1986 ninja 250

[james250ninja]

hi everyone just got my new bike 86 ninja 250

want too change oil what weight should I use
only 6700 original miles


can I use a k-n- oil filter for it

[LNasty]

@Alex Your going to have to start a Pre-Pre-Pre Gen section for this

[Alex]

Nope; this area is inclusive of the somewhat unique 86-87 models.

[james250ninja]

Well gonna use 10 w40, I see. A lot of people using trustworthy pre gen...should be ok

[atxninjette]

Originally Posted by james250ninja

Well gonna use 10 w40, I see. A lot of people using trustworthy pre gen...should be ok

10w40 synth is where its at! k&n are good to go. they should come with the 2 o-rings.
-
check and adjust your valves on any new used ninja 250 purchase.
there is a write up in the how to section

[Ninjinsky]

From across the pond Her majesty's ninjette inspectors require photographic documentation at your earliest convenience.

[NevadaWolf]

Her majesty's inspectors will just have to wait their turn. Uncle Sam wants pictures first.

[Finesse]

^Both of you go to the Pictures section, he has a ton of pics of this bike there!

Doesn't matter that much what type you use as long as you change it frequently. 10w40 is fine, I've used Valvoline and Mobil 1 and Repsol and Castrol and Rotella...

[Ninjinsky]

Neat, just the kind of bike I'd expect to see outside a Portuguese beach cafe leaned on by a well groomed young man with a cigarette.
(If that imagery makes sense to people who haven't been to Portugal? )

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by atxninjette

10w40 synth is where its at! k&n are good to go. they should come with the 2 o-rings.
-
check and adjust your valves on any new used ninja 250 purchase.
there is a write up in the how to section

Not unless it's motorcycle-specific. The diesel stuff we often use is no 10w40 and the car 10w40 synths all have friction modifiers added that are bad for the wet clutch.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Not unless it's motorcycle-specific. The diesel stuff we often use is no 10w40 and the car 10w40 synths all have friction modifiers added that are bad for the wet clutch.

Not sure what you mean by that, but I guess you are missing a "t".

Rotella T is a 15W-40, so I think that's what you are getting at. A 15W conventional is only a good choice if the temperatures are always above 50 degrees when you start-up. If you start in lower temps a 10W (minimum) or 5W (better) synthetic provides much better lubrication.

Diesel oils like Rotella and Delvac are fine for a cycle. Auto oils like Syntec or Platinum are not, BUT, it's not just an issue of Friction Modifiers.

Friction Modifiers are not added to auto oils in the 40-grade range and above (usually 10W-40) - just 30-grade and below.

The real issue for cycle use is the low levels of ZDDP that are mandated for current auto oil. ZDDP is an additive that protects the valvetrain from damage before adequate oil arrives - like starts. Current auto engines get around that with roller rockers and lifters. Cycle engines (except the CBR250R) use solid (non-roller) valvetrain components that need higher levels of ZDDP to prevent damage.

Diesel oils are not required to have the same low levels as auto oils, so they have adequate amounts of ZDDP for a typical cycle engine, and are a good low cost alternative.

Cycle specific oils are the best choice, and usually have even more ZDDP, but for all but the most extreme conditions a quality diesel oil will be more than adequate.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by jkv45

Not sure what you mean by that, but I guess you are missing a "t".

Rotella T is a 15W-40, so I think that's what you are getting at. A 15W conventional is only a good choice if the temperatures are always above 50 degrees when you start-up. If you start in lower temps a 10W (minimum) or 5W (better) synthetic provides much better lubrication.

Diesel oils like Rotella and Delvac are fine for a cycle. Auto oils like Syntec or Platinum are not, BUT, it's not just an issue of Friction Modifiers.

Friction Modifiers are not added to auto oils in the 40-grade range and above (usually 10W-40) - just 30-grade and below.

The real issue for cycle use is the low levels of ZDDP that are mandated for current auto oil. ZDDP is an additive that protects the valvetrain from damage before adequate oil arrives - like starts. Current auto engines get around that with roller rockers and lifters. Cycle engines (except the CBR250R) use solid (non-roller) valvetrain components that need higher levels of ZDDP to prevent damage.

Diesel oils are not required to have the same low levels as auto oils, so they have adequate amounts of ZDDP for a typical cycle engine, and are a good low cost alternative.

Cycle specific oils are the best choice, and usually have even more ZDDP, but for all but the most extreme conditions a quality diesel oil will be more than adequate.

I use Rotella T6 and it is intended for diesel engines. There is a "fuel efficient[Energy Conserving]" descriptor on all synthetics intended for cars which denotes the additives I'm talking about. This is what makes them bad for wet clutches.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by CZroe

I use Rotella T6 and it is intended for diesel engines. There is a "fuel efficient" descriptor on all synthetics intended for cars which denotes the additives I'm talking about. This is what makes them bad for wet clutches.

Not all, and not just synthetics.

It's at the bottom of the API "donut" - I know - but look at any 40-grade auto oil. It doesn't have the "Energy Conserving" (Friction Modifiers) like the 30s do.

My point is that even though they (auto 40-grade oils) don't have Modifiers, they still are not a good choice for a cycle engine. People concentrate on the Modifiers part, but there are more important reasons NOT to use it (auto oil.)

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by jkv45

Not all, and not just synthetics.

It's at the bottom of the API "donut" - I know - but look at any 40-grade auto oil. It doesn't have the "Energy Conserving" (Friction Modifiers) like the 30s do.

My point is that even though they (auto 40-grade oils) don't have Modifiers, they still are not a good choice for a cycle engine. People concentrate on the Modifiers part, but there are more important reasons NOT to use it (auto oil.)

The full synthetics for cars always do, but full synth for bikes and diesels do not always (or so I have been told). I keep saying "synth" and I think you keep missing that. I was never saying that all car oil has it nor was I saying that only synth has it.

Thanks for getting the actual wording for me. I searched for an embarrassingly long time and couldn't find it.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by CZroe

The full synthetics for cars always do, but full synth for bikes and diesels do not always (or so I have been told). I keep saying "synth" and I think you keep missing that. I was never saying that all car oil has it nor was I saying that only synth has it.

Thanks for getting the actual wording for me. I searched for an embarrassingly long time and couldn't find it.

OK - what I'm saying is no, they don't all have it (Friction Modifiers) - just grade 30 and below.

Synthetic or not, only regular auto oils that are 30-grade and under (10W-30, 5W-30, etc) have Friction Modifiers and are rated as "Energy Conserving" at the bottom of the API donut on the back of the bottle.

Regular auto oils that are 40-grade (10W-40, 5W-40) and above don't have them. You can tell because the bottom of the API donut doesn't say "Energy Conserving".

If you don't believe me (I don't think you do), compare bottles of regular (not the High Mileage, Racing, or 0W) Mobil 1 5W-30 and 10W-40 or any other 30 and 40-grade regular or synthetic auto oils of the same brand.

That's just for clarification. It's never a good idea to run any regular auto oil in cycle engines.

Run diesel oil (any type) and you are safe.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by jkv45

OK - what I'm saying is no, they don't all have it (Friction Modifiers) - just grade 30 and below.

Synthetic or not, only regular auto oils that are 30-grade and under (10W-30, 5W-30, etc) have Friction Modifiers and are rated as "Energy Conserving" at the bottom of the API donut on the back of the bottle.

Regular auto oils that are 40-grade (10W-40, 5W-40) and above don't have them. You can tell because the bottom of the API donut doesn't say "Energy Conserving".

If you don't believe me (I don't think you do), compare bottles of regular (not the High Mileage, Racing, or 0W) Mobil 1 5W-30 and 10W-40 or any other 30 and 40-grade regular or synthetic auto oils of the same brand.

That's just for clarification. It's never a good idea to run any regular auto oil in cycle engines.

Run diesel oil (any type) and you are safe.

I do believe you, but you are still talking about something else. The person I was replying to and I were specifically talking about synthetic, not "regular." That is what prompted me to say something.

Cheap 10w40 full synthetic for normal cars without the API Energy Conserving mark was considered unobtanium last I checked. You had to pay for specialty oil (motorcycle-specific) or diesel engine oil.

[dood]

shes ready to ride 1987

[highvoltj]

I useRotella T-6 in my '86 and '08 250r as well as in my '06 636 and never an issue!