I guess its to catch large particles, but have any of you ever found any particles in that thumbsize screen thats part of the oil drain plug? I would think the oil filter catches most of the bad stuff. My Helix uses a similar screen in place of a filter and with 10,500 miles of frequent changes theres never been anything in it. Nor the previous two that I've owned. Also the Burgmans, Majesty, Piaggio, and prob others don't use anything like that. I'm guessing the SW is somewhat akin to the Helix in that its been in production for a long time and Honda is not one to make a lot of changes. If its not needed tho, I'd think they'd just leave it out and save a buck or two.

I fitted a magnetic drain plug to my Helix and it was surprising see the amount of metal particles were stuck to it when I removed it to change the oil. There was never any metal on the oil filter screen but always on the drain plug.

The screen's purpose is to prevent anything non-oil from being sucked from the sump up into the oil pump. So you should never see anything on the screen, because as soon as the engine stops, gravity would pull anything foreign off the outside of the screen back to the bottom of the sump.

Don't remove the screen. It's there for a reason. Honda employs engineers for a purpose.

It is really just a hold-over from the days that less decomposed dinosaurs were used for lubrication. Honda engineers, like all other engineers, do some things because of TRADITION (sorry, I watched the Fiddler on the Roof for the nth time the other evening).

I'm pretty sure the screen is there in case some foreign object entered the oil system during manufacture or service of the engine. I think proactive engine protection trumps tradition.

I'm of the opinion it is there for a purpose other than tradition. Engineers tend not to think like that. Sometimes the simplest devices can be the most cost effective. If that little mesh screen saves something from entering the system it gets my vote.

Meldrew
In days of yor when they allowed me to service her majesties naval helicopters we had magnetic plugs on most of the gearboxes and such and I was always amazed at how much debris/swarf was collected by these tiny magnets. (If a nice collection of particles was found it usually meant a nights work changing the particular gearbox.)

If you know the size of the Silver Wing sump plug Hein Gericke might have a magnetic one, they sell a range of them for £3.99, and a set of 5 washers for £1.99.