nklr: endurance riding

[Skip Faulkner]

> I just changed the Honda 20W-50 out of my A13 this morning, installed a

new

> filter with Kawasaki 10W-40 oil. I noted that the Honda oil, only in the > engine about 10 or 20 miles, was not very black after draining. > > It is subjective, but the transmission seems to shift better and neutral

is

> easy to find. We'll see if the engine rattles when started cold. I'll

bet

> it doesn't. I'm glad to report there were no new shavings in the filter > housing. > > Jim

Jim, this is late I know, but I`m catching up. One very strong and likely cause for this is the weights you`re using, not the brands. 20w based oil is a little heavy for most motorcycle use except in warm or hot weather, especially 20W50. I have problems with it in the mornings, due to our cool nights (38 degrees F. last night) but as the day warms up, it`s ok. This heavier oil is not able to properly film in the transmission and flow to critical parts of the engine when the oil is cool, compared to a lighter oil. When you switched to a lighter grade oil, your problem went away, which makes sense. Also, there have been several tech articles ( I`ll try to find them) that show a little horsepower loss with 20w based oils in motorcycles, due to it`s increased resistance against moving parts in the engine. In my opinion, it`s negligible when compared to the better protection you get with 20w oil in hot weather. An alternative is 15w based oils, which are a good compromise. Skip

[njtc@mail.ocis.net]

I have just done the Alberta 2000 ride this last weekend on my A13. I got some looks from the serious guys on their ST1100/R1100RT/Trophy etc, but what the hey. The bike is bog stock (have not had a chance to get stuff yet since I only got it on the 1st of this month) with an Avon Gripster on the back. I covered 2162.1 km in 25:16 on a ride which criss crossed central Alberta. Absolutely no problems with the bike during the event and on the 800+km ride there and back. Gas consumption varied depending on how the right wrist was orientated, but averaged 20km/litre (56mpg). I found that it was possible to move all over the place on the bike so did not suffer any long term discomforts. It never ceases to amaze me. A question: the gas tank is listed as 23litres with 2.9litres of reserve. I found myself going on reserve consistently at 360km and then only needing 18/19 litres to fill the tank, with fill ups happening pretty well straight away. SO, is the reserve bigger than listed or is this a case of fuel needing to be sloshed over from one side to the other to get a true idea of where reserve should be needed? Comments welcome. Nick