Hey guys, i'm servicing my 89 vfr nc30 for the first time, i'm changing the engine oil (obviously) what would be the best oil to use? i'm using standard servicing filters.

Cheers.

Hein Gericke's own brand 10/40W semi-synthetic oil is what I use. It's basically Motul oil that's re-packaged. You can go and spend £30 on a gallon of Castrol or £13 on H-G's finest, I know where the sensible money is (just don't go for fully synthetic, no matter what anyone tells you, if you do you can end up with clutch-slip issues)

Cheers V_B there's one, about 1 min from my house (Gants Hill) is it just like changing oil on a car? is it better to fill up the filter and rub a little oil around the rubber seal?

Oh and one more thing, is there anywhere to get a new plug, or will i just have to use a new compression ring?

v_b is right, its the expensive oil just in a different bottle so you pay less.

its the same as a car change, best to fill up filter seperately and rub oil around the o ring as it seals better, then fill up sump.

at work we often run the engine up first, get the engine oil warm then drain it, collects all the crap and more of it comes out as its less viscous.

then once its changed run it up, let it get warm, turn it off let it cool then re check :D

thats how i was taught anyway

just on from what kenny said, about warming the engine, that does make sence,
however,
if there is crap in the engine, warming it will circulate it, at least if its cold it will have settled in the sump and will come out straight away.

if oil is changed frequently and the engine maintained, there should be no engine wear though!! (aprart from clutch)

just my my 2p

viper_biker wrote:(just don't go for fully synthetic, no matter what anyone tells you, if you do you can end up with clutch-slip issues)

Viper, i don't know if you read 'Bike' magazine (its the only one i tend to read anyhow....). There is an article in there about oils and it mentions clutch slip. Anyway long story short....they used to put friction modifiers in oil to improve mpg but they now have stopped the practice due to the above problem. They say you can use any oil as long as its got JASO MA or JASO MA then it will work with any wet clutch.

Its only a short article but interesting none the less.

Sticking fully synthetic in my NC24 the next service - anything that can and does spin past 14'000 rpm derserves the BEST oil in my book!

I will agree on the clutch slip I had slip on fully syth so changed to semi and its been fine since, also a more extreme example was in my monkeybike when it had a 110cc 3valve engine in which revved high,on that i couldnt even move in 4th gear as the clutch was slipping so much so i change the oil and it was fine. :D My father in law works at castrol and said its because the fully synt is so thin(almost like piss) that the clutch suffers as a result. after 100 hrs use on the testbed he recons its like the consistancy of diesel!!!. HTH Russ

Damn... they didnt do thier homework on this did they....may have to be a semi then, :D oh well...

You can't go wrong with semi-synthetic...all my local bike shops use it unless the manufacturer ( eg Triumph ) specifically recommends fully synthetic.