What oil are peeps using for their oil changes?

[Ollie]

I have on hand 4 qts of Honda GN4, 20w-50 oil which I'd like to utilize or use up, and the CB1100 will be due for a change soon. I know 10w-30 or 40 are the preferred viscosity but would the 20w-50 be ok in your opinions? The bike is kept in a conditioned garage so no cold morning starts. If not I suppose I can use it in my airhead by buying another 2 bottles to give me two, 3qt oil changes but it was just changed.

[GoldOxide_imp]

I have on hand 4 qts of Honda GN4, 20w-50 oil which I'd like to utilize or use up, and the CB1100 will be due for a change soon. I know 10w-30 or 40 are the preferred viscosity but would the 20w-50 be ok in your opinions? The bike is kept in a conditioned garage so no cold morning starts. If not I suppose I can use it in my airhead by buying another 2 bottles to give me two, 3qt oil changes but it was just changed.

Maybe for folks who ride their CB1100 in Texas summers??

[Cormanus]

There is a view that says if it’s golden, comes out of a bottle marked ‘oil for motorcycles’ it will be fine in your Honda. Having no scientific knowledge of the subject and reading the multiple posts on this forum about oil, I’d suspect there’s some truth in that.

[Ollie]

Thanks guys I think I'll use it up before switching to the Rotella T6 15w-40 that I use in most of the bikes. And tractor.

[Tev62]

Thanks guys I think I'll use it up before switching to the Rotella T6 15w-40 that I use in most of the bikes. And tractor.

You might heed the observations from others on the "Gas Mileage Thread" that the recommended 10W-30 offers optimum fuel consumption.

The Honda 10w40 averaged around 40 mpg
The Rotella T6 15w40 was getting me 44 to 46.
The 10w30 and now I'm consistently getting 50 mpg

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thanks guys I think I'll use it up before switching to the Rotella T6 15w-40 that I use in most of the bikes. And tractor.

You might heed the observations from others on the "Gas Mileage Thread" that the recommended 10W-30 offers optimum fuel consumption.

The Honda 10w40 averaged around 40 mpg
The Rotella T6 15w40 was getting me 44 to 46.
The 10w30 and now I'm consistently getting 50 mpg

I got in the range of 3.9 to 5.5L/100km (spirited riding) on the CB1100 using 5W40 full-synthetic diesel engine oil.

[Ollie]

What 1-2 mpg? I can't imagine oil viscosity (20w-50 to 10w-30, or 15w-40) making any *meaningful difference* in mpg in a hot running, air cooled 4-cylinder motor.
At the first oil change in my 2019 Corolla HB I replaced the 0w-16 with synthetic 5w-30 (which it's had ever since) and saw maybe 1 mpg lower.
I have no idea how 15w-40 oil can make the same motorcycle achieve 4-6 mpg better than with 10w-30 *when riding under the same conditions*? Regardless a couple-few more/less miles per gallon doesn't make a difference to me. Maximum wear protection however does.

[GoldOxide_imp]

mileage has way, way more to do with how you ride than what oil is in the crankcase.

I threw the oil-based sentence fragment in to align to the original thread subject, and of course, create [yet another] oil thread mayhem.

[the Ferret]

mileage has way, way more to do with how you ride than what oil is in the crankcase.

Id have to agree with this statement.

[Tev62]

mileage has way, way more to do with how you ride than what oil is in the crankcase.

Of course, one assumes any comparison is "all other parameters things being equal".