Curious as to what kind of oil is best to use in a used 2009 Honda Foreman? Guy I bought it from says he got oil from NAPA. But i have heard a lot of good reports about synthetic oil. Would it hurt to use a synthetic in a used bike that just used non synthetic ? If not and you were going to use a synthetic which one would you use? Brand ,weight ? rig has 1250 miles on it. Conditions 30-60 degrees,mostly just hunting use with no pulling or carrying of anything heavy(excluding my 235 pounds !)unless I get lucky and get a big deer(200 plus)for a mile or so. Thanks Craig while we are talking about oil what would you use in the differentials?
I was told not to use the synthetic in my Honda by the dealer. The same oil is both transmission, and engine. The synthetic is too slick for the transmission.
Last edited by wabigoon; 08/29/13.
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I use synthetic in my on-road vehicles, but I'm not sure whether I will switch to syn in the ATV. My reasoning is that I would rather change the oil in the ATV much more often than required because of the extreme driving conditions rather than risk contamination of the oil and filter. The name-brand synthetic ATV oils like Yamalube and Amsoil are too expensive to be dumping after only a few hours of use.
I am strongly considering using Shell Rotella T6, which is a 5W-40 synthetic heavy-duty diesel oil. I've seen the 5 quart jugs on sale for $20, and Walmart usually has it pretty cheap, too.
Rotella T6 is JASO MA certified (i.e. few or no friction modifiers) for wet clutch use, which is supposedly a requirement for my ATV. I am not sure whether your Honda has a JASO MA spec or not.
If you google "Rotella T6 and ATV", you will see that it's commonly used by ATV owners and has a pretty good reputation.
Regular Shell Rotella T 15-40. I have been using this oil in my motorcycles, quads and just recently in the Big Red. 20+ years now with never a problem. While I have used synthetics at times for extended drain intervals, good ol' Rotella has never left me down. Also it has the JASO rating for use with a wet clutch. Great oil.
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Polaris synthetic in every one I've ever owned. Great Stuff, IMO of course I always run what the MFG recommends & change mine as sceduled in the Owners Manuel. Pretty cheap maintenance, I figure ts money well spent.
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I was told not to use the synthetic in my Honda by the dealer. The same oil is both transmission, and engine. The synthetic is too slick for the transmission.
Regular Shell Rotella T 15-40. I have been using this oil in my motorcycles, quads and just recently in the Big Red. 20+ years now with never a problem. While I have used synthetics at times for extended drain intervals, good ol' Rotella has never left me down. Also it has the JASO rating for use with a wet clutch. Great oil.
Yup. Great oil. My dad runs it in his Gold Wing. I run it in everything I have/had owned.
I simply go by what the maker requires. They recommend their own brand of oil of course. However, they require certain oil ratings. Use them. The 2009 Hondas (and later) require the use of an oil rated for motorcycle, wet-clutch engines. The Yamahas and Suzukis (and some of the older Hondas) only require an automotive rated oil. I've run almost nothing but regular Pennzoil 10W-30 in my older, 98 TRX. I use similar ordinary oils in all our more recent Ys and Ss. But I've watched way too many folks ruin top ends in their newer Hondas. I suspect the oils they use are often the culprit. Ordinary Honda brand oil is good, and it won't break the bank. Skip the fancy stuff. The benefit may or may not be there, but damage is a real possibility.
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Polaris synthetic in every one I've ever owned. Great Stuff, IMO of course I always run what the MFG recommends & change mine as sceduled in the Owners Manuel. Pretty cheap maintenance, I figure ts money well spent.
I use Mobil 1 0W40 in my Polaris. It seems to be the preferred replacement oil for Polaris engines. Polaris oil is rated as 2W40.
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Regular Shell Rotella T 15-40. I have been using this oil in my motorcycles, quads and just recently in the Big Red. 20+ years now with never a problem. While I have used synthetics at times for extended drain intervals, good ol' Rotella has never left me down. Also it has the JASO rating for use with a wet clutch. Great oil.
I run Rotella T6 5w-40 in my Yamaha Kodiak. Good stuff!
I simply go by what the maker requires. They recommend their own brand of oil of course. However, they require certain oil ratings. Use them. The 2009 Hondas (and later) require the use of an oil rated for motorcycle, wet-clutch engines. The Yamahas and Suzukis (and some of the older Hondas) only require an automotive rated oil. I've run almost nothing but regular Pennzoil 10W-30 in my older, 98 TRX. I use similar ordinary oils in all our more recent Ys and Ss. But I've watched way too many folks ruin top ends in their newer Hondas. I suspect the oils they use are often the culprit. Ordinary Honda brand oil is good, and it won't break the bank. Skip the fancy stuff. The benefit may or may not be there, but damage is a real possibility.
This is what I do also. I just go to the dealer & buy their recommended Honda branded oil. That way I'm guaranteed to get the right stuff with the right additives, and it's good quality oil. Doing it that way I've never had an oil related problem. The same thinking applies to vehicles, just use what the manufacturer recommends. If you'll do that then you'll rarely have any oil related problem. Far too many people try to over think it with the snake oil additives & going outside the recommended viscosity, not to mention those that think you have to run synthetic in everything. Just read the owners manual & use what they recommend, it'll keep you out of trouble.
not to mention those that think you have to run synthetic in everything
I don't "have" to run synthetics oils, I WANT to run synthetic oils in my vehicles. I'm not saying that conventional oils aren't adequate, I'm saying that synthetics are superior and I don't mind paying a little extra for a better product
I've never understood the guys that hammer on others for using synthetic oils, its as if they are trying to convince themselves that the cheaper option is just as good
I simply go by what the maker requires. They recommend their own brand of oil of course. However, they require certain oil ratings. Use them. The 2009 Hondas (and later) require the use of an oil rated for motorcycle, wet-clutch engines. The Yamahas and Suzukis (and some of the older Hondas) only require an automotive rated oil. I've run almost nothing but regular Pennzoil 10W-30 in my older, 98 TRX. I use similar ordinary oils in all our more recent Ys and Ss. But I've watched way too many folks ruin top ends in their newer Hondas. I suspect the oils they use are often the culprit. Ordinary Honda brand oil is good, and it won't break the bank. Skip the fancy stuff. The benefit may or may not be there, but damage is a real possibility.
This is what I do also. I just go to the dealer & buy their recommended Honda branded oil. That way I'm guaranteed to get the right stuff with the right additives, and it's good quality oil. Doing it that way I've never had an oil related problem. The same thinking applies to vehicles, just use what the manufacturer recommends. If you'll do that then you'll rarely have any oil related problem. Far too many people try to over think it with the snake oil additives & going outside the recommended viscosity, not to mention those that think you have to run synthetic in everything. Just read the owners manual & use what they recommend, it'll keep you out of trouble.
In my experience, using manufacturer-branded oils from a dealer guarantees only that you are buying a minimum spec'd product at highly inflated prices. It doesn't take an advanced degree in chemistry to figure out what the engine requires, find a high quality lubricant that meets and usually exceeds those requirements, and often pay far less for your trouble.
Several years ago on the "Bob is the Oil Guy" Internet forum, there was a lot of debate when Honda first started to recommend 5W-20 oil for its U.S. vehicles. BITOG members from Australia posted up photos of their owner's manuals for Honda vehicles with the exact same motors, and Honda recommended 15W-40 oil. The most likely scenario is that Honda recommended 5W-20 oil to better meet its American "CAFE" fuel economy standards, and they recommended 15W-40 to better protect the engines in Australia's often extremely hot climate.
Now if I lived in Arizona or Nevada and purchased a Honda that I planned to run forever, should I use what's recommended in the U.S. owner's manual (5W-20), or use my own common sense and run an oil that would protect my motor better in extremely hot climates? Should I spend $10 per quart for Honda's re-badged conventional oil that probably costs $2 per quart at Walmart under another name or wait for a good sale and spend $5 per quart for a top-quality synthetic oil with a state-of-the-art add pack? YMMV.
For 20 bucks (oil & filter,once a year) I use exactly what the maker recommends. Polaris Syn. in my case. Polaris 4 cycle engines will wear out the cam lobes with pickup motor oil.
I use Mobil 1 10w-40 motorcycle oil. I use 75w-90 synthetic gear oil in my differentials. Rotella T6 15w-40 is highly regarded. Rotella T6 is a good buy at Walmart. My ATv sits out in my trailer or my building and I like the 10w-40 for easier starts in Winter. I buy WIX oil filters at NAPA.
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Mobil 1 10W30 in my '09 Big Red. Mobil 1 10W30 in my '99 Foreman 400. I change it annually and haven't had any issues with either of them. They are both used for work and play, including ploughing, seeding and dragging food plots.
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