Honda CBR 1000RR Repsol YPF Oil and Chain Lube
November 2005
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to test out some Repsol products. Since I own a Repsol 1000RR this was of particular interest to me. Repsol YPF is one of the 10 major private oil companies in the world, and the largest private energy company in Latin America. Repsol is beginning to break into the U.S. market with their products, and as some of you may know they sponsor the Honda RC211V in the MotoGP racing circuit.
The products that I had available to test were the Repsol Chain Lube and the Repsol 4T 10W50 Racing Oil. The chain lube comes in a handy .145L sized can that would be great to carry on trips to keep that chain well maintained. There is a built in nozzle to keep the lube going in the right places during application, which is a nice feature. Apply the product as you would any other chain lube, and apply to a warm chain such as after a ride. The product itself comes out very thin and does an excellent job of cleaning the chain. As the product begins to cure, it becomes quite sticky. Be sure to immediately wipe any over spray that may happen to get on your rear wheel or swing arm. Once it cures, it is sticky and much harder to remove without a cleaning agent such as Honda Polish. Once you've evenly applied the product to the entire chain, spin the rear wheel a few times by hand to get the lube into all the chain crevices. Let the bike set for a few minutes prior to riding to give the lube time to setup and become tacky as this will help prevent flinging of the product onto the rear wheel. The lube doesn't seem to be a wax base, and seems more like 80W90 gear oil than most other products I've tested. I did have some fling on the rear wheel in the first 100 miles after application, but after the 100 mile mark I did not notice this any longer.
The 4T 10W50 Racing Oil is quite a product from my initial impressions. It is a fully synthetic oil that is very clear going into the bike. The product is available in 1 liter and 4 liter containers at an MSRP of $10.89 US and $42.25 US respectively. This oil has an API SJ rating and is JASO Type MA meaning it fully meets the requirements of the Honda 1000RR. After putting this product in my bike I immediately noticed very smooth shifting. Smoother, in fact, than the Mobil1 15W50 that I had in the bike previously. I went for a nice sporty ride of around 200 miles and the bike felt like it literally fell into each gear almost as if it was reading my mind. My first impression of this oil is that it is great stuff. The only con is the price per liter, but it is a racing oil after all and is Repsol's top of the line product.
I've sent some oil samples in for analysis and this 4T Racing oil had very favorable analysis results. Once I have some miles on the Repsol 4T I'll send a used sample in for analysis as well. I used the Mobil1 M1-108 oil filter with the Repsol 4T 10W50 Racing Oil as I did with the Mobil1 15W50 EP, so the tests will be comparable.
More information can be found regarding Repsol YPF and their products at www.repsolypf.com.
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