Those without a history in powersports are not aware that Honda's aluminum alloy as used in its engines--all over the engine, including the crancases and pistons, both of which are made of an alloy rich in silicate--is unusually resistant to wear. Consequently, the cast aluminum pistons hardly wear at all while the cast iron cylinder liners wear like crazy, and the rings likewise wear much faster than do the pistons. This creates such interesting observations as camshaft journals that get ground down from lubrication failure while the aluminum bearing saddles they ride in are relatively untouched. And piston rings that through their lateral and circular motion in the piston's groove wear a significant step in themselves yet the piston groove is not appreciably affected. Surprising, but not so much to the career Honda mechanic who has witnessed the phenomenon for a lifetime.