As above, it's a '99 cbr600fx. Cheers

 

Do you have the handbook that came with the bike? If so, use whatever grade it says in there. There is a lot of opinion about which oil to use, but I always use the oil recommended by the bike manufacturer and change it and the oil filter at the recommended intervals. You can't go really wrong if you stick to the grade in the handbook. I believe the grade is 10W/40 and is what is in my bike (2002 CBR 600 F1) and I can't see any reason for me to change. You can spend an awful lot of money on 'specially formulated oils', but don't forget that Honda and all bike and car manufacturers test bed their engines to destruction and if they say use 10W/40 and change it and the filter at, say, 6000 miles, then that's what you should do! In the 'good old days' namely the fifties and sixties, we ran old Triumph, BSA's Nortons, etc all great bikes, and the oils we used then were 'straight grade' oils, but were perfectly ok for those bikes. Multgrades came along later to give you the thin oil viscosity for cold starting and a thicker viscosity when the oil got hot to give further protection in a hot engine. Saved changing from SAE 30 in the Winter to SAE40 or 50 in the Summer. Hope this answers your question?

 

He's talking fork oil, not engine.

 

LOL! My brain must be fried. I tell you what, once you get past sixty it all goes downhill! Thanks for pointing it out to me. I'll send the correct reply hopefully!

 

Sorry about my first post mate. I didn't read yours properly as was pointed out to me! The Haynes manual states that the recommended fork oil is Pro-Honda SS8 suspension fluid or 10W fork oil. I think ATF fluid is ok, but check first.

 

ATF? Use 10w fork oil, not trans fluid.

 

A Dexron III ATF is about the right viscosity to replace Honda's SS8. Fork oil is just hydraulic fluid, so not a terribly complex thing. A good synthetic ATF will have a similar viscosity index to many fork oils, too. Interestingly, though, some fork/shock oils are VERY different in certain physical characteristics. Compare Red Line's to Amsoil's, for example. Very different, physically.

 

 

Thanks for the in-depth reply guys, especially the engine oil post

 

Great stuff, been using it for years in my CR250 gearbox with no problems. Cant see why it wouldn't be compatible for use in suspension seeing as it is basically a hydraulic oil. As it's properties, viscosity etc are the same like MZ5 said then I see no problem.