Motorcyclist argue about oil almost as much beer! Seems everyone swears by their brand, and everything else is either trash or overpriced! Personally, I prefer the "overpriced".

There are two schools of thought when it comes to oil;

• Use synthetic oil (i.e., Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec, or Spectro Motorcycle oil). Synthetics were designed for high speed engines, and maintain their protective qualities far longer than traditional oils. As a result, you can go longer between oil changes. Of course, wild claims are made as to just how long you can stretch it. When used in cars, I've heard claims up to 25,000 miles. The ONLY downside to synthetic oils is the cost, which is usually 2 to 3 times as much as the dead dinosaur juice.

• Use petroleum based oils. They are fine for motorcycles, as long as you use the type recommended in your owner's manual, and change it at the recommended intervals. After all, the manufacturer knows what's good for the bike. Using synthetic oil is just a waste of money.

Well, I'm a firm believer in "taking no chances". I use synthetic oil, and I change it every 3,000 miles. My bike only uses 3.1 quarts anyway. I don't mind the $12.00, and at that rate my bike should last forever!! I'm not about to do any scientific studies on the subject, but I will pass on my observations.

My Nighthawk, during the first 3,000 miles, used about 1/5 quart of oil every 1,000 miles, which would equate to roughly 1 quart in 5,000 miles. I switched to Mobil 1 at the start of my trip, ran at sustained high speeds for a good portion of the 4,700 miles, and added probably less than 1/2 quart total for the entire period. That's quite a bit less, especially if you take into account that the first 3,000 miles was fairly tame, mostly under 70 mph, and many of the trip miles were long periods between 80 & 90 mph. When I changed the oil at the end of the trip, it still looked fine, almost as good as the new stuff. Can't say the same for conventional oils.

Now that my riding has returned to my normal day to day commute, my oil consumption is non-existant. The bike has used no oil for the last 3,000 miles. It still looks clean and fresh. Of course, I'm still going to change it soon.

Lest we forget oil filters, there is no reason to pay the extra money for the Honda filter. Fram's is just as good. They had a bit of a scare a few year's back, when some defective oil filters hit the market, but I'm told that problem has not recurred since.

Here's a few basic oil tips:

• Don't screw in the oil cap/level gauge when you check the oil.
• The bike must be perfectly level and upright to get an accureate oil level measurement.
• Keep your oil level between the dipstick marks. Too much oil can effect engine performance and operation of the clutch. Too little oil will make your engine run hotter and lead to premature engine wear.
• Check your oil level by :
  • Running the engine at idle for a few minutes
  • Stop the engine, pull the cap/dipstick, and wipe it off with a clean rag
  • After a couple of minutes to allow the oil to settle, insert the cap, but do not screw it in
  • Pull the cap/dipstick, insure that the oil is between the 2 marks, preferably close to the top mark but not over. Add oil as necessary to bring it up to the correct level.
• Always change your oil filter when changing oil. It's foolish to leave dirty oil in the system.
• Always check for leaks after changing oil.
• The oil will drain faster with the filler cap removed.
• Make sure you clean the area on the engine where the oil filter gasket seats.
• Don't forget to put a thin layer of clean engine oil on the new oil filter gasket prior to installing it.
• Tighten the oil filter to 7 ft. lb. If you don't have a torque wrench, just tighten it as much as you can by hand. That should be sufficient.

Tired of paying exorbitant prices for your oil filters?? Here's a list of the FRAM equivalent oil filters:

• 250 : The 250 Nighthawk doesn't use an oil filter. Just drain and refill.
• 450 : CH6008 around $5.00 at most independant dealers
• 550 : CH6009 also around $5.00
• 82- 650 : CH6009
• 83-85 650: CH6009
• 84-86 700S:
  • PH6010A around $7.50
  • Purolater ML16810, $3.99
  • Wix, # 51334
• 82-83 750: CH6009
• 91-97 750: PH6017A I've seen these as low as $5.99 -- as high as $9.99

Although the vast majority of a motocycles moving parts are in the engine and transmission, there are many others in various locations. They all need lubrication if your bike is going to perform at its peak capabilities, and last a long time. Your bike may have other points to lubricate which are not listed below. Your owners's manual should tell you where and how often to lube.

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