January 1st, 2014, 02:40 PM | #1 |
Ninja chick
Name: Allyson
Location: Athens, GA
Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 4
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Conventional vs synthetic for first oil change?
Hey all. In advance, please forgive my mechanical inexperience (I consider it a learning disability, personally). My 500 mile oil change is due. I've heard different arguments for conventional vs synthetic oil for the first few thousand miles. If this has already been posted, feel free to link my ass right to it, but a quick search didn't turn up what I was looking for. Can anyone give me your thoughts on which oil to use and why?
Thanks a ton!
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Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. ~Drake Check out my Appalachian Trail journal, 2015! Postwhores are COOL! ~Allyson |
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January 1st, 2014, 02:51 PM | #2 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
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You should know it don't matter for squat. When in doubt though, you can't go wrong with dino oil (conventional).
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January 1st, 2014, 02:56 PM | #3 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Jim
Location: NJ
Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300, KTM EXC610SMR Posts: 913
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You got a Walmart near ya? Of course you do, your in Ga!
Rotella T can be bought by the gallon there. Any diesel oil is safe for the clutch. JASO approved! Rotella = Shell = KTMs recommended oils for all their bike a few years ago. I used to be a synthetic nutter, Mobil then even became an Amsoil dealer I used so much of it. It was big $ and I felt like I was doing something good for the bikes. Then I started supporting 4 race bikes and 2 street bikes. Bah! Too much $, and no real reward IMO. The Rotella goes in my $10,000 bike supermoto/MX bike, I used it in my $14,000 street bike and it is just dandy in the $5000 bike too. You can get syn or regular. I use the regular stuff, no oil issues. Change it when it needs it. 3k miles is maybe too often depending on how you ride. PS, Wallymarty has your oil filter too! |
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January 1st, 2014, 02:57 PM | #4 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Tom
Location: Dayton, OH
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 '09 Boulevard C50. '08 250r(TOTALED BY DEER) Posts: 467
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January 1st, 2014, 03:00 PM | #5 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Tom
Location: Dayton, OH
Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 '09 Boulevard C50. '08 250r(TOTALED BY DEER) Posts: 467
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That kind of talk will get you banned!
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CHEERS!!! |
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January 1st, 2014, 03:08 PM | #6 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Jim
Location: NJ
Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300, KTM EXC610SMR Posts: 913
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Then I'll have nowhere to hang out!!!
I bought it hook, line and sinker way back when. More expense made me feel I was doing something extra good. I know better now. in 35 years of riding and hot rodding cars & trucks, I haven't had a single oil related failure using either type. Save your $ for tires! Fresh rubber is money well spent! |
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
January 1st, 2014, 03:11 PM | #7 | |
Daily Ninjette rider
Name: Hernan
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16
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Quote:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Why_Synthetic_Oil%3F http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Preferred_Brands
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Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
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January 1st, 2014, 03:16 PM | #8 | |
Ninja chick
Name: Allyson
Location: Athens, GA
Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 4
MOTM - Dec '13, Feb '15
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Quote:
Thanks for the links Hernan! Checking them out now.
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Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. ~Drake Check out my Appalachian Trail journal, 2015! Postwhores are COOL! ~Allyson |
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January 1st, 2014, 03:22 PM | #9 |
Ninja chick
Name: Allyson
Location: Athens, GA
Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 Posts: A lot.
Blog Entries: 4
MOTM - Dec '13, Feb '15
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GREAT links Hernan! My questions are completely answered. Conventional until around 3,500 miles for me!
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Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. ~Drake Check out my Appalachian Trail journal, 2015! Postwhores are COOL! ~Allyson |
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January 1st, 2014, 03:24 PM | #10 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Jim
Location: NJ
Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 300, KTM EXC610SMR Posts: 913
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I think we can all agree, just do something. My Ninja 300 is about to clear 9000 miles (damn snow storm tomorrow!). It had the original oil about 1,000 miles. I've changed it 3 times since. Tuned with pods & stuff. No worries with Rotella. Use what you like.
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January 2nd, 2014, 08:33 PM | #11 | |||
EX500 full of EX250 parts
Name: Bill
Location: Grand Rapids-ish, MI
Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): '18 Ninja 400 • '09 Ninja 500R (selling) • '98 VFR800 (project) • '85 Vulcan VN700 (sold) Posts: A lot.
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Everyone seems to have their own opinion on oil and break-in.
Quote:
Quote:
Here's a quote from someone saying that MotoMan's "hard break-in" method is stupid. It basically says that the worst possible thing that could happen is what the Wiki describes as the reason for preferring dino over synthetic (metal peaks breaking through the oil film). Quote:
I don't really have any good evidence for when to switch from dino to synthetic (or whether or not you need dino at all), but it's been shown that synthetics maintain their viscosity longer (due to needing fewer/no viscosity index improvers, which break down over time) and that wet-clutch engines break down oils much faster than standard engines (a Honda Accord broke its oil down to 91.8% of its original viscosity in 3,600 miles; a bike got the same oil down to 72.2% after only 800 miles). The standards tested against and the additives used in "commercial/diesel" oils seem to generally match up better with the older tech and simpler designs of the motorcycle engines I'm familiar with. The JASO standards were created in response to the new API standards, which were getting too far from what was ideal for a bike. I know the 300 is a bit newer, but I assume it's still the same basic engine as the 250, and hasn't really changed much since the '80s. Generally speaking, I (and a lot of other bike owners) find the Rotella T6 to be a pretty good oil for a pretty good price (with a sale and a rebate, I managed to get a couple gallons for $9 each last time). I plan to have my oil analyzed in the future to make sure it's holding up as well as I would like, which is probably the best way to figure out what's best for your particular scenario. |
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January 20th, 2014, 07:22 PM | #12 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: mania
Location: Asia
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 250 Posts: 242
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Quote:
Fresh rubber is a much better deal You know that Motul 300v is going for $33.53 a liter here? |
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January 20th, 2014, 07:44 PM | #13 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Fish
Location: co
Join Date: Apr 2013 Motorcycle(s): 250/300 Posts: A lot.
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http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
this guy recommends using regular oil tell a few 1000 miles.
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