The main difference between the expensive oils and the inexpensive oils is how often they should be changed. I prefer to use cheap oils and change them more often. This also gets particulates out of the system faster. I generally change oil every 600-800 miles. Cheaper oils break down faster than expensive oils, however expensive oils at the most double your numbers so you should be changing expensive oils at a 1,500mile rate or sooner. I use the Accell 10W-40.
The important factors are oil breakdown, initial viscosity and EC (Energy Conserving) additives. Your 10W-40 gets you your viscosity as does your 20W-50. 10W-40 is probably just fine for most climates, a 10W-30 might be a little better (as it has less friction), but is hard to find in an appropriate oil. The 20W-50 is best for extremely hot climates (Arizona in the summer). If you make short trips and seldom get your engine real hot a 10W-30 oil would probably be best.
Then there's oil breakdown, this is faster for cheaper oils and slower for more expensive oils. It's also a lot faster in motorcycles than in cars because of higher revving and the oil also lubing the cranny. The wet clutch also introduces particulates that go everywhere in the engine regardless of what oil you use. Cheap oils start breaking down around 600-800miles. Expensive synthetic oils break down around 1200-1500 miles. Breakdown is a gentle slope not a steep drop off and refers to the oil losing it's viscosity, to make it easy they become thinner and more water like, so a 10W-40 might behave more like a 10W-30.
Then there is the dreaded EC (Energy Conserving) rating. This is extra friction reducing agents added into the oil. You don't want these. It will cost you a new clutch. Generally only car oils have this and it's very plainly marked.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Energyconserving.JPG/220px-Energyconserving.JPG
This is the reason it's hard to find a good 10W-30 oil as all the car oils in this viscosity are EC. To get 10W-30 you have to go to a motorcycle oil.
There are several grades of oil such as SAE, SF, SG etc. Our little motorcycle could care less about them. It's design specs probably include cooking oil. Their just additives that scrub and clean and affect smog. The best way to scrub and clean your Supercub is to change the oil regularly. I use a grade made for cars older than 72.
There is car oil and motorcycle oil. The largest difference is the price. However you probably won't make the EC mistake with motorcycle oil as most motorcycles are wet clutch so they don't make many EC motorcycle oils. With car oils you have to be careful.
I should mention dirt. Remember we have a clutch that is bathed in the oil. The plates have stuff that looks like break shoes. This stuff slowly wears off and goes.....into the oil. Once in the oil it goes everywhere, into the gear box, into the piston sleeve. It gets the inside of the engine dirty. It doesn't care what oil you use it still gets the engine dirty. The only solution is to change your oil regularly. Hopefully most of the dirt goes out with the old oil. There are other dirts from piston blow-by and it's the same story. Get the dirt out on a regular basis to make your engine last.
So why do I use the cheap oil I use? So that I'll change it more often and keep my engine in top shape. Since I don't cringe every time I buy a quart I don't mind doing it often. It's actually really easy on the Cubs. Other than the extended range of the higher price oils I don't think there's any serious advantage. It's the viscosity of the oil that prevents wear not the brand. I will say that certain oils provide the same viscosity with reduced friction (increasing gas mileage), but that can potentially get us into the EC problem with a slipping clutch.
Actually mileage is probably the best reason to use an appropriate viscosity oil. Using 20W-50 instead of 10W-40 will probably cost you some MPGs as your engine has to work harder to turn the same amount of times. You can also probably go faster with the lower viscosity oil. Just make sure you don't go crazy as 10W-30 in the Arizona sun might be too thin where 10W-40 would be fine. For winter driving I'd love to get some 10W-30, but all the NON-EC ones are expensive so I've just been running 10W-40 year round.
Now here's something to ponder. I wonder about running plain old 30 weight in the cooler months. Anybody have any comments or thoughts on that?
1970-73 C70 Honda Service Manual: http://tinyurl.com/6ebwtw
1970-73 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/6ebwtw (scroll to sec.7.1 page 101.jpg)
1980-83 C70 Honda Service Manual: http://tinyurl.com/hu42c
1980-81 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/hu42c (scroll to sec.18-1 page 170.jpg)
1982-83 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/hu42c (scroll to sec. 20-28 page 205.jpg)
1980-81 C70 Maintenance Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/z4zn6
1982-83 C70 Maintenance Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/hw35c
More resources for C70 Passports and Cubs:
http://www.shlaes.com/Vehicles/Scooter.htm
http://www.velodrome.com/HondaC70/HondaC70.html
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