BEST OIL WEIGHT TO USE

Hello new guy here what brand and what weight oil is best to use...Also do guys recommend using Mobile 1 full snyt. oil. I am going with KN oil filter. Just picked bike up today. list stuff got so far to start work on it: 1. CARB CLEANER (2+2 GUM CUTTER)- 4 CANS
2. OIL FILTER
3. OIL (10W30 MOBLIE)
4. SPARK PLUGS (NGK) – 4
5. BOX SOS PADS (CLEAN CHROME ETC.)
6. NYLON WHEEL BRUSHES
7. FUEL FILTER
8. FUEL LINE
9. VUCCUM HOSE
10. BATTERY
11. MARVEL MESERY OIL
Thanks in Advance
Jeff

DO NOT use that Mobil-1 oil; it does NOT meet the JASO-MA standard for wet clutches. If you want to use Mobil-1 oil use Racing 4T 10W-40 (see link); it is specifically designed for motorcycles with wet clutches (like our KZ models). If you use the AUTOMOBILE Mobil-1 you will risk ruining your clutch.

www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oi...acing_4T_10W-40.aspx

Here's the issue:

The ingredients in oils have changed over the years. For example, today's Castrol GTX oil (and pretty much all other AUTOMOBILE oil) is not the same as it was in the 1980's. Back then it worked great in KZ bikes. But, things have changed. Early AUTOMOBILE oils contained zinc phosphorus compounds (ZDDP) to protect engines from metal to metal contact. This was good for engines, but it was found to be destructive to catalytic converters. Consequently, in AUTOMOBILE oils ZDDP was virtually eliminated and replaced with different chemistry generically referred to as "Friction Modifiers." These work fine and offer good protection for normal AUTOMOBILE engines. However, today's AUTOMOBILE oil "Friction Modifiers" are destructive to wet clutches. KZ bikes (and many other brands) have wet clutches. As a result of these oil chemistry changes a distinction needed to be made between those oils which are suitable for wet clutches and those which are not. That distinction was documented by the Japanese Engine Oil Standards Implementation Panel (JASO). JASO developed a number of different oil specifications for different applications. The specifications that apply to 4 stroke motorcycles fall under the "4T Specifications." Within the 4T specifications the JASO MA class oils are specifically formulated for 4 stroke motorcycles with wet clutches.

Using oils that are not designated as meeting the JASO-MA standard may be destructive to KZ clutches. Here's a link that may be helpful:

www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php

BTW, I have been using Mobil-1 Racing 4T 10W-40 for several years and it works great, so do the K&N oil filters. There are other, less expensive JASO-MA compliant oils out there that also work very well. Look for JASO-MA on the container where is lists the various standards the oil meets. Also, if you look in your manual or on the oil filler cap you will probably see 10W-40 recommended. Ed

I know a lot of you guys like to run car oil. For the longest I was told to and used the Castrol GTX (by everyone who rode the old kz's) turbo 20w50 oil. Since I have used 10w40 Motul, Amsoil (which I hear has some really good additives that protect against gear shear), I would say that as long as you have quality oil and I would stick with dino oil for the old kz's but what matters more is that you change it and stay on top of it regularly.
Car oil doesn't have the additives that protect from the gear shear as car oil doesn't go in the transmission right? Just stands to reason that people use motorcycle oil for decades and are not all stupid for doing so. I wouldn't use anything else in my bike. I know for fact that Castrol I changed every 2000k and I change my moto oil now at 3k it seems to me that moto oil works better than the car oil I use.
Now, if it's hot where you ride do at least 10/40 or even 15/40. It even says 20/50 but I would only run that in hot temps nothing under 70. I bet others will chime in on this but as long as it's JASO rated and you change it regularly, more so than car you should be good. Say every two k and then filter every other change.

Use 10-40 weight. Make sure to NEVER use any oil that says "energy conserving" on it as it has moly and that will make your clutch slip. If the oil has insufficient ZDDP levels, you can buy it and add it to the oil.

saxjonz wrote: Car oil doesn't have the additives that protect from the gear shear as car oil doesn't go in the transmission right?

Have never heard of a specific additive that protects from gear shear. However, the VI (viscosity increasers) that all dino oils have to use are vulnerable to shearing and is the reason viscosity breaks down over time. True synthetics don't usually need VIs and is one of the reasons they are superior. However, very few oils labeled "full syn" in this country use synthetic base stock.

I have never had any clutch slipping issue with using full synth non JASO-MA oils. Just my 2 cents.

undiablo wrote: I have never had any clutch slipping issue with using full synth non JASO-MA oils. Just my 2 cents.

It's possible that Argentina does not follow the same rules as the USA regarding the content of oil (different countries get different oil content), or the oil brand you use does not have the harmful friction modifiers that so many US automobile oils have, or it could related to the number of miles you have put on the bike. Ed

ghostdevil273 wrote: Hello new guy here what brand and what weight oil is best to use...Also do guys recommend using Mobile 1 full snyt. oil. I am going with KN oil filter. Just picked bike up today. list stuff got so far to start work on it: 1. CARB CLEANER (2+2 GUM CUTTER)- 4 CANS
2. OIL FILTER
3. OIL (10W30 MOBLIE)
.....

Just wondering if 10W-30 is one of the specified oils?

Some additive that, I forget what it's called, it's supposed to protect the oil breakdown. Apparently there is some tape used that has this same additive and it is for metal to metal contact. Who knows? Everyone wants you to buy their product, could be a gimmick but maybe not.

bountyhunter wrote:

saxjonz wrote: Car oil doesn't have the additives that protect from the gear shear as car oil doesn't go in the transmission right?

Have never heard of a specific additive that protects from gear shear. However, the VI (viscosity increasers) that all dino oils have to use are vulnerable to shearing and is the reason viscosity breaks down over time. True synthetics don't usually need VIs and is one of the reasons they are superior. However, very few oils labeled "full syn" in this country use synthetic base stock.

martin_csr wrote:

ghostdevil273 wrote: Hello new guy here what brand and what weight oil is best to use...Also do guys recommend using Mobile 1 full snyt. oil. I am going with KN oil filter. Just picked bike up today. list stuff got so far to start work on it: 1. CARB CLEANER (2+2 GUM CUTTER)- 4 CANS
2. OIL FILTER
3. OIL (10W30 MOBLIE)
.....

Just wondering if 10W-30 is one of the specified oils?

10-30 and 5-30 are almost certain to have the energy conserving tag which means they screw up a wet clutch. 10-40 and 20-50 almost never have that.

That's what I was thinking. And I've never seen anything below 10W-40 as a specified oil (specified by Kawasaki for a KZ). I have no idea where he lives, but 10W-30 would be mighty thin in Texas during the summer.

Mine has 10-40 stamped on the oil filler cap. 20-50 is also specified in the manual, I assume for very hot weather.