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What oil to use?
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Posted by: iaboy30

Im tired of paying outragous prices at the local Honda dealership for oil. I was thinking about using Castrol 10w-30 like i do in my truck. Would that be okay for the motor?

Posted by: TC426EX

You dont want to use car motor oil in your quad man... You need to just bite the bullet and pay for the good stuff like you have been. The clutch is lubed by the same oil as the rest of the motor, so most ATV oils have a semi synthetic composition that takes this into consideration. For warm temp's you wanna be running a 20w50 oil and for cooler temps then you can run the 10w. Oil is one thing you dont want to chintz on man, especially on the 400ex... It is the only thing lubing and keeping it cool other than air...

Posted by: nky400

quote:
Originally posted by TC426EX
Oil is one thing you dont want to chintz on man, especially on the 400ex...

when people start to read this, everyone is going to tell you to run Mobil 1 15w50 red cap. yes it is expensive, its about $4-5 a quart. it is great oil and will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

Posted by: sickmojave

quote:
Originally posted by nky400
when people start to read this, everyone is going to tell you to run Mobil 1 15w50 red cap. yes it is expensive, its about $4-5 a quart. it is great oil and will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

I agree And that's what I use

Posted by: Jumbo747

just switched to the red cap today in my 450r...ran it in my old 400ex for along time with zero troubkle & loved it

Posted by: hondarider2006

I run mobile 1 red cap and have 0 problems. Great stuff!

Posted by: 400ex28

I run castrol go atv stuff

Posted by: Cheech30067

hello,

i have been calling every dealer ship in town. and no one carry's Castrol ATV go oil. if you could let me know where you get yours it would be great. also how do you like it from the other oils

Thanks

Posted by:

quote:
Originally posted by Cheech30067
hello,

i have been calling every dealer ship in town. and no one carry's Castrol ATV go oil. if you could let me know where you get yours it would be great. also how do you like it from the other oils

Thanks

Go to walmart and get some red cap mobil 1 and be done with it.

That castrol is just another conventional oil that breaks down after 3 hours of use. Get mobil 1 and go 30 hours before it breaks down.

Your motor will love you for it..

Posted by: Jumbo747

i just found out my mobile 1 red cap completely voided my warranty from honda which had 4 months left on it.....oops

Posted by: 400ex28

Castrol is fine ive been running it for a while now

Posted by: wvspeedfreak

Hey Jumbo747 how did you find out that it voids your warranty?

Posted by: TC426EX

quote:
Originally posted by Jumbo747
i just found out my mobile 1 red cap completely voided my warranty from honda which had 4 months left on it.....oops

Eh big deal man, those warranties are a pain in the *** anyway, and you usually cant TOUCH the motor whatsoever or you void it. You cant really touch your BIKE for that matter or it could void it. When I took my 400 off the showroom I passed on the warranty because I knew once I got it home it was straight to the chopping block with all the stock parts (straight to EBAY with em...) and on with some good aftermarket parts and motor work!! The extended warranty was like 600 bucks or something like that... You could pretty much get any parts you need for that bike over time and not spend 600 bucks, plus you cant touch the motor which sucks... Youre not much worse off man without it jumbo, it just sucks that you paid for it and didnt get to milk it out to the last day!

Posted by: Cheech30067

should i still run the Mobil Red Cap on my 400ex or will this void my warranty. Are you guys sure this oil is really that good?

Posted by: Jumbo747

quote:
Originally posted by Cheech30067
should i still run the Mobil Red Cap on my 400ex or will this void my warranty. Are you guys sure this oil is really that good?

yes...the mobile 1 is better for your ATV then the regular stuff but once you run it you want to keep running it & not go off experimenting with cheap stuff again. I didnt care about the warranties hoobaboloo b/c its a HONDA...nothing will ever go wrong! they kept trying to get me to buy some $800 6 year warranty & I asked them "whats gonna happem? its not gonna blow up or anything?" that got that sales rep girl to stfu.

Posted by: red2004 TRX450R

i HAVE A TRX450R AND I WAS GONG TO RUN mobile 1 red cap IN THE MOTER SIDE..
BUT THE HONDA TRANS OIL "STUFF IN THE FUNNEY LOOKING BOTTLE" IN THE TRANS SIDE...
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD OR SHOULD I RUN mobile 1 IN BOTH

Posted by: Jumbo747

quote:
Originally posted by red2004 TRX450R
i HAVE A TRX450R AND I WAS GONG TO RUN mobile 1 red cap IN THE MOTER SIDE..
BUT THE HONDA TRANS OIL "STUFF IN THE FUNNEY LOOKING BOTTLE" IN THE TRANS SIDE...
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD OR SHOULD I RUN mobile 1 IN BOTH

i would run the HP4 2 stroke honda transmission stuff in the transmission side whcih Is what I do..its like 85w/80 or something & then the mobile 1 red cap in the left side...i wouldnt run the red cap in the transmission

Posted by: throwinitup

how is kendal gt-1 sae 40 weight?

Posted by: vetteblues10

switched to red cap yesterday. thanks for the advice everyone.

Posted by: Florida400EX

My mobile 1 red capwas like $3 a bottle at Walmart.

Posted by: SnowFlake

I just got moblil 1 with the green cap which is 10w-30, just wondering if thats going to be ok.

Posted by: nky400

quote:
Originally posted by Florida400EX
My mobile 1 red capwas like $3 a bottle at Walmart.

damn, i need to move to florida! Mobil 1 red cap 15w50 was $4.77 a quart when i bought some at Wal Mart two weeks ago.

Posted by: chuckles

quote:
Originally posted by SnowFlake
I just got moblil 1 with the green cap which is 10w-30, just wondering if thats going to be ok.

NO MAN! thats stuff isnt the same...all the other oils but the red cap 15w50 has friction modifers in it and that messes with the clutches in these bikes.

I use red cap and love it and so do everyone else i know that rides including most all the guys on this site...i dont think u will have any problems.

Posted by: KingKash420

i use royal purple motor oil on the advice of my local shop, its the oil he uses in all his shop bikes and customer rides and he swears by it

after doing my research i found its one of the best oils you can possibly buy but it is on the expensive side

check it out for yourself:

http://www.royalpurple.com/techa/whyrpa.html

Posted by: EXtremeEXer50

why dont u guys jsut run honda oil straight from the factory it is like 10 bucks for 6 quarts at my local dealer and i think it is great for the price!

Posted by: chuckles

because the fully synthetic stuff is like 8 bucks a quart for the honda stuff.....and it breaks down alot quicker than mobile 1 redcap(also fully synthetic) and mobile 1 is only like 4.50 a quart. try it man i think ull like it...

Posted by: Jumbo747

quote:
Originally posted by EXtremeEXer50
why dont u guys jsut run honda oil straight from the factory it is like 10 bucks for 6 quarts at my local dealer and i think it is great for the price!

b/c it isnt straight from a honda factory...mobile 1 is better too...easier to obain if out of town also

Posted by: 2001-400ex'er

Is the Valvolive ATV oil I put in my 400ex crap? I have used it in my last 6 fourwheelers with no problems but i guess i should just go to the mobile red cap stuff, oh yah-mostly the reason i bought this stuff was because it said it was for atvs and was cheap ( i know thats not real smart).

Posted by: Jumbo747

quote:
Originally posted by 2001-400ex'er
Is the Valvolive ATV oil I put in my 400ex crap? I have used it in my last 6 fourwheelers with no problems but i guess i should just go to the mobile red cap stuff, oh yah-mostly the reason i bought this stuff was because it said it was for atvs and was cheap ( i know thats not real smart).

thats stuff is fine man

Posted by: Parrella450

alright...first time im servicing my bike this weekend and im gonna take you guy's advice and go with the Mobil 1 red cap for my motor. What should i run in hte tranny?

Posted by: Jumbo747

i run this in my tranny http://powersports.honda.com/images/the_goods/accessories/119_157_oils_and_chemicals/2_stroke_oils/large/08C35-A851M01_large.jpg find it at ur local honda shop

Posted by: Meeso

I agree, use the Mobile 1. I just switched over after the break in on my 2004 400EX and already can tell the difference. I am sold after all these years playing around with the cheap stuff.

Warrantees suck. Save your money. I am fighting a dealership right now for some small fasteners that rattled loose from my daughters 90ex. They say they will replace them if I take it in for the $200.00 initial tune up that I did myself, but just send me the 30 cent plastic pieces so I can fix it myself, NOOOOO. I'd haul it down there if it weren’t 5 hours away (in a different state). You'd think they would be happy that I am not sucking up their service guys on warrantee junk, but I can already see that this is going to be involved. That’s the service you get on a 2-month-old bike that is "Under Warrantee"!

Save your Money......Use synthetic and do the work yourself if you can..........And never buy the Extended Warrantee, it's not worth it.

Posted by: Shift_400EX

do any of you run amzoil?

Posted by: buddy what not

i have been using valvoline 10w40 in all my fourwheelers with zero problems i had a 2001 yamaha kodiak that i put 15000 kms on it (yes it was used alot and drivin hard to) never had n e problems and had a 2001 honda cr80 used the same oil no problems i now have a 1999 300ex i have been using valvoline 15w40 nothing so far so i think its just fine unless ur into hard core racing i guess then id use the mobile 1 red cap it stays cleaner longer !

Posted by: Jersey450R

OMG its only oil geeze! Stick with the GN4 10-40 made by honda. It wont void your warantee and its one of the best oils made!!!

Posted by: MixMasterMike

quote:
Originally posted by Jersey450R
OMG its only oil geeze! Stick with the GN4 10-40 made by honda. It wont void your warantee and its one of the best oils made!!!

neither will mobile 1

Posted by: Meeso

True on the warrantee deal. I have been riding the snot out of my 400 here lately, and notice the difference with the synthetic. The bike runs a lot cooler and the dipstick has not changed color at all. I am thinking about the over-sized oil tank and/or an electric fan on the oil cooler. I notice some of the work ATV's use them (electric fans) with a thermostat to help during slower riding and trails when there is reduced air flow. Anyone have any advice on either the tank or the fan? Pro's or Con's?

Posted by: ewalker302

You certainly wont hurt your 400 using castrol 10w-40 or any other conventional motor oil, as long as you keep it clean--changed. The only thing you want to stay away from are automotive synthetics other than the Mobil 1 red cap as most of them do contain friction modifiers.

I have run conventional motor oil, just whatever I happened to have in my 86 250 since I got it new. It's def beat to hell, but it still runs great, & does'nt smoke at all.

Posted by: simoniz

Have any of you had shifting problems using Mobil1 red cap??

Posted by: torqen2k1

Mobil 1 is the cap red? Becasue Ive seen a red cap Mobil 1 but it was 15w50 is that right? and it said it was for cars. it didnt mention anything about motorcycle oil. and then next to it was Mobil1 motorcycle oil with a black cap that was 10w 40. MX4T which one is it?

Posted by: torqen2k1

Is this the RED CAP everyone is talking about http://www.mobil1.com/index.jsp or is this the oil everyone uses http://www.mobil1.com/motorcycle/index.jsp

Posted by: torqen2k1

quote:
Originally posted by torqen2k1
Is this the RED CAP everyone is talking about http://www.mobil1.com/index.jsp or is this the oil everyone uses http://www.mobil1.com/motorcycle/index.jsp

Can someone answer my question. I need to now what stuff to buy for my next oil change.

Posted by: MixMasterMike

yes..it is mobile 1 red cap 15w-50 synethetic....best stuff ...here is a picture of it http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid129/p6332637dba2f6b4458b0f0abcc022712/f7cfc314.jpg

Posted by: torqen2k1

Thanx MixMasterMike for posting the pic.