Yuku free message boards

Sebastionbear wrote:

1. Are aftermarket oil filters OK? I have read that Honda 750/4 filters are the same. Can anyone confirm this, and more to the point are they cheaper?
2. Oil. What have you found to be the best? Synthetic vs non-synthetic?
3. Sparking plugs? What have you used? Has anyone tried platinum?
4. K&N air filters? Cost in Aust vs getting from somewhere like Murphs? I have also read of problems with the Uniflow(?) filters in both fitment and breaking down of the elements.
5. Final drive lubricant. What have people used?
6. Best source of the above?
7. Anything I have missed?

I have just bought two pre 1994 GTR wheels which I am polishing and painting, replacing bearings and discs, and fitting new tyres. Someone (Andrew?) was saying Cheng Shin Barracuda tyres were good. I think we are now becoming limited in manufacturers supporting the 16/18" sizes and want to try something different.

Cheers, Craig

Yes, we are getting somewhat limited in 16/18" tyres, although 18's for teh front still allow some choice.I run a 110/90/18 Barracuda on teh front. It is a taller profile than factory, but it gives a spot on speedo reading and it's a fairly wide 110, so it makes a big difference to teh front of teh bike. Much more planted.
On to your questions:
1. Aftermarket filters just fine. I run Emgo filters, which I buy six at a time online. I want to say the part number is 30-1010 but I am not 100% sure. Various vendors, locally I typically haunt Ebay or use Zpower in Woolongong. When buying oil filters, get at least one that includes O rings. Just ask for one with O rings, they will know. You want to replace the oil filter cover O rings around every fifth filter change or so.
2.I've run various oils. Been running Shell Rimula X for some while now and teh bike loves it. Have also used Castrol GTX with no ill effect, and one synthetic that really didn't do anything spectacular one way or teh other. Frankly, synthetics are fairly pointless unless you get a brand new bike and want to keep it forever.
3. I am currently running NGK Iridium plugs in my bike. I got them very cheap when working at Repco. I bought them so I didn't have to change plugs for 80k kms, a side bonus has been much better cold starts and cold idling. These are what you want:

4. I run a standard replacement aftermarket air filter. Teh stock filter is HUGE, and can be rinsed and reused several times. It is readily available, as it is the same filter used in the Ninjas of teh era. Again, got one through Zpower.
5. I just use whatever differential oil of teh correct weight I have in teh shed at teh time. I believe I last used Castrol.
6. I buy my lubricants at Super Cheap or BigW, whoever has a sale on or a special.
7. Flush and bleed brakes every two years, along with flushing cooling system and adding fresh coolant. Grease swingarm pivots yearly or more frequently if you have lots of rain. Drain forks and refill every 60k kms. Inspect wheel bearings for side play every 25k kms, along with steering stem bearings. A GTR will go through steering stem and front wheel bearings in less than 100k kms, and if you have over 70k kms, they need close monitoring.

Regards, Andrew.

codhog wrote:

---

Thanks for the heads up Andrew, is 15 - 60 too sticky to maintain oil preasure or is there greater danger of initial oil stavation in the top end at start up? I must admitt I made the choice due to the propencity for the GTR to run at a near constant regulated temperature, and I'm always very diligent about warming the bike to near operating temperatures before ridding.
When I lived in Daylesford I ran 15 - 60 for years in the R100 RS, but that was a far different motor configeration to the GTR.
Cheers

Glen

Yes, teh R100 is an aircooled engine, they have looser tolerances and can use a thicker oil.
I would say 10w60 in a GTR engine is definitely flirting with starvation on cold mornings, as I said, I would never run that weight in even an old, tired GTR engine.
These engines are liquid cooled, and tolerances are as tight as modern engines. The risks with a thicker oil are oil starvation when cold (oil won't flow nearly as fast). The oil pump may even partially pump teh sump dry for a short period on a cold start with really thick oil. There have even been cases of oil pump drive gears being sheared by really thick oils.
Thick oils also considerably increase internal engine friction for no real gain if the clearances of the engine are in spec. The bearings are actually designed with a certain clearance to allow oil to flow through them at a certain rate, to allow lubrication, but more importantly, cooling of the bearings. A thicker oil just slows down the oil flow through the bearings.
The other thing is that thicker oils take serious power to pump, it is measurable on dynos. These bikes just don't need teh thicker oil, it may quieten them a little, but teh noises these engines make are normal. It is teh fairing that amplifies the noises. The noisy parts of these engines are the cam chain, generator chain and valves. Cam chain is easily fixed with a proper adjuster, generator chain is a stretched chain and valves you have to live with. Every engine with non hydraulic valve lash has noisy valves. Thicker oil merely masks the issue, it doesn't fix anything.
Penrite is wrong recommending any /w50 oil for these engines in winter, it is far too thick. In the height of summer at Marble bar I would run a /w50, but no other time.

Regards, Andrew.

codhog wrote:

---

Thanks Andrew, as they say you are never too old to learn. One of the main reasons I bought the GTR ahead of other makes when I made the decision to return to regular road ridding, was this site. My belief in listening to others experience is yet again validated. Looks like I'll be changing the oil again this weekend for piece of mind more than anything else as your comments make good common sense.