Oil

[karanj94]

Hey guys quick question pennzoil sae 10w-40 good oil? For ninja 2012

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by karanj94

Hey guys quick question pennzoil sae 10w-40 good oil? For ninja 2012

No - not if it's regular Pennzoil Platinum or Ultra automotive oil.

Use a diesel oil like Shell Rotella T6 5W-40. For almost all conditions Rotella T6 is more than adequate. It's full synthetic and has the proper levels of the additives you want for a cycle engine and none of the additives you don't.

Plus it's easy to find and cheap.

[karanj94]

Ohh I went ahead and bought one lol it's high mileage vehicle one. With active cleansing agents

[adouglas]

Look at the label. If it says "Energy Conserving" you may wind up with a slipping clutch.

Read your owner's manual. Follow its recommendations and you'll be fine. You don't need motorcycle-specific oil as long as you follow the guidelines.

[cadd]

Car motor oil doesn't play nice with motorcycles. Our clutch is a wet clutch. It needs motor oil to keep it lubricated. The additives in car oil may make our clutches slip.

[adouglas]

Not entirely true. "ENERGY CONSERVING" oil makes the clutches slip. If the label doesn't say that, and the oil is the correct weight and has the correct service rating, then it will be fine even if it's "car" oil.

[CajunNinjaR]

If it says JASO-MA2 Its good I think, altho with 10w-40 my bike takes too long for the oil light to go off (30-45 sec) so I use 20w-50 and it goes off instantly now.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Brother Michigan]

Originally Posted by CajunNinjaR

If it says JASO-MA2 Its good I think

This. JASO-MA2 is the rating required by our motorcycles. You can run some oils that do not have this rating (just because they don't have the rating doesn't mean it doesn't meet the spec), but why risk it? There are excellent oils that have this rating for cheap.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Not entirely true. "ENERGY CONSERVING" oil makes the clutches slip. If the label doesn't say that, and the oil is the correct weight and has the correct service rating, then it will be fine even if it's "car" oil.

NO IT WON"T!

I've beat the s*** out of this many times already, and the correct answer is NO - auto oils are not good for a cycle! And it has nothing to do with Friction Modifiers!

It's all about the levels of ZDDP that are in the oil. An engine with a solid cam system (non-roller) needs certain amount of the additive ZDDP to protect the cam/lifter/rocker from galling in certain situations. Current auto oils are designed for use with roller cam systems and don't have adequate levels for a non-roller cam system like almost all cycles have.

Return the oil and buy Rotella T6 - or any diesel oil. All diesel oils have safe levels of ZDDP. Friction Modifiers are only present in oils with a high rating of 30 or less - so it''s not the issue with a 40-grade oil - ever.

And Rotella T6 is JASO-MA rated also. Win/win.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by CajunNinjaR

If it says JASO-MA2 Its good I think, altho with 10w-40 my bike takes too long for the oil light to go off (30-45 sec) so I use 20w-50 and it goes off instantly now.
Posted via Mobile Device

That's not the entire story though.

20W-50 can build too much pressure and moves slower than a 40-grade oil. If temp are below 60F you want an oil that moves easier than a 20W.

In hot temps a 50 moves slower also, which carries heat away slower - not what you want. Flow removes heat, not pressure.

Use a synthetic 40-grade oil that's cycle compatible and you will get better engine protection, performance, and mileage.

[karanj94]

Okay I went back and bought rotella t6 5w-40 good?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by karanj94

Okay I went back and bought rotella t6 5w-40 good?

[karanj94]

While I'm at the store what coolant do I buy?

[cadd]

Originally Posted by karanj94

Okay I went back and bought rotella t6 5w-40 good?

Yes (I hope). It's been what I've been using for years now. And at $20/gallon, it's a bargain. Right now, Shell has a $5 mail in rebate as well (ends May 31st). So, it'll be $15/gallon (I just stocked up on some yesterday).

[karanj94]

Anybody willing to do a coolant flush for a young rookie il pay

[cadd]

I can help you out bud. Where in NJ are you located? It's really quick and easy. No need to pay.

What year bike do you ride again?

Edit: just looked at your profile. You have a 2012? How many miles on the bike? I'm pretty sure you don't need to change out the coolant! But if you insist on changing the coolant, it's really simple.

1 - You have to take both sides of the large fairings off.
2 - There's a bolt near the shift lever (left side of bike). Use a socket to remove bolt and coolant will be shooting out.
3 - On the right side of the bike, you can siphon the rest of the coolant out from the plastic reservoir...or if you really want to, you can loosen the bolts to remove it and turn it upside down to drain.
4 - Pour in new coolant. I use the generic green one from Prestone. Make sure you mix it 50/50 with water. Do not use tap water. I usually grab a gallon of distilled water from the supermarket.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by karanj94

Okay I went back and bought rotella t6 5w-40 good?

Yes - that's exactly what you want.

Only reason to use anything else would be if you wanted to go to a high-end ester synthetic like redline or motul.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by cadd

Edit: just looked at your profile. You have a 2012? How many miles on the bike? I'm pretty sure you don't need to change out the coolant!

Backstory on this bike and the fluid changes: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=226196

[karanj94]

You guys ready to get your mind blown it's 2012 but with like 54000 miles lol the coolant reservoir is completely empty I don't know anything about bikes I just want to ride this one lol

[karanj94]

But I'm in carteret nj if your near by

[Alex]

Originally Posted by jkv45

I've beat the s*** out of this many times already, and the correct answer is....

.... which oil threads never get old.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by Alex

.... which oil threads never get old.

...or nobody pays any attention...because there's always incorrect and potentially damaging information tossed-out as fact.

Fact 1 - Current automotive oils are not safe for use in cycle engines.

Fact 2 - Diesel oils are safe to use - and cheap.

Run Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 and you are good to go.


That should end oil threads...but it won't...

[snot]

For high miles I would use Total Purple... But that's just me (oil).

[Bob2010]

You bought a bike. Use bike oil.
If you wanna save money , walk

[Alex]

Originally Posted by jkv45

...or nobody pays any attention...because there's always incorrect and potentially damaging information tossed-out as fact.

Fact 1 - Current automotive oils are not safe for use in cycle engines.

Fact 2 - Diesel oils are safe to use - and cheap.

Run Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 and you are good to go.


That should end oil threads...but it won't...

Because when you bold FACT around things that are clearly your opinion, and are hotly debated by those who are just as adamant about their qualifications and their experiences, it just makes people tune you out (as you do them). To clarify, the only non-debatable "fact" that you've shared is that Diesel oils are cheap.

This doesn't mean your opinion is necessarily wrong, btw. It just means that believing that yours is the only one that has merit is the crux of the "oil thread" phenomenon.

[dcj13]

Wrong thread, but...

A variant of Daniel Patrick Moynihan's famous quote:

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by Alex

Because when you bold FACT around things that are clearly your opinion, and are hotly debated by those who are just as adamant about their qualifications and their experiences, it just makes people tune you out (as you do them). To clarify, the only non-debatable "fact" that you've shared is that Diesel oils are cheap.

This doesn't mean your opinion is necessarily wrong, btw. It just means that believing that yours is the only one that has merit is the crux of the "oil thread" phenomenon.

They are not my opinion.

I stand by my statement that both are FACTS.

I'm trying to save people a lot of potential damage by directing them to the correct oil for their type of engine.

If they want to tune me out for saying it loud and clear - fine.