Oil Change Time!

[Jambo_imp]

No controversy here. Use what you like. Everyone seems to use different oil and filters on their CB and we’ve yet to hear of any engine failures (aside from the K&N fiasco).

What K&N fiasco? Must be a thread here somewhere.

No controversy here. Use what you like. Everyone seems to use different oil and filters on their CB and we’ve yet to hear of any engine failures (aside from the K&N fiasco).

What K&N fiasco? Must be a thread here somewhere.

i have to question the math on the reusable filter....not because i want to be an antagonist, but because i'm genuinely curious if it's worth it.

a proflo filter: https://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/pc-ra...il-filter/

That's on sale at $116. now, i'm getting my oem honda oil filters for about 12 bucks apiece. I change said filters every two oil changes. by the book, that would be 16000 miles on a filter! but i don't go by the book. I change my oil every 4k miles just for the sake of overkill (we have something in common). I've been debating pulling back to 6k though, because i'm starting to think it's just silly paranoia.

anywho, 12 bucks per filter every 8k miles means that i will have to ride a WHOPPING 80k miles before the proflo breaks even with the oem filters in terms of cost. you'd have to be into 6 digit mileage before the proflo even really starts to show its true colors as a cost benefit that matters. you touched on this in your post, coming close to a similar conclusion when you mentioned the 10 oil changes.

alongside that, i have to question the long term durability of the filter. for Jambo: have you run any of those reusable filters for 80k miles without replacing it or replacing the mesh? what's the wear and tear like? It's only prudent to question whether the device can even stand up to enough abuse to justify its cost.

TLDR: is the proflo actually going to amount to any practical savings? or is it just convenient?

You are right in questioning it. I have seen them recently (somewhere) for $90. That surely makes a difference in the cost benefit analyses. You are also right in questioning the longevity. Trouble for me, in that I have used these on three separate bikes, is I have a propensity to change the bikes often, hence why I happened to already have that one on hand. I do not remember what I paid, but recollection said it was around $100. I may have gotten 30K out of one, but it could have been less. There is a convenience factor. It is a thin steel mesh, and anything in the world could fail, but tend to think that less likely than a fiber/paper based element. Also because it is a "racing application", the flow rate is higher and therefore, the micron is also higher (theoretically). Oil filter manufacturers, IF they test to standards end up with an AVERAGE for the filter life, as what it flows in the beginning is not what it flows in the end, so it is really hard to compare the actual filtering characteristics. In my case, a change is so relatively cheap, that around 3K miles and a change, the oil is darkened somewhat, but still looks pretty good. I know I am not needing to do this. But, in the bikes and the cars, when I change the oil I can tell the difference in the smoothness of the motor. It can't be hurting it. Only my wallet. The cost is so low though, I don't worry about it.
To the car vs. bike, and to generate more controversy, it is hard for me to imagine the difference and how the oil formula is much different when it is already synthetic. Bikes (allegedly) rev higher, some anyway, but the redline on the CB (judging by the tach) is 8500, and the Honda Civic I have is around 6800 (larger reciprocating mass). And the bike clutch is bathed in oil, which could generate more particles. Other than that, there really isn't a difference.
If some people feel there is evidence (have not done exhaustive research) that the bike formulations justify a 300% increase in oil acquisition cost, and the result in terms of longevity is measurable, than the $55 cost of a change (oil and OEM filter) could be justified.
I change the oil so often, I wonder how bad it would be for the bike motor if the filter was bypassed. Of course, I do not want to test that though.
YMMV!