[mysqld]

Hello,
I have a 2020 kawasaki z250
I live in a hot climate zone
Our summers temp goes up to 50°C
and in winter coldest temp is -3°C but it is usually over 5°C

I got the bike brand new, i poured new oil with motul 10w40 5000 api sl
After 200km i changed to motul 7100 15w50 100% synthetic

My question is:
Is this new oil ok?should i drain it now and use a thinner oil like 10w50?
If yes, can i use it on both summer and winter?
Or should i use 10w50 in winter?


P.s: i dont have access to a good and reliable 10w40 fully synthetic

 

[Obo]

Hi @mysqld and welcome to the forum.

Yay another oil thread... get out the popcorn.🍿🍿🍿

As per the user manual I found online the recommended oil is 10w40. However you can use 10w30, 10w40, 10w50 as well as 20w50 & 20w40.... with some rules to follow so keep reading!

The rules:

The oil viscosity needs to fall into this temperature chart. It's a bit hard to make out the temps but on the Celcius side they are -20, -10, 0, 10, 20, 30 & 40. So as long as you fall into those temps you are good.

Given you hit 50C you should be running a 10w50 or 20W50 which is a bit thicker than a somethingW40.

The way motor oil is blended the first number is the viscosity when cold, the W stands for winter, and the last number is the viscosity when up to temperature. So a 10W30 is like a lighter SAE10 weight oil at cold temperatures, W stands for winter use, and it's like a heavier SAE30 weight oil when up to temperature. Kind of hard to get your head around as it seems backwards but that's that it is.

What is perhaps an even more important rule about oil is the ratings on it.
As your engine oil is shared with the transmission and clutch you need one that is rated for motorcycle use, and has no friction modifiers etc in it. You NEED something with a JASO MA, MA1 or MA2 rating. Using regular car oil, energy saving oil etc will ultimately cause your clutch to slip and wear out faster.

Here's the specs the oil needs:

You can often find these specs on oil that says it's for diesel trucks if you don't or can't buy oil made for motorcycles. (Still check motorcycle oil to ensure it has one of the JASO MA ratings.)

So again - you need this JASO MA rating on the oil for your clutch life.

As the bike seems to take about 2.2L / 2.3 quarts with a filter change when you do find a reliable source buy yourself some extra containers... both for future changes as well as any top ups you may need to do.

As for good old dino oil vs synthetic, that really doesn't matter. It's personal preference. Yes some will disagree but it doesn't matter.

The proper rating type (with the JASO MA rating (hint hint), viscosity and how often you change it matter more. (Manual says yearly or every ~11,000Km - which ever comes first.)

The Motul oil you said you have has the JASO MA2 rating✅, and the 15W50✅ will work just fine for both the high and low temps you get there. No need to change that.✅

If you buy a 10W50 in the future that will be ok as well. No need to change the viscosity from Summer to Winter. A 10W50 or 15W50 with the JASO MA rating will be fine.

Ok, the repetition is now done and I'll hop down off my soapbox.

 

[mysqld]

Hi @mysqld and welcome to the forum.

Yay another oil thread... get out the popcorn.🍿🍿🍿

As per the user manual I found online the recommended oil is 10w40. However you can use 10w30, 10w40, 10w50 as well as 20w50 & 20w40.... with some rules to follow so keep reading!

The rules:

The oil viscosity needs to fall into this temperature chart. It's a bit hard to make out the temps but on the Celcius side they are -20, -10, 0, 10, 20, 30 & 40. So as long as you fall into those temps you are good.

View attachment 122983

Given you hit 50C you should be running a 10w50 or 20W50 which is a bit thicker than a somethingW40.

The way motor oil is blended the first number is the viscosity when cold, the W stands for winter, and the last number is the viscosity when up to temperature. So a 10W30 is like a lighter SAE10 weight oil at cold temperatures, W stands for winter use, and it's like a heavier SAE30 weight oil when up to temperature. Kind of hard to get your head around as it seems backwards but that's that it is.

What is perhaps an even more important rule about oil is the ratings on it.
As your engine oil is shared with the transmission and clutch you need one that is rated for motorcycle use, and has no friction modifiers etc in it. You NEED something with a JASO MA, MA1 or MA2 rating. Using regular car oil, energy saving oil etc will ultimately cause your clutch to slip and wear out faster.

Here's the specs the oil needs:
View attachment 122984

You can often find these specs on oil that says it's for diesel trucks if you don't or can't buy oil made for motorcycles. (Still check motorcycle oil to ensure it has one of the JASO MA ratings.)

So again - you need this JASO MA rating on the oil for your clutch life.

As the bike seems to take about 2.2L / 2.3 quarts with a filter change when you do find a reliable source buy yourself some extra containers... both for future changes as well as any top ups you may need to do.

As for good old dino oil vs synthetic, that really doesn't matter. It's personal preference. Yes some will disagree but it doesn't matter.

The proper rating type (with the JASO MA rating (hint hint), viscosity and how often you change it matter more. (Manual says yearly or every ~11,000Km - which ever comes first.)

View attachment 122985

The Motul oil you said you have has the JASO MA2 rating✅, and the 15W50✅ will work just fine for both the high and low temps you get there. No need to change that.✅

If you buy a 10W50 in the future that will be ok as well. No need to change the viscosity from Summer to Winter. A 10W50 or 15W50 with the JASO MA rating will be fine.

Ok, the repetition is now done and I'll hop down off my soapbox.

Wow thay was very very very good and complete
Thank you

 

[Ozninjaguy]

@Obo...great and comprehensive reply.

I have always run mineral oil in my bikes for many years. I couldn't see the value in synthetic as it is more than twice the price and I change oil around every 1500-2000K anyway.

However, my Aprilia was due for an oil and filter change, so I decided to give synth a try to see why so many guys swear by it.

My personal observation is that there was a noticeable reduction in the 'clunk' when engaging first gear, and the engine top end sounded quieter. This is often the case with a new mineral oil change, and doesn't last, but it's been a few Ks now and still better first gear engagement and quieter engine.

Since synth can extend oil change intervals, I'll probably stick with it - the cost kind of evens out... and oil changes are getting boring with a car and four bikes to maintain.

But of course it all comes down to personal preference - thus so many oil threads on so many forums.

 

[mysqld]

@Obo...great and comprehensive reply.

I have always run mineral oil in my bikes for many years. I couldn't see the value in synthetic as it is more than twice the price and I change oil around every 1500-2000K anyway.

However, my Aprilia was due for an oil and filter change, so I decided to give synth a try to see why so many guys swear by it.

My personal observation is that there was a noticeable reduction in the 'clunk' when engaging first gear, and the engine top end sounded quieter. This is often the case with a new mineral oil change, and doesn't last, but it's been a few Ks now and still better first gear engagement and quieter engine.

Since synth can extend oil change intervals, I'll probably stick with it - the cost kind of evens out... and oil changes are getting boring with a car and four bikes to maintain.

But of course it all comes down to personal preference - thus so many oil threads on so many forums.

Yeah, his response was ultra comprehensive and complete, and it was a relief for me
I was too worried about damaging engine but after @Obo 's reaponse i really slept well
And i think that is the reason USA and its partners are advanced in tech and etc.
You know sharing knowledge us the best culture they have

 

[Ozninjaguy]

Yeah, his response was ultra comprehensive and complete, and it was a relief for me
I was too worried about damaging engine but after @Obo 's reaponse i really slept well
And i think that is the reason USA and its partners are advanced in tech and etc.
You know sharing knowledge us the best culture they have

Obo is one of the most knowledgeable members of this forum...and btw - welcome onboard!

 

[Obo]

And I'm Canadian 🇨🇦 🇨🇦

@Ozninjaguy funny you say you have less clunk with synthetic. Perhaps it's a Kawi thing. I've never noticed any difference between synth and dino oils in my ZR7S. My Honda ST1300 though is much smoother and less clunkier with dino oil vs synthetic. I usually buy my oil for both bikes in a 20L pail. When on sale for $60 that's about $3.20Cdn / Litre. I buy the Rotella T4 dino oil. Meets the Jaso MA requirements and is less $$ as it's not specificially marketed as a motorcycle oil.
If you wanted synthetic they make a Rotella T6 that meets specs as well. As for where to get these in Canada/US you can usually get them at Walmart, Home Depot and in only Canada at Princess Auto and Canadian Tire. I'm sure there are other places too. I've paid over $20/L for motorcycle oil in a 1L-ish container. That would make an equivalent pail of the below come out to $378!!!

Again, make sure you have the correct weight for where you are riding and that it meets the specs. Combine that with the reccomended change intervals and you'll be golden (just like the color of new oil!)

 

[Obo]

As for using synthetic and running it longer that's a personal preference.

The only downside I can see to running the oil longer is any dirt & crud that's in the oil and making it "scratchy" is still in there even if the synthetic oil itself hasn't broken down as much as a convention oil may have.

 

[Ozninjaguy]

As for using synthetic and running it longer that's a personal preference.

The only downside I can see to running the oil longer is any dirt & crud that's in the oil and making it "scratchy" is still in there even if the synthetic oil itself hasn't broken down as much as a convention oil may have.

"any dirt & crud that's in the oil and making it "scratchy" is still in there even if the synthetic oil itself hasn't broken down as much as a convention oil may have" - good point...but synths are known for not creating sludge, deposits and other harmful by-products that mineral oils do.

I change oil at around 1500-2000K, so changing it at 3000 - 4000K is more convenient - especially when my service manual recommends 20,000K oil changes. So, I'm a recent convert to synth.

Each to his own.

BTW - Interesting that you mention Rotella - I looked at that years ago - but since it had the required specs but is for Diesel, I wasn't prepared to give it a try.

(..and just for the sake of argument, Mobil guarantee their synth oil for 10,000k change intervals - not sure if any mineral oils have the same guarantee: Mobil 1™ limited warranty | Mobil™ )

 

[Obo]

I always figured my oil comes out looking dirty regardless of the type (conventional or synth) so it's doing it's job and that's why I change it at the interval. I tend to think of all the service intervals as "minimum requirements." There's nothing that prevents you from doing it sooner other than convenience and costs. Sort of like minimum building standards. They are the bare minimum you need to do to meet the building code. You can certainly exceed these to make the building stronger etc, but yes it will cost you more.

Again, whatever works for people and they are happy with is fine.

 

[Obo]

BTW - Interesting that you mention Rotella - I looked at that years ago - but since it had the required specs but is for Diesel, I wasn't prepared to give it a try.

Not all the Shell Rotella types oil has the JASO MA specs so you need to check the labels.

The dino T4 10w40 has the JASO MA rating. The T4 10w30 does not!
The synth T6 5w40 has the JASO MA rating. The T6 0w40 does not!
The T5 blend doesn't the rating.
I don't think the T1 does either.

The diesel oils are usually setup for vehicles that share oil across the engine and gearbox - just like our motorcycles do.

If it's good enough for a $100K+ Caterpillar loader it should work fine in your $10K (new) bike. (again as long as all the specs/weights are as per your manual.)

Imagine if you had to buy special oil for those giant yellow beasts like you can motorcycle "specific" oil.... $20/L and you need 18+ liters....

I think there's a bit of marketing in there combined with sneaky helping you. Sell it as motorcycle oil (with the JASO MA ratings you need) so you don't put the same weight car oil in there that has modifiers that will harm the clutch. However they charge you a "premium" for something that's a "specialty" oil and that they say they don't sell a lot of. They sell a lot of diesel oil with the same specs though..... same oil, different package? Quite possible. You be the judge.

 

[mysqld]

Not all the Shell Rotella types oil has the JASO MA specs so you need to check the labels.

The dino T4 10w40 has the JASO MA rating. The T4 10w30 does not!
The synth T6 5w40 has the JASO MA rating. The T6 0w40 does not!
The T5 blend doesn't the rating.
I don't think the T1 does either.

The diesel oils are usually setup for vehicles that share oil across the engine and gearbox - just like our motorcycles do.

If it's good enough for a $100K+ Caterpillar loader it should work fine in your $10K (new) bike. (again as long as all the specs/weights are as per your manual.)

Imagine if you had to buy special oil for those giant yellow beasts like you can motorcycle "specific" oil.... $20/L and you need 18+ liters....

I think there's a bit of marketing in there combined with sneaky helping you. Sell it as motorcycle oil (with the JASO MA ratings you need) so you don't put the same weight car oil in there that has modifiers that will harm the clutch. However they charge you a "premium" for something that's a "specialty" oil and that they say they don't sell a lot of. They sell a lot of diesel oil with the same specs though..... same oil, different package? Quite possible. You be the judge.

@Obo, some folks say do not use synthetic oil in break in period(why?)


Do you certify that?
I did not reach 5k rpm before 300KM and now i am changing gears around 6.5k 7k rpm
Is that ok?
P.s: i do live in a country wuth metric standards so i use KM instead of mile
P.s2 : i am a professional car driver, and i am riding bikes for less than 2 months and any bike with more than 250cc is banned in our country according to a weird law 40 years ago

 

[mysqld]

In car maintenance world, we do not have many options for car engine oil standards, for example bmw n52 engine is only good with 5w40 in most countries (specially warm ones)
Or a kia car uses 5w40 or 5w30
But in motorcycle world, a bike can use a lot of oila and that is confusing me 😁😁😁

 

[Obo]

First a disclaimer: I'm no oil guru nor mechanic. Just things I've read and learned which may be correct or incorrect....

During the break in period they want all the parts to seat in and wear a bit to make a good seal on everything. There are often minute imperfections in the production process that need to be smoothed out. Tolerences are tight in modern engines. That being said you want a bit of friction, at lower rpm's to make it all become meshed together as it were. Some engines even run a break-in oil for a short while which is then discarded. Depending on the motor (car, bike etc.) they all have different break in procedures. The bikes are usually shipped from the factory in a crate and the dealership assembles them (not completely but some parts) and refills them with the supplied oil (which may be a break-in oil.) As the oil is new there's no need to change it until the recommended mileage after the break-in period. The recommended max rpms, speeds and shifting points are to help let the engine (and all other bike parts) break in. Could you just wind it out in every gear to top speed right off the dealer floor? Yes, but it could do some damage to all the internal bits. True or not if they determine you did something like that you'd likely have a hard time with warrantying anything that broke as a result... Think of the break in period as doing a warm up stretch before you play a vigorous sport Start slow and then go fast.

We do KM here too in Canada (USA is miles) and a 250cc law is unheard of here in North America. My ZR7S is 738cc and my Honda ST1300 is 1261cc's. They also weigh a lot 452lb/205Kg & 630lb/286Kg respectively.

As for oil choices the local stores here are full of dozens of brands, viscosity and "features that make them better than all the others." Take those and double them to include conventional and synthetic versions. I think there are even more options for car oil than there are MC oils.

You have lots of reasons to be confused and you are not alone!!

 

[mysqld]

First a disclaimer: I'm no oil guru nor mechanic. Just things I've read and learned which may be correct or incorrect....

During the break in period they want all the parts to seat in and wear a bit to make a good seal on everything. There are often minute imperfections in the production process that need to be smoothed out. Tolerences are tight in modern engines. That being said you want a bit of friction, at lower rpm's to make it all become meshed together as it were. Some engines even run a break-in oil for a short while which is then discarded. Depending on the motor (car, bike etc.) they all have different break in procedures. The bikes are usually shipped from the factory in a crate and the dealership assembles them (not completely but some parts) and refills them with the supplied oil (which may be a break-in oil.) As the oil is new there's no need to change it until the recommended mileage after the break-in period. The recommended max rpms, speeds and shifting points are to help let the engine (and all other bike parts) break in. Could you just wind it out in every gear to top speed right off the dealer floor? Yes, but it could do some damage to all the internal bits. True or not if they determine you did something like that you'd likely have a hard time with warrantying anything that broke as a result... Think of the break in period as doing a warm up stretch before you play a vigorous sport Start slow and then go fast.

We do KM here too in Canada (USA is miles) and a 250cc law is unheard of here in North America. My ZR7S is 738cc and my Honda ST1300 is 1261cc's. They also weigh a lot 452lb/205Kg & 630lb/286Kg respectively.

As for oil choices the local stores here are full of dozens of brands, viscosity and "features that make them better than all the others." Take those and double them to include conventional and synthetic versions. I think there are even more options for car oil than there are MC oils.

You have lots of reasons to be confused and you are not alone!!

I am not in USA nor Canada,
In our country btw the 250cc rule is very strict
And your bikes would be stopped and transfered to police parking if seen on streets
So i have the most powerful legal bike possible in here 😁😁😁
We do not have lots of motorcycle engine oils in here : i have searched thw market and we have motul 7100, 10w50, 10w60, 20w50, 15w50
Motul 5000 10w40
Motul 5100 10w40
Top1 oil, any oil, addinol and some local brands that are good but only provide 20w50 becauae ww have a lot of tvs and bajaj bikes here and they need 20w50
FYI: according to officials, we have 13,000,000 active bikes in country but moat of them are tvs, bajaj and cg125, cdi 125 and honda wave style bikes

Kawasaki z250 is a luxury bike here 😁😁😁

 

[450fizz]

Hello,
I have a 2020 kawasaki z250
I live in a hot climate zone
Our summers temp goes up to 50°C
and in winter coldest temp is -3°C but it is usually over 5°C

I got the bike brand new, i poured new oil with motul 10w40 5000 api sl
After 200km i changed to motul 7100 15w50 100% synthetic

My question is:
Is this new oil ok?should i drain it now and use a thinner oil like 10w50?
If yes, can i use it on both summer and winter?
Or should i use 10w50 in winter?


P.s: i dont have access to a good and reliable 10w40 fully synthetic

I use 10w50 motul technosynthec gor my 2014 kawa ninja 1000. It has good temp range. Unless maybe using bike for racing. This should fo the job

 

[Obo]

@mysqld I've never seen a "something"W60 oil. Most oils here go up to "something"W50 and then you get into gear oils with single numbers.

 

[Ozninjaguy]

@mysqld I've never seen a "something"W60 oil. Most oils here go up to "something"W50 and then you get into gear oils with single numbers.

Yeah...I wondered about that too...but apparently Elf make a 10w60 synth motorcycle oil. Learn something new every day.

MOTO 4 RACE 10W-60 | Corporate Website ELF - Anglais

catalog.elf.com

Just looked it up on a local online store, and in the Phils it's around $13AU per litre.

 

[mysqld]

@mysqld I've never seen a "something"W60 oil. Most oils here go up to "something"W50 and then you get into gear oils with single numbers.

Motul - Oils and lubricants Products

Discover our lubricants and oils for cars, motorcycle, scooter, marine, leisure, commercial vehicles, gardening and many more

www.motul.com

Dude w60 oils are very common in high performance engines
For example all BMW M engines use 10w60

 

[Obo]

Yes, I can see looking at a regular oil chart where in hot locations you'd want or need a "x"w60 oil. Around here not so much as we don't get that hot.