Castrol Power 1 4T synth

[mike0179]

Hey All! First post here. Just purchased my 2016 CBR650F and going through the motions of "paranoid maintenance" that I do when purchasing a used vehicle. I just assume the previous owner never did anything right

As such, engine oil is always changed ASAP. Not to start another engine oil debate, but does anybody have any experience with Castrol Power1 4T synthetic?

According to their website the oil: "Exceeds Specifications API SL, JASO MA-2"

The CBR650F manual states "... an equivalent motor oil API service classification: SG or higher, JASO T903 standard: MA"

I'm fairly certain this oil is acceptable on paper, but I was curious if any seasoned owners have experience with this flavor.

 

[Brammers]

Castrol power 4t 10w30 is a perfect oil. Its what my main Honda dealer used.

I use the power1 4t racing fully synth, no issues in 29000 miles.

J

 

[Road Hog]

I guess it depends where you live, in thailand i use Shell Advance 10w-40 4t ultra full synthetic oil. It's great
for the hot weather.And it's what my honda dealer recommends. As with most oils changing it often is best
as it starts braking down after the first 1500 miles.

 

[Brammers]

A good oil should easily last the 8000 miles between services, unless you're racing the bike all the time on track days, then I'd change it sooner.

Anything else is a waste of money.

J

 

[Road Hog]

It's not that simple Brammers,There are a lot of factors when changing oil.I use a dam good oil,and always use a new honda oil filter but after 5000km
it's time to come out.It looks dark and used up.I also change my air filter sooner than it should be changed.Also I always push my bike as there are very few
cops on the roads and it gets very hot in northern thailand.I would not get 8000km let alone 8000 miles from a oil change over here.The 10w-40 is also best
for hot spots. A little info on the subject.

http://www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/motorcycle-oil-what-difference-does-it-make/

 

[Brammers]

Agreed on the w40 for warmer environments.

Have you ever tested the oil to see if it's still in-grade? Or are you going on looks alone?

J

 

[Road Hog]

Looks alone,as bangkok would be the only place to test and i get lost in that town.Even thou there are no race tracks where
i live i still push my bike hard.Just changed my oil yesterday,looks and feels like shit after 5000km.If i used honda mineral oil
i would be lucky to get 2000km

 

[Brammers]

I ride hard, and now it's pushing 100bhp out the engine it's harder still.

It's be interesting to see how bad the oil actually is... You might be surprised. Mine has done 7000 miles and is light brown in colour still.

Gear changes are starting to feel the age of the oil, but nothing major yet.


I use oem oil filters.

J

 

[miweber929]

Good quality synthetic motorcycle oil doesn’t even start “working” fully until 1,500-2,000 miles so changing it, even if you think you’re running the motor extra hard (you’re not doing anything the bike wasn’t designed for, btw), is doing nithung but lightening your wallet and giving you a warm fuzzy feeling. Your call, but not needed.

There are plenty of online, mail order, oil testing places that will tell you what you need to know. Looks and feel are two different things and synthetic oil has a lot of detergents in it that make it look dark after 1,000 but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Amsoil FEELS and drains out in a very watery constancy after a couple thousand miles in my experience, not to mention it’s coal black, but every other synthetic I’ve used, and it’s a lot, looks black but stays in a form that feels like oil.

The article you linked talks about types, not length of time. Search a bit on how long you should go before changing from a reliable source, you’d be surprised at what people find after having their oil analyzed. If you can’t find anything I’ll link a few. Synthetic and synthetic blends are a definite step above a conventional oil, you’ll get zero argument out of anyone about that. But my opinion, yes I said my opinion, is at your oil change interval, R @Road Hog, you’d see zero difference in using a conventional, motorcycle oil.

Op, Castrol is good oil and the Power 1 Synthetic stuff was the recommended oil for years by Triumph in all of their bikes. I have used it in my two triumphs and found it to perform and hold up well; it’ll work great in your bike. I’ve been partial to Maxima synthetic blend as it’s a good performer at a good price point but really like the Ducati branded, Shell Advance full synthetic that Ducati recommends and will try to use that in the bike as long as I own it.

 

[mike0179]

Thank you all for the input I found that oil on Amazon for 50$ for 6 qts so I'll snag that today.

I live in the mid-west US, so I'll be riding in 50 - 100F + weather. 10-40 will do fine. I don't get out in the cold too much with the bike. I wasn't worried about the weight so much even though the manual says 10-30. I'd rather use the temperature recommendations on the bottle than the Honda manual on that.

 

[Brammers]

10w30 and 10w40 will both be fine at that temperature range

 

[miweber929]

10w30 and 10w40 will both be fine at that temperature range

This. You’ll be fine with either 10w30 or 10w40.

 

[Jerry]

A good oil should easily last the 8000 miles between services, unless you're racing the bike all the time on track days, then I'd change it sooner.

The owner's manual lists oil change as something that should be done annually as well. I ride a lot less than 8000 miles a year. Would you say it's ok to keep the oil in there for, say, 1.5 years if that's how long it takes to do 8k miles, or do you really need to freshen it up every 12 months?

 

[Brammers]

I'd say it'd be OK personally. It depends on storage conditions.

My engine uses a little oil, so in 8k miles it's had a 1/3 of an oil change anyway. 😁

I'll probably change it at 18 months (~6k miles) , but only because its being stripped for other maintenance tasks over the winter.

J

 

[Ionutzu33]

I'll pop in and give my input too. I would not reccomend holding the same oil for more then a season/1 year.
The reccomandation i got from knowledgeable riders would be: next year, run it for 50-100km then change the oil. This way it cleans up any rests and leftovers from around the engine and a fresh set of oil will only do it good.
So, since it's not expensive change it at least yearly. I usually do an oil change at about 5000-6000km just to be on the safe side.

 

[Brammers]

My plan is to do a final run mid November then pull her to bits for the winter, so we are in agreement.

J

 

[bobstrax]

My plan is to do a final run mid November then pull her to bits for the winter, so we are in agreement.

J

I sense a winter customisation project coming along ? ......did you spend that "fat bonus" wisely

 

[Brammers]

Yes, on a new TV 😂

That said, the bike won't appear the same as it goes away. So you are correct.

J

 

[bobstrax]

Happy days.....have fun

 

[Rocket Crotch]

OK, I'll chime in with a plug for Rotella T6. It meets JASO MA standards and doesn't contain friction modifiers that would intefere with wet clutch operation. Many people with various motorcycles have used it with great results including myself. It's also very affordable and readily available in most places. That being said, nothing wrong with Castrol - it just costs more.