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.

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.

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.

Rotella 15W-40

^^^^This.

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.

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.

I run Rotella T6 5w-40 in my Yamaha Kodiak. Good stuff!

My 2011 Yam-Grizz has 9000 miles with ordinary 10W-30 automotive oil in it, usually a Mobil brand since that was what I bought a case of gallons of.

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.

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

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.

Polaris Synthetic and Filter in my Sportsman 500. Too many grease fittings, but they get TLC as well.

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.

T6 is a 5w-40 synthetic and it is fantastic stuff

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.

Dang, how'd I miss that? I'll have to check the Rotella T6 out. Thanks.

I use Can Am synthetic. Seems to do well. I don't change except once a year. 2008 Can Am with 1100 miles.....we don't ride a lot.....

My Napa was out of their "premium" oil filters for my 06 Rhino so i went with the standard grade filter. Does the fact that it[oil] is for trans as well as engine play a role? Should I go back and have them get me the premium filter?

In cases where a conventional oil is perfectly adequate, using something "better" is often equivalent to using stainless nails in the construction of a house. Are they better? Sure. Do they do anything better in ordinary, non-salt-soaked wood)? No. Do they cost more? Yes, a lot more.

Besides, a lot of synthetic oil is simply a more purified/modified form of mineral oil anyway. The additive package is probably more important than the exact type of base oil used.

I use a heavy duty diesel engine oil in all my ORV's. Currently IM using Chevron Dello 15w40. The zinc levels(anti wear additives) are much higher than gasoline engine oil and they also are formulated with much more detergent.

Someone already mentioned if it has a wet clutch make sure you use an oil with the JASO rating.

Any 10w40,15-40,or 20-50 is fine with wet clutches. The lighter weight oils all have friction modifiers for mileage purposes hence they can cause problems with wet clutches.

Some wet-clutch manufacturers sell 0W- and 5W- weight oils as well as 10W-30 oils which meet wet clutch ratings (JASO-MA ratings). The viscosity numbers only refer to viscosity, not the qualities used to determine suitability for wet clutch operation.

Any old oil may work much of the time; the correctly rated oil will get you beyond "much" of the time, closer to "all" of the time.



Make sure it is not only JASO, but JASO-MA. The Japanese Automotive Standards Organization rates oils in various ways just as other oil rating organizations do.

I use Honda G4 oil in my Foreman but have used the Valvoline 4-Stroke ATV oil in the past and it worked just fine. I switched to the Honda oil because it is actually cheaper than the Valvoline. Like others have already said, the Foreman runs a wet clutch setup so it requires a specific type of oil.

I will be using at temps between 30 degrees and 65 degrees or so .
Craig

What I said pertains to the last few ratings for automotive oil. You might find a manufacturer specific oil thats Jaso-ma in the lighter weights, but I really cant stomach running a 0w, 0r 5w oil in a atv due the shearing involved with typical atv designs.

I was in the local Dollar store today and looking at their Oils and Although they had several different brands all of them said enviromentaly friendly except they had some PenzoilHigh Mileage vehicle oil.
Brown container.Says itis suitable for all carsuv and light van and truck under all driving conditions.For vehicles calling for API SN and all previous categories. Says nothing about wet clutches.
I dont see anything about JASO or JASO_ MA that I know of.
They had 10W-30 and 10-W40,I bought 5 Quarts of the 10W-30.
I have not used it yet and can take it back if it is not a good oil for my Honda Foreman 500.
Anyone know anything about this oil and whether I want to use it in my ATV or not.
Thanks
Craig

I have run nothing but 10W-30 in my old 98 300 TRX, most of it regular old yellow bottle Pennzoil. However, that machine didn't call for anything other than an automotive rated oil, and many/most people never had issues with standard automotive oils in those engines. The newer engines seem to be pickier and do call specifically for the JASO - MA rating. Ordinary 10W-30 will undoubtedly still work most of the time, but the right rated oil is the only thing I would run in one of the newer Hondas. It costs a lot of money to get oils tested so they don't all get tested for every rating even if they might qualify. However, I suspect they would invest the money if they actually formulated the oil to meet a certain test. Consequently I would probably not run an oil that didn't specify compliance.

BTW, I am not brand loyal to machine manufacturer oils at all.

I called pennzoil and the Tech i talked with said that this was a good oil but not to use it in ATV as it had ingredients in it that was not good for wet clutches.
He said unfortunetly they had no oils good for an atv,that they had made one years back but that it sat on the shelves and didn,t sell very well so they Dropped it from the line.

Just get the Honda G4 oil and be done with it. Why risk engine/transmission troubles trying to save a few bucks? And you only need to cahnge the oil and filter in these things once a year. I've got almost 4000 miles on my engine with zero failures and that includes sinking it twice in 2 different creeks.

Icalled a Honda dealership today and the rep there said that Honda was now recommending a 10w-30 oil,said it was about $6.00 ,price doesn,t make any difference because as you say what am I going to change it once a year!
Now I am just concerned with the best for my Rig and my conditions.
Narrowed it down(lol) to Rotella 5w-40 T6,Valvolene 10w40 atv or motorcycle oil,Honda 10W-30 oil.price means nothing,out of these three which one ?
Honda Foreman 2009 Manual shift
Hey while we are at it do I need a special oil for the air filter? and which gear and differential oil?

I'd go with either the Valvoline or the Honda oil. No special oil for the filter, just keep it clean. I use either K&N filter cleaner or regular gasoline and let it air dry then hit it with some K&N filter oil on the inside, put it in a ziplock bag and spread the oil with your hands.

I use hypoid gear oil SAE #80 in my diffs. Pay close attention to the oil filter, it has to go in a certain way and if you put it in backwards you can damage your motor.

Tthanks ,I appreciate the help and advice.
Have to check out that air filter for sure!

Why only change the oil once a year? I suppose one might get by with a 12 month interval at the outside, but I would imagine most people hit the mileage interval well before that. I know some of the Hondas specify a 600 mile interval, some probably longer, but oil breaks down after it has been exposed to combustion by-products. I'd run cheaper oil before I stretched the change intervals that far. Certainly twice a year won't break the bank, and in severe climates, once a month has worked out very well for us (though I do cheat and follow the mileage spec on our Yam/Griz. At 800 miles per change, that means about 5-7 changes per year.)

Not to mention the shearing effect many atv engines have on oil...Oil is cheap insurance.

I use Rotella 15-40 for about everything. Never had a problem

If I need to change it more I certainly want to.
I just dont know how often to change it.I am certain I will be running the Machine about 50 miles a month for 10 and a half months and probably 10 miles a day for the deer season.
If I dont sink it and get water in it, riding 2 to 15 MPH or so during the off season with the toughest riding(most mud and water and stop and goes )during the deer season,how often would you suggest changing the oil ?The plug,the diff and gear oil?Air and oil filter?
Thanks
Craig

I use a HD diesel oil as well. formulated way more robustly than gasoline rated oils. and Rotella comes in a 10w30 as well.

I just don't feel comfortable keeping the same oil in these little engines more than about three or four months. When in doubt, I change it. In the cold months, especially when the engine may not get thoroughly warmed during short periods of use, I change the oil each month. Oil filters come out every time for replacement. I generally use EMCO, but I'll use a FRAM from time to time (since it comes with an O-ring for the cover which can sometimes leak if it gets sliced a bit when the cover is removed or replaced.)

I like to change the gear cases fluids every year, though Honda suggests 2 years for the interval. I check the air filter from time to time to see how much dirt is getting into the box; they say every 600 miles. I must admit that I rarely even turn a spark plug on these ATVs. I think I've changed the plug once - just because it seemed like something that should be done- on my 98 300 TRX; that machine must have at least 30,000 miles on it.

I say that because I don't use mine year round, i'd be lucky to put 500 miles on in a year. I've had no issues with my motor/transmission/differentials other than swamping it in a high creek a few times. I always check the oil and diff levels before going on a ride and top off as required but usually my fluids are good to go. I know your situation and it is certainly much different than mine.

Synthetic oil, especially in small quantities for an ATV do not cost "a lot more". You are literally talking about a couple bucks. It sure helps on mornings when its cold and that to me is worth a couple of dollars

I just ended up getting the Honda Motorcycle oil 10w-30 and the gear oil from a Honda dealership.Only thing I forgot to get was the Air filter oil,Is there anything else I can use for this as it is over a 45 mile round trip back to dealership.

Just go to any auto parts store and tell them you need some foam air filter oil.

Thanks ,I appreciate the information.

Craig

Never had an ATV, but have worked on a few for people....

have had several air cooled Motorcycles tho over the years...

must be left over from my old college days and keeping VWs on the road...

I know you can't run 'any old oil' in an application with a wet clutch, unless you want to have to replace it earlier than need be...

In the motorcycles I have owned, I only rode them in warm to hot weather, and I let them warm up a little, like I do any engine, before I take off in it...

so due to that and the shear factor, I ran plain old diesel rated 30 wt... If I had to run Multi Wt for any reason, then it would be a good name brand 15 W 40.... I am partial to Mobil brand oils tho...

I'd put 8 to 10,000 miles a year on a motorcycle, so I'd usually do two changes a year.... the second on July 15th which would be half of riding season over with...

My motorcycles were Hondas, and I checked it out and found out it worked, instead of the spendy small motorcycle filters, I found a Honda Car filter would spin right on there and was also was bigger, and cheaper and could be picked up at any auto parts store....so I just ran a high quality brand auto filter...

would spray paint the filter cannister flat black before installing it..., so I didn't get any crap from some of those motorcycle purists...

I use Mobil 1 in my lawnmower, quad, truck, and 2 cars. Have for years and all run perfect and use no oil. I run the 5w-30 in all year round.

mobil 1 in my 2008 650 brute force

FYI:



I'm sure Mobil appreciates the customer loyalty to their Mobil 1 automotive product. However, even they don't recommend it as the most suitable for engine and clutch/transmission applications. One will never be mislead my looking for the ATV engine manufacturer's oil rating recommendation. (And some are okay with an automotive oil rating.)