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State8 called to let me know my CB1100 Service Manual had arrived. That is one comprehensive book!
On my way back to the Parts Counter, I happened to spy the lovely Kawasaki W800 Cafe model. I'd seen photos and videos of the bike, initially the color scheme didn't pop for me, but the fit and finish (and color) in 'person' made quite an impression. The low bars on the cafe model would kill me, but ..... so lovely, with a good looking set of clocks and tiny bikini fairing.
Well, the CB is less than 400 miles shy of its oil/filter change. Four quarts and Honda filter are waiting for me to get ambitious. I continue to use the standard Honda GN4 10w30, and change it every 3000 miles.
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I decided to drop the oil on mine today because I just felt like it TBH. Just shy of 300 miles so its maybe a bit sooner than the book says for 1st service but I dont think it makes that much difference nowadays. Anyhow, i had a really good look at the oil in the pan and there were a couple of tiny (and i mean tiny) flakes of metal in there that i was nonetheless pleased to have out. Nothing on the magnetic sump plug at all. Extremely impressed overall at the quality of the engine build but this is a Honda so maybe no suprises there. After much overthinking i opted for a quality semi 10w/40. Engine does sound quieter at idle ticking over. I want to see how it feels on the slightly thicker oil. If it doesnt work out i will drop it back onto the thinner stuff.
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I had to visit a client on the way home last night, and rode past a dealership I don't normally frequent. Tried looking for the elusive Tirox chain lube, and spotted a W800 Cafe on their floor. Man, she was pretty. And sitting next to a green Z900RS Cafe. I agree, that brown color doesn't really impress on a screen, but it's nice in person. And I thought the decal on the tank was a bit kitschy, but it's something I could probably live with.
I drooled for a moment, before my vision of both machines switched to scramble mode, and my wife's recorded voice in my head intervened: "Nothing else with wheels and engines... nothing else with wheels and engines."
So I moved on.
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(07-17-2019, 02:51 AM)Jfro5687_imp Wrote: I decided to drop the oil on mine today because I just felt like it TBH. Just shy of 300 miles so its maybe a bit sooner than the book says for 1st service but I dont think it makes that much difference nowadays. Anyhow, i had a really good look at the oil in the pan and there were a couple of tiny (and i mean tiny) flakes of metal in there that i was nonetheless pleased to have out. Nothing on the magnetic sump plug at all. Extremely impressed overall at the quality of the engine build but this is a Honda so maybe no suprises there. After much overthinking i opted for a quality semi 10w/40. Engine does sound quieter at idle ticking over. I want to see how it feels on the slightly thicker oil. If it doesnt work out i will drop it back onto the thinner stuff. Honda is known as an engine company, and their quality just keeps improving. The precision of the machining and plating processes means friction has been reduced so much that break-in is a thing of the past, and piston ring/cylinder and crank/rod bearing wear are nearly non-existent.
I would recommend using the recommended stock 10w-30 weight oil, especially in the milder climates in the UK. 10w-40 maybe in the Southwest states during the summer. A heavier weight oil actually causes more heat and friction, since the clearances are smaller.
Honda has for years recommended 5w-20 or 0w-20 oil in their car engines. By contrast, Harley Davidson still recommends 20w-50, and even straight 60 weight in the summer.
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I harboured a "business idea" a few years ago, concerning the W650 and W800 model that followed it...
Kawasaki's Cafe Racer as standard, is only a quarter the way there. I had the idea of manufacturing ten 'kits' to upgrade the W650/800 to full Cafe Racer spec...
Large alloy tank, swept-back pipes, Triumph-style silencers, rear-set footrests, 'Ace' bars (not clip-ons), and maybe a mild tuning kit too.
And then see how they sold. Not cheap, but maybe less than Whitehouse's offerings, and they're doing all right.
I'm certain it would have been a winner. What do you think??
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Oh, the injustice! First, we get the W650 in the U.S. for only two years, and then, not until 2019 do we get the W800, and now you're saying there's a W700 too?
This poor thread is getting majorly derailed. Sorry Bob!
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(07-18-2019, 03:57 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote: Oh, the injustice! First, we get the W650 in the U.S. for only two years, and then, not until 2019 do we get the W800, and now you're saying there's a W700 too?
This poor thread is getting majorly derailed. Sorry Bob!
Sorry, LR... my mistake - W650 it was, not 700. I had edited it but not before your eagle eye alighted upon it!
And you're right, I shouldn't have posted it here. Sor-reee! 
I should've stayed in bed this morning... 
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(07-18-2019, 03:57 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote: Oh, the injustice! First, we get the W650 in the U.S. for only two years, and then, not until 2019 do we get the W800, and now you're saying there's a W700 too?
This poor thread is getting majorly derailed. Sorry Bob!
Which oil weight is used in the W800? The W700? During winter? 
(please don't respond)
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(07-18-2019, 08:10 AM)GoldOxide_imp Wrote: (07-18-2019, 03:57 AM)LongRanger_imp Wrote: Oh, the injustice! First, we get the W650 in the U.S. for only two years, and then, not until 2019 do we get the W800, and now you're saying there's a W700 too?
This poor thread is getting majorly derailed. Sorry Bob!
Which oil weight is used in the W800? The W700? During winter?
(please don't respond)
Which oil weight is used in the W800? The W700? During winter?
(please don't respond) No , we will not respond.
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