[jonbuchli]

I trail and desert ride my 05 crf450r. I change oil every 5 rides, and am looking for the best protecting oil for the best price. would mobil 1 10w40 be a better lubricant than a stock base motorcycle oil on the engine side?
Is a GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil as good or better than GL motor oil on the tranny side?

[Krannie]

I trail and desert ride my 05 crf450r. I change oil every 5 rides, and am looking for the best protecting oil for the best price. would mobil 1 10w40 be a better lubricant than a stock base motorcycle oil on the engine side?
Is a GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil as good or better than GL motor oil on the tranny side?

Every 5 rides is not often enough.
Every 10 hours is better
Use MB rated oil in the motor
Use MA rated oil in the tranny
Honda oils are all very good.
M-1 is fine if it is the MA rated oil.

[JAWS]

Not to disagree with Krannie, but his frequency might be a little too often, depending on how you ride, etc. If you want to know the truth about your oil and it life, send a sample to Blackstone Labs. They will analyze it for you and give you the in-depth results. They will tell you in the report about all aspects of the oil, including how much life is left in it. Using this method, you can more accurately gauge your needs. Go onto http://www.Blackstone-labs.com and request a free sample kit.

Almost any oil that meets the MA or MB rating set by Honda will do well in your machine. You don't need to overspend, especially if you change it on Krannies schedule.
Joe

[riddler9]

Not to disagree with Krannie, but his frequency might be a little too often, depending on how you ride, etc. If you want to know the truth about your oil and it life, send a sample to Blackstone Labs. They will analyze it for you and give you the in-depth results. They will tell you in the report about all aspects of the oil, including how much life is left in it. Using this method, you can more accurately gauge your needs. Go onto http://www.Blackstone-labs.com and request a free sample kit.

Almost any oil that meets the MA or MB rating set by Honda will do well in your machine. You don't need to overspend, especially if you change it on Krannies schedule.
Joe

Now that is cool stuff. I do not see anything that specifically says how much life is left on the oil - is that one of the additional tests that can be run, and if so, which one?

[JAWS]

Not to disagree with Krannie, but his frequency might be a little too often, depending on how you ride, etc. If you want to know the truth about your oil and it life, send a sample to Blackstone Labs. They will analyze it for you and give you the in-depth results. They will tell you in the report about all aspects of the oil, including how much life is left in it. Using this method, you can more accurately gauge your needs. Go onto http://www.Blackstone-labs.com and request a free sample kit.

Almost any oil that meets the MA or MB rating set by Honda will do well in your machine. You don't need to overspend, especially if you change it on Krannies schedule.
Joe

Now that is cool stuff. I do not see anything that specifically says how much life is left on the oil - is that one of the additional tests that can be run, and if so, which one?

They will normally report the wear accumulations and insolubles as a guide to indicate the "contaminant" build up in the oil. That will tell you a lot about your oil life that is left. For an additional $10.00, you can get the TBN (total base number) test, which measures the amount of active additive left in a sample of oil. So the remaining life in any oil is a composite of the contaminants, viscosity (which is also in the normal report), and the additives that remain.

If your contaminants, etc are too high, then the lab will recommend you change your oil. If not, you can run longer. It is a great way to get a read on the condition of your oil and the engine itself. Spend some time on the website and read the FAQ and other resources. Don't hesitate to call them with questions too. They are very good to talk with.

It does cost a bit to get this info, but you don't need to do it much. When you change oil on Krannies schedule and use the really high dollar stuff, you are going to pay more in the long run anyway, why not take a look?
Joe

p.s., it is interesting that the lab guys state clearly that oil is oil and the synthetics don't do any better job of lubrication that any other oil. I am sure there might be a bit of rebuttal from some folks on that, but they stand behind their science.

[foxhondaman450x]

I use Mobile-1 10-40 Full Synthetic and I'm pleased with it. I ride in the dessert of AZ and the dunes of California and as long as you change the oil every two to three rides you should be good. I figure that since the motor is exposed to a lot of dirt why not use the best oil available?!