Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Still cold and reading the internet about the motorcycle...

I shouldn't read so many forums about the Goldwing motorcycle....  They are a massive time consumer and give me all kinds of ideas about how to modify the motorcycle...

So today when I got out of bed, it was fairly quickly sunny outside...  But the electric heater was still running in the bedroom...  That should have been my clue..

But when I made it to my chair and found my glasses, the electronic thermometer barely read 40....  We had been down to 36 earlier in the wee hours of the morning...  Biscuit just looked at the open door and refused to go out....  Wonder what she would do back in Kansas.....?

So after breakfast and morning coffee, those darned forums jumped up on my computer.....  All by themselves.......honest!   Well......... they are in the bookmarks anyway..

And in reading the recommendations, under oil changes, almost to the letter, everyone wonders why Honda has removed their instructions to change oil at 600 miles.....  And longer readers know I am an oil change nut.....



I was thinking that I should do this without encouragement, even though I was surprised to not find it in the owners manual..   And then to read that many forum contributors agreed.......!  Well, now it was a foregone conclusion...

The idea behind this early change is to remove any machining bits of metal that might be left over from the manufacture of the engine and mechanical parts...  And if you have ever had a magnetic oil plug on these engines, you will find all kinds of powdered metal attached to it...

Also, if you cut open the oil filter and look at the filter media, it will be coated with this left over metal....  So to me it just makes sense to toss the  filter and the initial oil fairly quickly....  Ok its settled......  do the initial oil change......



So that meant I needed the oil....  Again there is a big controversy  as to when the engine can be changed to synthetic oils...  And Honda usually says after 4K miles......  And on my Honda outboard, that dealer says never use synthetic...  Something about the outboard being stacked in the upright position with its crankshaft aimed at the sky...  Too slick and flat spotting lifters......  Who knows...

Anyway it wasn't getting any warmer outside as we only had 55 by two in the afternoon...  So I dressed with all the clothes and headed out on the bike anyway...  Went over to the motorcycle shop and bought a filter and regular mineral motorcycle oil..  Genuine Honda oil...

I got the 10w-40, as some on the forum said that the thicker oil when warm lessened the clunk when shifting gears.......  Remember the engine oil is also the transmission oil on a bike..



I rode for a while, and then purchased a tank of gas, as our prices here have been going up almost daily...  We were under $3 a month ago, and now it is $3.34...  Its not even February yet.  We will likely see $5 by May...  Get ready...

After some lunch at my favorite burger place and a stop at the Auto Zone, I came back home to read the computer some more...  And it got cold immediately when the sun went down...

We are to be in the mid 30s again tonight so perhaps it could get this out of its system...  But the Midwest is bracing for another snow storm and high winds and weather including tornadoes in the lower Mississippi River valley..  and on into Eastern Texas........

So I'm not really complaining about 35 degrees....  It's just usually warmer here by now...

Tomorrow is oil change day for the new bike and then Thursday is a quilt show.......  And I get to chauffeur..  But Loyce went with me to the big tent, so I can't say anything....LOL

Retired Rod

2 comments:

  1. I sure will be glad when this weather starts improving. I know compared to the rest of the country we really aren't bad at all, but I'm cold so I'm whining. And turn about is fair play - Big Tent and quilt show. Our girls aren't going outside very early either in these temps.

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  2. Rod, I'm finished with my chauffeur's uniform for this year so I'd be glad to send it over to you so you can drive Loyce around in style. Maybe even take her for a ride on the back of your Goldwing that way you'll get to use my goggles.

    Can't wait to read about your changing the oil on the Honda - it's always a fun read - hope you've got lots of wrenches!

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