"Break In Oil" ???? 🤔

[TrailSnot]

Didn't wanna hijack Backfill's thread any further.
My oil level was below the stick before I changed it on Saturday. The proper warm up and check at top of threads procedure was followed to check it.
I sent off an email to the shop and got a reply today, staff being off delayed the response.
Paraphrasing the service mgr's response, *the bike arrives prefilled, they did check the level. "break in oil" that has to be left in for the full 600 miles until first service. It only takes 0.72 quarts to refill.*
They couldn't have checked it, I needed tools to loosen the cap and the oil didn't touch the stick. It also takes more than that to refill it.
The misinformation (I felt like replying with screenshots of the owners manual) tells me all I really need to know about the knowledge of the service dept staff, but I am VERY curious about the notion of "break in oil."
Anyone else ever heard such a thing?
I used to hear similar chatter about new Triumph's requiring "special" oil for break in and a tech at that shop who I knew very well told me it was just semi synthetic.
Either way, at 65 miles Snot got the correct fill of 10-30 GN4, and that won't be in there until 600 miles either.

 

[AZ7000']

Yep, high zinc and dyno in the old days. I just used some Dino rotella and added zinc break in additive to a freshly rebuilt 1.3l Samurai motor. I think it was more of a thing in older engines with looser tolerances, I’m sure someone who knows more can fill in the details but yes, it is a thing.

 

[m in sc]

usually just a higher zinc concentration is all. i run high zinc oil in the old v8s because of the flat tappet cam, and no catalytic converters, which zinc can hurt. this is also why there are so many people that run rotella 'diesel' oil in their bikes, it has zinc in it (zddp). I run VR1 in my 66 and 62 fords. its really no more expensive than regular oil just fyi. and they do make a synthetic version. 'old motors with loose tolerances' has nothing to do with it, just fyi. .02

 

[TrailSnot]

Gotcha.
I've used Rotella plenty and wasn't against putting it in Snot. Grabbed the filter and o-ring and the GN4 was on the shelf so I grabbed it.
Maybe I'll go Rotella on the next oil change, which isn't too many more miles off.
It might all be a moot point now seeing as I've run on GN4 for a couple hundred miles.
And mayyyyyybe I'm just overthinking it all too.

 

[m in sc]

on this bike GN4 is just fine. Ive run GN4 in my cb1100 plenty, but tend to run castrol synthetic lately in it.

 

[TrailSnot]

on this bike GN4 is just fine. Ive run GN4 in my cb1100 plenty, but tend to run castrol synthetic lately in it.

Oh for sure, I know the book lists their own brand for obvious reasons. I just meant maybe I'd switch back to something with higher zinc for the sake of another couple hundred miles break in. In all reality the motor is probably broken in by now, so again maybe I'm just overthinking it.

 

[m in sc]

you cant spec a high zinc oil in an emissions controlled vehicle, just fyi.

GN4 and actually ALL honda branded oil is made by mobil.

 

[Cpd419]

I use rosella in my vstrom. 24,000 miles without a hiccup. GN4 in the Honda. Too cheap not to.

 

[TRF90]

For better or worse, I changed my oil at 100 miles and 500 miles. So if there was extra zinc in there, it was certainly gone after that first oil change. I laid it on its side at about 50 miles and put in a magnetic drain plug. Both oil changes showed a nice assortment of tiny metal bits on the end of the drain plug magnet. The engine really started to break in after 300 miles with a noticeable power boost, leading to a higher cruising speed. I tend to be very gentle for the first hundred miles of a break-in and then ramp it up from there. Now that it's just over 700 miles, the engine runs great and burns no oil. If others weigh in, you will read as many different break-in procedures as there are owners, but mine didn't seem to do any harm. Because I intend 1000 mile oil changes, I think the regular Honda GN4 10W 30 stuff is probably enough for my needs.

 

[TrailSnot]

For better or worse, I changed my oil at 100 miles and 500 miles. So if there was extra zinc in there, it was certainly gone after that first oil change. I laid it on its side at about 50 miles and put in a magnetic drain plug. Both oil changes showed a nice assortment of tiny metal bits on the end of the drain plug magnet. The engine really started to break in after 300 miles with a noticeable power boost, leading to a higher cruising speed. I tend to be very gentle for the first hundred miles of a break-in and then ramp it up from there. Now that it's just over 700 miles, the engine runs great and burns no oil. If others weigh in, you will read as many different break-in procedures as there are owners, but mine didn't seem to do any harm. Because I intend 1000 mile oil changes, I think the regular Honda GN4 10W 30 stuff is probably enough for my needs.

I rarely sweat a break in procedure and typically just ride as I normally would. The only thing that made me think more about it on this little thing was having ridden it with an under filled amount in the sump and not really being able to baby it on the road.
Ultimately it's gonna be what it's gonna be at this point.
I ordered a magnetic plug just for good measure to fit on the next change, whatever oil does go in will meet the book requirements.
It'll probably only see an oil change once a year after the 600 mile mark as I'll be putting bigger miles on a bigger bike.
You're totally right that there will be as many opinions on break-in as there are owners
The oil debate is always a hot topic on forums.

 

[dmonkey]

Oil myths also never die, see "The Starburst Oil Myth" here for more context on the history of zinc dithiophosphate as an oil additive.

https://www.ratwell.com/technical/OilSelection/GM_techlink_december_2007.pdf

I wouldn't trust your dealer to know if the bike came with break in oil unless they can tell you someone from corporate informed them of that. Someone with a new bike could drain the oil and send some out for analysis if they really wanted to know and compare it against GN4 to see if it's the same or not, though the first oil change will also have other assembly byproducts in it.

 

[TrailSnot]

Oil myths also never die, see "The Starburst Oil Myth" here for more context on the history of zinc dithiophosphate as an oil additive.

https://www.ratwell.com/technical/OilSelection/GM_techlink_december_2007.pdf

I wouldn't trust your dealer to know if the bike came with break in oil unless they can tell you someone from corporate informed them of that. Someone with a new bike could drain the oil and send some out for analysis if they really wanted to know and compare it against GN4 to see if it's the same or not, though the first oil change will also have other assembly byproducts in it.

I would've given the dealer I purchased from a little more credibility had they not told me they checked the bikes oil level. If they had they would've seen it was below the factory required level.
I now have zero faith in a single thing they might say. I have two other dealers closer to home that I can go to if I need mechanical assistance, the place I purchased from has made sure I would use one of them now.

 

[m in sc]

that article actually backed up exactly what i said. too much zinc is bad, sure, but the right amount of zinc is absolutely beneficial to flat tappet motors, in particular. the only time i ran MORE was when i broke the cam in in my cars, and that's a 20 minute break in period, a drain, then cut apart of the filter to look for materials.

after break in its not necessary to run them, sure, but it also doesnt hurt. funny thing is, none of that is applicable to the trail. lol.

 

[dmonkey]

American Honda's customer relations finally got back to me with a response to asking if a new Honda Trail 125 comes with break-in oil:

Thank you for your contact to Honda Powersports Customer Relations. Honda only adds the recommended oil as indicated in the owners manual.

Sincerely,

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Powersports Customer Relations
Case #13844768

 

[m in sc]

what did you expect them to say?

 

[dmonkey]

what did you expect them to say?

I expected them to give an even more canned response and not answer the question. Pleased to see the question was answered.

 

[TrailSnot]

American Honda's customer relations finally got back to me with a response to asking if a new Honda Trail 125 comes with break-in oil:

I had sent a message thru their portal as well, got basically same final answer but with a little more fluff.