Which is the best coolant and engine oil?

I bought my Pig on Monday and I'm replacing all the oil and coolant along with checking bearings and other areas prone to fail or suffer from riding. I searched "coolant" and came up with nothing, I did see threads on engine oils, please throw some good brands and weights used by you veterans and some coolants that have good reputations with this forum as well. My elevation is 200ASL to 3000ASL. I have come to depend on the vast knowledge of the members here and the manuel but nothing speaks more than personal experience. I am also looking for advice on headers and exhaust. I understand different opinions but would really like to hear what you guys have had good results with. Any suggestions as to this scenario also- the bike starts first kick warm or cold but pops on mild acceleration and deceleration, is this a "too lean scenario"? I have yet to take apart the carb and find out which jets are in there but the bike was "uncorked at a Honda dealer" and was rejetted/airbox modded and stock exhaust opened up.
Thanks in advance fellas.

xabntroop

I run a small motorcycle shop in NW Arkansas. I run Dexcool Antifreeze as my coolant of choice in both my customers bikes and my PIG. I know for sure that it is a silica free antifreeze. To me that is one of the most important things to look for. Silica is very bad for our alloy engines. It is also an easy antifreeze to find even when the shops are closed. I have not had any complaints at all. As for oil I personally recommend Castrol Actevo 10w40 semi synthetic. I carry full synthetic in the shop but I don't try to push the products. I have ran some really crazy bikes on semi synthetics with no failures that I can contribute to oil. Changing often is more important to me than a $20 liter oil. I perfer K&N or OEM oil filters. I also run a revloc in my pig which is pretty tough on oil.

As for my pig it sees a lot of DS use. I run everything from 80 mph highway runs to single track. It has seen a good portion of the TAT and is one of my favorite machines. I hope this helps.

Yo Chaps,

my 2c's on this, and keep in mind my currency's cents mean even less than the one you guys have got
Do yourself a genuine favour, and visit a Toyota dealer. Ask to be allowed to read what's on their coolant's bottle, or simpler even, find it on the net. Great stuff, not expensive at all, purrrrrfect for a Pig.

Oil comes in many flavours, and Mossy mentions Castrol....... to which I react
This name absolutely excels in Marketing, they are the undoubted champions in this field, even toddlers know this name - hence, logically so, their budget is burdened by all this! So, where to save - because a profit must be shown, you'll agree not so? Easy-peasy, on research, don't get too involved here. Remember GTX, the very very first one? It came around then when balancing shafts became popular, spinning at double-rev's, with a result that those engines were literally foaming at the bit's. Their pumps sucked air, the engines seized, the Yamaha 650 twin used in motoX sidecars a shining (well..) example! Lightning-quick GTX-II was launched, but those with at least some sort of a memory will never ever buy from them again..... me for instance.
Ever heard of such bloopers from Shell, Esso, BP, Agip, or Elf - just to name a few? I haven't, on the contrary, I've read from exceptionally clever things from this collective side. But that's hardly a surprise, as each of them employs an entire village of scientists do develop their products. That's actually quite costly, realize this pls, but necessary too - they'll not risk their reputation, and oil from them really will perform as per the tin's spec's, their cock on a block!
So, the short of the long, buy a real brand? Oh, and if you want synthetic buy a 'full synthetic', as 'synthetic' is only processed mineral oil these days. Nothing wrong with mind, just too costly for what you'll get normally.

Want to start your engine being absolutely sure these IS oil anywhere, it has not run off? Use a full synthetic.
Want to keep your engine as clean as possible? Then use an oil which cleans as well as keeps the rubbish afloat, and this will be a diesel oil then..... WHAT????? Yeah, 'strue, high in detergent as well as dispersant dopes, it will allow your filter to work.
I mix these two oils.... WHAT?? Yip, engine oils may be mixed, zero wrong with, and this way you can combine the best of both. Shell Helix Ultra, a full synth, 50% mixed with either a Shell Rimula X (mineral multigrade diesel) or Caltex Delo 400 (ditto). Both oils fall into the 'recommended' oils, actually they better these oils.

However, this is a Honda after all, it'll take any oil, even cheap rubbish, it will run as long as you keep enough in and change it so now and then..... but you probably didn't ask for this reasons, hence my 2 inferior cents

Troop,

Here's an ORDER - Check!!!!
Serious, check what jetting you've got? It's fun, it'll bond you with the bike, gives you knowledge and a chance to look & clean there where the sun doesn't shine, but foremost it'll give you piece of mind whilst keeping the thing in 1 piece? Your bike changed altitude remember? If I haven't already I'll send you an Excel-file with PLENTY jetting-info, alt & temp related - shout if I haven't pls?
You say you go by 'hearsay', that is was 'properly' uncorked...... may I mention you never sounded gullible here? Come on now, get the spanners oot, tinkle yer heart out, but make sure!
When you're at it you may want to check: carb2head rubber (look INto this thing - big & round? Nothing else will do), carb2filter rubber (+ filter?), filterhousing (must be dustFREE and have 2 huuuge holes in them, RH-Top seen from the side!), the one short rubber hose from the carb must go in-between the rubber tankrubber at the top (it's a breather), and in fact there's a couple of other things you might have read about & want to do (fi, plugging the tiny hole so the diaphragm for leaning-when-overrunning won't work anymore).
Oh, you don't mention the anti-smog crap.... taken OFF I hope? If not do so, properly (buy a kit!).

Then there's the zorts.... modified (I hope, look into its @rse, should be a big hole) standard you say? Here's where money goes Soldier, and spend it well. Headers are first - at least, if you've got the std-choked one's (thinner-than-rest piece directly after leaving the head).
Silencer-wise (if there ever was a misnomer it's this!!) the ProCircuit T4 has a good rep on this bike - but do your own homework pls? I read about the FMF PowerBomb Headers, you may want to find info on these, or go expensive and get an Akrapivic system...
As said, you must be happy with it, and maybe your neighbours too, or the local Sheriff perhaps?

'Popping' is reasonably normal, unless abnormal of course (you will know!), and mostly caused by small airleaks (smog-CRAP?) at the various joints. A little silicone goes a long way here - try?

BuRP brings up good recommendations on the running. I started falling a sleep when posting last night. LOL

The oil topic is always fun. I, unlike most shops do carry Rottella T Diesel oil on my shelves but I also do not push the product. It is there for those that use it and need a top off. I have never heard any negatives with people running the oil either. I recommend the Castol Actevo 4t "a BP product" oil because it is a motorcycle rated oil, that I believe is a good product I can sell it at a very reasonable price. There are many good products out there. I don't push most of them because of the price vs benifit "my opinion" is not justified. I don't push diesel oil because I am a motorcycle shop, which has a certain amount of liability to it. I really don't think they will hurt most motors, if any. If I recommend a non-certified oil, made for a tractor not for a motorcyce, and the engine goes poof on the customer it will be hard explain that the crankshaft bearing failed from fatigue and not the oil.

Enjoy your new PIG.
I am taking a break from the shop today an getting ready to go ride.
The route of the day will be a little ove 170 miles of dirt and trails.
Later guys.

Oh Mossy,

if I'd run a shop with the kind of legislation you guys have to put up with I would
- put only Honda oil in a Honda, KTM oil in a KTM, and probably peanut-oil back into a peanut, and
- serve lukewarm coffee only,
because I've heard about someone successfully suing MacDonalds for 'too hot' coffee - which I still really don't understand as it's water mainly, but maybe that was 6000m underground?

Anyway, you're perfectly right, and it's also why I said oil comes in many 'flavours'
Enjoy that ride, I can't - yet, TM40's off, but the parts will arrive Monday..................... lousy timing or what?
Have fun, I admit I'm jealous

Met up with 5 riding buddies. Weather was awsome. Everyone felt like hitting dirt roads. I rode 192 miles yesterday. I had to hit about 40 miles of Intersate though. I was running late for my sons 16th birthday. I almost made it on time. You do get some strange looks when passing cars a 90 mph on a dirt bike on the interstate. LOL I was really glad the bike held together I have had a sound in the engine from the day I got it. It sounds like a wheeeeer and a slight faint knock from Idle up. Now that I have herd the sound for over a year and several thousand miles. I decided last night after the party to dig in. Better to catch something before it goes pow. My 90mph run for 40 miles sure was fun but made me a tad uneasy with the noise.

So far piston is within almost new specs. Cylinder has just enough wear for me to send off for recoat, I can't decide 680, stock, or a little more compression or both.

Cam chain tension was about 1/2 used. Not bad but will get a new chain

After several valve adjustments I am intalling Kibble whites on the intake side. I will stay with stock exhaust valves.

I will probably go with Stage 1 cam from hot cams.

I am going to dive into the rest today.

BuRP wrote:Yo Chaps,

my 2c's on this, and keep in mind my currency's cents mean even less than the one you guys have got
Do yourself a genuine favour, and visit a Toyota dealer. Ask to be allowed to read what's on their coolant's bottle, or simpler even, find it on the net. Great stuff, not expensive at all, purrrrrfect for a Pig.

Oil comes in many flavours, and Mossy mentions Castrol....... to which I react
This name absolutely excels in Marketing, they are the undoubted champions in this field, even toddlers know this name - hence, logically so, their budget is burdened by all this! So, where to save - because a profit must be shown, you'll agree not so? Easy-peasy, on research, don't get too involved here. Remember GTX, the very very first one? It came around then when balancing shafts became popular, spinning at double-rev's, with a result that those engines were literally foaming at the bit's. Their pumps sucked air, the engines seized, the Yamaha 650 twin used in motoX sidecars a shining (well..) example! Lightning-quick GTX-II was launched, but those with at least some sort of a memory will never ever buy from them again..... me for instance.
Ever heard of such bloopers from Shell, Esso, BP, Agip, or Elf - just to name a few? I haven't, on the contrary, I've read from exceptionally clever things from this collective side. But that's hardly a surprise, as each of them employs an entire village of scientists do develop their products. That's actually quite costly, realize this pls, but necessary too - they'll not risk their reputation, and oil from them really will perform as per the tin's spec's, their cock on a block!
So, the short of the long, buy a real brand? Oh, and if you want synthetic buy a 'full synthetic', as 'synthetic' is only processed mineral oil these days. Nothing wrong with mind, just too costly for what you'll get normally.

Want to start your engine being absolutely sure these IS oil anywhere, it has not run off? Use a full synthetic.
Want to keep your engine as clean as possible? Then use an oil which cleans as well as keeps the rubbish afloat, and this will be a diesel oil then..... WHAT????? Yeah, 'strue, high in detergent as well as dispersant dopes, it will allow your filter to work.
I mix these two oils.... WHAT?? Yip, engine oils may be mixed, zero wrong with, and this way you can combine the best of both. Shell Helix Ultra, a full synth, 50% mixed with either a Shell Rimula X (mineral multigrade diesel) or Caltex Delo 400 (ditto). Both oils fall into the 'recommended' oils, actually they better these oils.

However, this is a Honda after all, it'll take any oil, even cheap rubbish, it will run as long as you keep enough in and change it so now and then..... but you probably didn't ask for this reasons, hence my 2 inferior cents

Burp, to answer your questions, I did dig into the bike, she does have the round piece instead of the restricted piece and the stock exhaust has been drilled out (appears to be a 2 inch opening). I removed the smog recirculator, associated lines and ordered a block off kit and installed the block off plate. Also capped off the openings to the airbox with the included caps. I bought Moose racing bark busters last night, shock sox, chest protector, Maxxis 120 desert tire, removed swingarm linkage, pins and all moving parts therin and used a thin coat of never seize along with a very tacky grease and reinstalled also did the chain tension screws with anti seize.. I removed the kickstart bolt and put a small amount of red loctite on it and reinstalled, lubed both axles. Drained and replaced coolant with liquid ice coolant. Ordered a vapor from trail tech. Main jet is 175.
I have a pilots license and fly private aircraft but the sense of freedom and peace I get from flying is nothing close to the euphoric feeling of riding with good friends, stopping to enjoy sights and the knowledge and confidence I get from doing my own maintenance.
Not trying to be too philisophical but it appears I have BRP disease and love it.

Sorry Troop,

I suppose we're all guilty here. Nobody talks about it but BRP is contagious indeed. You even might find you'll wear a red cap at times, but hey, no worries, at least you can take the cap off
Sounds like your bike is sorted, just the headstock & R-footrest.... but I'm sure you'll do that too.
A day out riding often turns out tiring, but it always surprises me afterwards how little I've though about work. Mind, that is a good day then
Enjoy this bike, it is a cracker!