Oil

I recently bought a 78 kz1000 and was wondering what is the best oil to use,the manual that came with it says sae 10w 40,20w 50,doesnt it have to be a 4 cycle engine oil?

Yes and yes.

Do a quick search on here for the member "Otakar" and oil. That'll get you all the info you need/didn't want.

This was also just recently discussed/linked to - check the "Latest Posts" link to see recently updated threads.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...ew&catid=2&id=393879

Avoid the car oils as they contain friction modifiers which are not kind to wet plate clutches used in these older bikes.

Best Oils To Use In Your Bike (Just My Opinion)

Engine oil : The commercial grade oils are clearly superior to the mass market oils. For the best protection in your bike or car, use Shell Rotella Synthetic, available at Wal-Mart in blue containers . For the best petroleum oil you can buy, get Shell Rotella T, Mobil Delvac 1300, or Chevron Delo 400, available at any auto parts store. On the back of most oil cans is a circular stamp with the certification. Avoid oils that say "energy conserving" in the bottom half of the donut. These oils contain friction modifier additives that could cause clutch slipping over time. All XXw-20 and XXw-30 oils are energy conserving, and should not be used in your motorcycle. Don't buy any oil additives like STP or Slick-50. Here's several listings on all about oil justifying these conclusions.

The Recommended Synthetic Oils :

Shell Rotella Synthetic
5w-40 Delvac 1 Synthetic
5w-40 Mobil-1 SUV/Truck Synthetic
5w-40 AMSOil AMF Synthetic (pricey, but it’s your money)
10w-40 Golden Spectro Synthetic
10w-50 Motul 5100 Synthetic
10w-40 Mobil-1 Synthetic
15w-50 Mobil-1 MX4T Synthetic

The best synthetics are: (in no particular order)

Shell Rotella-T Synthetic 5w-40 (blue container, not white), gallon at Wal-Mart.
Mobil Delvac-1 5w-40 (grey container, not black), gallon at Petro stations, gallon at Farm and Fleet.
Mobil-1 SUV 5w-40, qt anywhere.
AMSOil AMF 10w-40 synthetic motorcycle oil. (again, pricey)
Golden Spectro Supreme, (no price).
Motul 5100 Ester, (no price).

Mobil-1 automotive oils all contain small amounts of moly - about 100 to 200 ppm. This can cause clutch slippage in some motorcycles. I've only heard of this being a problem in Honda Shadows.

For temperatures below -40, I strongly recommend either Mobil-1 0w-30 or the Canadian Shell 0w-40 Rotella. At these temperatures, your car is your life. Using cheap or incorrect oil is risking your life.

For temperatures below -55c, -65f, stay home. Really.

The Recommended Petroleum Oils

Chevron Delo 400 15w-40
Delvac 1300 15w-40
Shell Rotella 15w-40

The best petroleum oils are: (in no particular order)

Chevron Delo 400 15w-40 (blue container) gallon at any auto parts store, gallons at Costco.

Mobil Delvac 1300 15w-40 (black container) gallon at any auto parts store, gallons at Sam's Club.

Shell Rotella-T 15w-40 (white container) gallon at Wal-Mart or any auto parts store, gallons at Sam's Club.

Castrol 15w-40 (Green container) gallon at Wal-Mart or any auto parts store, gallons at Sam’s club.

If you live in another country, you'll have to do a bit of research to decide on an oil. Generally, any oil certified for use in a late model Volks wagon or Mercedes turbo diesel is a good choice. Another good idea is to go to a truck stop and ask the truckers about brands. Rotella is marketed all over the world, but in other countries it's called Rotella or Rimola or Helix Ultra, and the formulation may be a bit different, depending on local climate and preferences. It will likely also be a lot more expensive than it is here.

PROTECTING THE 3 CRUCIAL ZONES OF YOUR ENGINE BY CASTROL
Castrol Trizone technologyâ„¢ represents the 21st century approach to 4T motorcycle oils. Castrol 4T oils developed with Trizone technologyâ„¢ offers the protection needed to get the most out of your motorcycle.

The 4T motorcycle engine, unlike the car engine, has a very compact oil system, where the engine, clutch and gear zones are combined and use the same oil. In a car engine, the three zones are separated, with the engine and gearbox using specific oils. The ideal 4T motorcycle oil has to meet the very different requirements in all three zones of the bike: engine, clutch and gears.

A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
Europe is one of the most demanding motorcycle markets in the world: European riders demand performance, quality and versatility from their machines. Operating conditions vary from near desert heat in the south to sub arctic cold in the far north, from coastal plains to high mountain passes, from stop start city traffic to wide open motorways. Noise, gaseous emissions, consumer demands and safety to name a few have all had effects on motorcycle design. Increasingly, it’s the four-stroke engine that powers big bikes, with the two-stroke confined to use in small scooters, off road and competition. Today’s high-precision, high performance four-stroke motorcycle engine provides many challenges for its engine oil.

Motorcycle engines produce a lot of power for their weight. Part of the secret lies in high engine
speeds: a truck engine produces peak power at about two and a half thousand RPM and a car
engine at around six thousand RPM. Modern four-stroke motorcycle engines can rev up to 15
thousand RPM or more.

The circulating oil comes under huge thermal stress as it transfers heat away from low mass components under high power conditions. High piston speeds and power output generate very high temperatures - with few places for that heat to go. The oil plays a crucial cooling role – which demands oils with exceptional high thermal stability. But there are many other challenges that a lubricant must face:

Poor quality oil can vaporise leading to a rapid rise in oil consumption - and a fall in protection.

Compact multicylinder multivalve engines use complex oil circuitry with narrow oilways - the oil needs to be fluid enough to keep flowing under all conditions.

Deposits can build up on the pistons and rings - the oil needs to keep these clean. All the while, the oil is carrying combustion by products and wear metals into the sump and filter.
Compared with truck or car engines, motorcycle engines are much smaller and lighter. Most four-stroke motorcycle engines and the lubrication systems are combined so that all these zones rely on the same oil: one oil to do three different but equally important jobs - to protect the engine, gearbox and clutch.

INTRODUCTIONENGINECLUTCHGEARBOX
Can heavy-duty diesel oil be used in motorcycles?

Motorcycle gasoline engines may not seem in the same league as the big displacement diesel engine under your hood, but they share some of the same lubrication requirements. So yes, in many cases, a premium heavy-duty universal oil capable of serving both diesel and gasoline engines is the best choice for your bike.

The high power-to-displacement ratio of a motorcycle engine means rod and main bearings are subjected to loads that are not normally found in passenger car engines. The valve train is also highly loaded, and requires extreme pressure boundary lubrication. The same can be said about gears in the transmission, which are normally lubricated by engine oil. Oil additives containing phosphorus protect these highly loaded extreme pressure areas (in both gasoline and diesel engines). Because diesel engines have higher loading of components, more of the phosphorus-containing additive is present than in typical passenger car oils. And with advanced catalyst systems for gasoline engines, the phosphorus content has been declining in passenger car oils.

Since many motorcycle engines are air-cooled, and tend to be operated at high power outputs and speeds, their lubricating oil needs to be more resistant to high temperature oxidation. That’s another advantage of a premium universal oil. Another thing you want in your motorcycle is oil that has excellent viscosity control, so that with use it retains high temperature viscosity. Some multiviscosity grade passenger car oils, subjected to extreme loads, can quickly thin out. Their viscosity can drop to the next lower grade.

One last thing to consider is whether oil contains friction modifier additives. For improved fuel economy, most passenger car oils have such an additive. But the wet clutch in your bike doesn’t perform right with friction modifiers. Universal engine oils don’t have friction modifiers.

Be careful choosing diesel oils. Not all of them are universal. In addition to the API Service Category CI-4 PLUS for diesels, look for API Service Category SL.

Premium universal oils like Shell ROTELLA T Multigrade are formulated for heavy-duty performance, and your bike engine has some heavy-duty challenges for oil. For optimum performance, be sure your oil is up to the challenge.

Ive been using mobil-one in my 07 shadow with good results so far

late model clutch materials are different than older bikes so your bike will handle synthetic better in fact most late model engines are designed for it

This is debated on every motorcycle newsgroup. Some say use only motorcycle specific oil, some say use only synthetic, some say use the diesel oil such as Rotella, Delvac ect. All agree don't use energy conserving auto oil. 10w40 and 20w50 you're pretty safe to use most any oil as I don't think those grades are energy conserving. Possibly exceptions to that though. My personal thoughts after 400,000 miles or so are don't use standard auto oils such as Castrol, Pennzoil and the like, they are not up to the task of high temp air cooled engines. Use 15w40 of any brand diesel HD oils with confidence but only if temps are above 50 degrees, they are fine. Don't use 5w40 synthetic HD oils. Use any motorcycle specific 10w40 or Rotella T5 10w40. Motorcycle 20w50 can be used, but only above 50 degrees.

If you use Shell Rotella-T you can't go wrong. You can use synthetic or mineral or the blend if you wish. I do use the 15w-40 but I do find it a bit heavy for cold weather riding. But than not many people ride in 27*f weather like I do. You can buy it at any Wall-Mart and it wont bust your bank. It has all the required additives that the older bikes REQUIRE which the new oils do not. I would also recommend adding Rislone #4401 Engine Treatment, newly developed for older/vintage engine use. I would not run without it or something like it in my old engines. If you run the Rotella than mix half a quart to four quarts of oil. You can get more info here.
kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...mit=20&limitstart=80

Thanks for all the info i am taking my time with it getting it ready for spring just small odds and ends it needs it was a one owner bike so it was taken care of fairly well,has 33k on it.I ride in the cold weather to my shadow has heated grips,windshield etc so its fairly comfy when its cold.Hppy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Heavy duty oils often times have the added benefit of being cheaper that the others. One of the auto parts stores had a sale on Chevron Delo a couple of months ago - $9.99/gal.

Shell Rotella-T
Chevron Delo
Valvoline Premium Blue

There are probably others.

I run either Rotella T or Delo. At the presrnt time I'm using Delo because WalMart had it on Rollback for $8.50 /gal. I bought a bunch since I run HDEO in my other vehicles as well.