is correct or Recon is correct. Due to oil testing I already know the answer your going to get back from them if your on top of the air cleaner maintenance.

Nothing like getting a real certified lab expert to say who is telling the truth.

 

for recon, i've only had my bike for 4 months, its already got 60 hours...100 in a year for riders is easy. and these guys are right, send it to an oil lab

 

Be a man of your word then, and leave it in there 100 honest hours and then get it analyzed....seeing you have so much faith in all this!!!

As for me, I personally prefer not to "experiment" with my expensive engines!!!

 

lmao this guy here....i trust my oil changes every 20 hours, no neeed for me to send it to a lab, what i said was listen to the guys who say send it to a lab! READ!

 

Boys BOYS. Calm down.

 

The manual for the Foreman does say every 100hrs., but it adds the caveat, or every 600mi., or every 12mo., whichever comes first.

 

Amen to that one, every 100 hours is a joke.

If I had followed this rule then in the last 8 years, 10,000 miles and 1070 hours I would have only changed my oil 10 times, not enough in my book either.

I change mine every 500 miles along with a new Honda oil filter, both o-rings and 2 new aluminum drain plug gaskets (VERY IMPORTANT in my book).

My maint costs have far exceeded my repair costs and I like it like that.

 

Notice I said I "start thinking about an oil change at 10+ hours", that doesn't mean that is when I religiously change it then. On a long weekend camping trip, we will easily put way more then 10 hours on, and I am not going to do an oil change out in the middle of the desert with blowing dust and what not.

I really think for most folks 20 hours is a good rule of thumb for the 400EX. While I might let my 250EX's or my Rancher 350 go 30 hours or so, 50 is to long for the 400EX.

Also, the tendency is for folks to gravitate to cheaper petroleum oils, rather than expensive synthetics that can actually go the distance (they put ester synthetics in jet engines, and leave it there for the life of the engine!), so for many shorter oil change intervals are even more essential.

 

100 hours at 60 miles per hour average (pretty high unless you ONLY highway commute) os 6000 miles. Most auto manufacturers recommend OCI at 6000 miles or thereabouts for standard service applications.

With that said, most piston engine aircraft get an oil change every 25 hours - but they run at 75% power most of the time except for take-off (100%) climb-out (80-100%) and descent/landing (low power setting). Also, even small aircraft engines are $20,000 and up for an overhaul which occurs about every 1800-2000 hours, recommended.

Oil changes are cheap and easy on thumper quads and motorcycles like my KLR 650. If I am operating in dusty conditions, pulling a heavy mower, plowing snow and other such things - I'll go every 25 hours; otherwise every 50 should be fine with "moderate" duty. If you are running the **** out of it, in dust, under water, etcetera, then 10 hours may not be unreasonable. I'll bet that with 100 hours of "moderate duty" operation and a good quality oil an analysis might surprise you as to how much life is left int hat oil - especially if synthetic.

With all of that said - I just changed the oil on my Grizzly 700 THREE TIMES tonight and getting hydolocked out on the trail and having my son pull be home with the Rubicon.