First Synthetic Oil Change

[want1sobad]

welcome to the forum. "search" is your friend.

shell rotella t6.

have a great day.....

[rockNroll]

You can switch to synthetic at any time. Run any motorcycle specific oil you like. Also, many people run Rotella diesel oil. You'll find numerous threads here on this topic

[CThunder-blue]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

welcome to the forum. "search" is your friend.

shell rotella t6.

have a great day.....

[robski11500]

Thanks guys, sounds like some great ones to use for my bike!

[tazman]

hey Robski, you've got more than enough miles on your bike to switch to synthetic. I run Mobil 1 in all my vehicles, including the Ninja (Mobil 1 4t). I broke it in with Motul 3000 until about 2100 miles. The biggest difference I noticed is how quickly the oil light goes off since switching, I think the Mobil 1 flow rate is much better when cold compared with the Motul (which is a fantastic break-in oil). May as well stick with Mobil 1 in everything, eh? Especially when it's available at Walmart for a great price! Happy riding!

[scotty]

I was running Mobil1 4T up to 5,000 miles on my bike. I have now gone with Kawasaki's full syn oil and filter for about 1,000 miles now. It cost the same betweent h two brands. I know a lot of people here run Shell Rotella though.

[want1sobad]

Originally Posted by CThunder-blue

really?

[Havok]

I use mobil 1 full synth as well, mostly because that is all the auto parts store carries in cycle oil.

[Havok]

Originally Posted by tazman

hey Robski, you've got more than enough miles on your bike to switch to synthetic. I run Mobil 1 in all my vehicles, including the Ninja (Mobil 1 4t). I broke it in with Motul 3000 until about 2100 miles. The biggest difference I noticed is how quickly the oil light goes off since switching, I think the Mobil 1 flow rate is much better when cold compared with the Motul (which is a fantastic break-in oil). May as well stick with Mobil 1 in everything, eh? Especially when it's available at Walmart for a great price! Happy riding!

all the oil i have used has done this, light goes off fast after the change and the longer i go the longer it stays on, it makes a great reminder as to when to do an oil change. When i notice the light being on a long time it clicks that its getting close lol,

[Green Streak]

Originally Posted by Havok

all the oil i have used has done this, light goes off fast after the change and the longer i go the longer it stays on, it makes a great reminder as to when to do an oil change. When i notice the light being on a long time it clicks that its getting close lol,

I never notice this on mine. I will have to check if mine does that. After break-in, I just change it every 2k now, but I have not switched to synthetic yet. I am still under 5k miles. But I doubt I will go to synthetic any time soon. It never made enough difference in the other bikes I have had, so I am not in a big hurry to switch.

[want1sobad]

it makes a big difference in this bike.....

[ScorpionNinja]

I use 1.7 quarts of WD40 for my 250R

[Havok]

Originally Posted by Green Streak

I never notice this on mine. I will have to check if mine does that. After break-in, I just change it every 2k now, but I have not switched to synthetic yet. I am still under 5k miles. But I doubt I will go to synthetic any time soon. It never made enough difference in the other bikes I have had, so I am not in a big hurry to switch.

my guess would be its not so much the oil having a better flow rate but more of the oil filter doing its job and getting dirty thus blocking the oil, i do mine every 3k or so.

[alex.s]

its not the oil, it's how often you change it.

fzr has 20/50 mobil blend and the 250 has 15/40 mobil1

[seldom]

+1 for Mobil 1 fully synthetic.
Alot of my mates uses Motul but it's alot more expensive and I can't find it at any auto shops near me so I us Mobil 1 fully synt 15w50 mc oil.

[shawn57187]

I'm using kawasaki synthetic motorcycle oil. Just make sure to have plenty of time in the oil change process to thoroughly drain out all of the old stuff. I let my bike drain for more than a hour and it incidently needed a full 2qts to get it within normal range. My bike usually takes about 1.7qts.

[muzkur]

I'm using Motul 5100 but I think it's semi-synthetic.

[tazman]

Hi Havok, yeah, I would normally think the same thing, but I did'nt change the filter this time, as it had less than a thousand miles on it. Just a drain and re-fill.

[Green Streak]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

it makes a big difference in this bike.....

What improvements are you seeing on the 250 with Synthetic? I have had a number of ZX6s over the past 10yrs. The last two were using full synthetic oil. The prior owners had changed them over. I didn't really notice enough difference from the other ZX6s I had (with conventional oil) to make me want to rush to convert on this one to synthetic. But if there are some tangible improvements that you have noticed, I would be eager to learn what they are. Perhaps if they are compelling enough, I might change over too. Thanks

[kkim]

why not just try a synthetic and see for yourself? if you don't think it's worth it, change back.

[Boom King]

Recently made the switch to Rotella T6 just to try it out for myself. I haven't noticed any difference in the bike from the Castrol motorcycle dino oil that was in there prior although my opinion might change once I put more kilometres on the Rotella.

[Green Streak]

Originally Posted by kkim

why not just try a synthetic and see for yourself? if you don't think it's worth it, change back.

If the differences are so slight or intangible that they can't be quantified, I will stick with conventional. Like I said, the last two ZX6s I had were running Synthetic (the prior owners had already switched them) and I had heard from a number of people that you shouldn't switch back from Synthetic to Conventional. (I have also read since that it was a myth) I guess that is part of the problem, there are opinions all over the place and it is hard to separate the opinions from the facts. I have heard it can increase mileage, but I never saw any difference in gas mileage between the ZX6s running Conventional vs. Synthetic. That is something that I was able to personally see, but I am not deluding myself by thinking that is proof of anything. I know that it was not at all a scientific study and so the conclusion is suspect. What if the bike I had running conventional oil was just tuned a little better than the one running synthetic? The only scientific study (with actual data) I have been able to find on this was done by consumer reports back in 1996. Here is an excerpt of the detailed study by Consumer Reports. http://www.xs11.com/xs11-info/xs11-i...july-1996.html That study showed no significant difference in Synthetic vs. Conventional or between any brands of oil. But that was a long time ago and oils have probably (hopefully) changed significantly since then. If anyone can point me to a more recent scientific study, I would appreciate it. But the only studies that I have been able to find are not scientific and are being done by the oil companies peddling the oil. Talk about conflict of interest.

[TenaciousD]

I use this Amsoil motorcycle oil. With synthetic you can go longer between changes, but to me more important than using a synthetic oil is to use an oil specifically designed for motorcycles. Motorcycle oils are designed so that wet clutches work properly and also with additional anti-rust additives which is important for bikes that sit for long periods of time between rides and are parked outside in high humidity.

Of course most people don't keep a bike long enough for it to matter, but do it for the next couple owners.

In my own experience, I changed from the original factory oil to the Amsoil when the bike only had a couple hundred miles on it and I immediately noticed how the engine felt a little smoother. That's it - nothing dramatic, but I did feel it.

[want1sobad]

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...ight=synthetic

and the related threads at the bottom of the page. also, more often then not, if you're arguing/debating something with kkim about our bikes......YOU'RE WRONG.

[Boom King]

This is actually linked in the Wiki here: http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0308_oil/index.html

On a quick read through, the tests indicates that synthetics have more additives, are more heat stable and more resistant to sheering than dino oils. They also provide better numbers on the dyno tests. It's just food for thought and no one should rush out and buy a synthetic based on this article or any study. There are many variables that can't always be tested and results in a lab does not necessarily mean those results are perfectly mirrored on the street. As with any study, methodology and interpretation of results should always be considered when reading the findings. I won't sit here and say oil is oil but if you've been using dino then it's perfectly fine to continue using it.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

and the related threads at the bottom of the page. also, more often then not, if you're arguing/debating something with kkim about our bikes......YOU'RE WRONG.

um, sorry if I gave the impression of arguing or even debating the synthetic oil issue. I was simply suggesting he switch to synthetic for at least one oil change and see if there are enough difference for him to switch permanently. He was curious enough to ask... I figured he would be curious enough to at least try it out and decide for himself instead of listening to internet hacks on the subject.

I certainly don't want to get into the synthetic vs conventional oil fight again.

If he doesn't like it, he can always switch back to a conventional oil... simple as that.

[Green Streak]

Originally Posted by Boom King

This is actually linked in the Wiki here: http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0308_oil/index.html

Thanks Boom King. That is exactly the sort of information I was looking for and it is a pretty good article. I wish they had been able to afford a more complete test, but it does at least provide some data for making a more informed decision. Not only synthetic vs conventional but also the brand that is best for your own situation.

FYI... I also have no interest in debating what oil is best. I was just trying to find a study using impartial scientific testing, so I can make an informed decision what I will put in my bike. Call me crazy, but I would rather do a little research than try a half dozen different brands/types of oil in my bike, but to each his own, I guess.

[Live2ride]

Originally Posted by kkim

um, sorry if I gave the impression of arguing or even debating the synthetic oil issue. I was simply suggesting he switch to synthetic for at least one oil change and see if there are enough difference for him to switch permanently. He was curious enough to ask... I figured he would be curious enough to at least try it out and decide for himself instead of listening to internet hacks on the subject.

I certainly don't want to get into the synthetic vs conventional oil fight again.

If he doesn't like it, he can always switch back to a conventional oil... simple as that.

That surprises me. I have always heard that once u switch to synthetic there's no going back. Meaning that you can't just simply change back to conventional oil.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by Live2ride

That surprises me. I have always heard that once u switch to synthetic there's no going back. Meaning that you can't just simply change back to conventional oil.

why not?

[Live2ride]

Originally Posted by kkim

why not?

Good question. I wish I knew the answer but never bothered to ask simply because I wouldn't have understood it.

[kkim]

there is some truth to it... as I understand it, when synthetics were first introduced, they didn't have the seal swell rate figured in correct. in high mileage cars, if one were switching from conventional to synthetic, the synthetics would clean the debris that the conventional oils left and due to the slightly less amounts of seal swell and the condition of the seals, some cars would develop oil leaks from the slightly worn seals.

today, they have the synthetics zeroed in well and there are no issues from seals "shrinking" due to seal swell formulations.

when talking about a newer vehicle like the new gens, with relatively low mileage, it's safe to switch back and forth if one were so inclined.

if you trust the oil companies, here's a link to a similar question...
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...Motor_Oil.aspx

if you want to talk oil, this is a very informative forum to join...
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

[sunshine]

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...Motor_Oil.aspx

according to mobil, it doesn't hurt to switch. but i also dont know why.

[seldom]

Ok maybe it's might be just in my head but I reckon the engine is running alot tighter. It's easier to start on the cold mornings. Changing gears is alot easier and quieter and lastly I used to get around 250km on a full tank but now I get 300km on a full tank running at RON91.

Is that a normal milage for a full tank?

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by seldom

now I get 300km on a full tank running at RON91.

Is that a normal milage for a full tank?

either there's a hole in your gas tank or you have it WOT quite a bit. my ninja gets about 60-65mpg depending on driving. (well it drops to about 30 or 40 in the canyons...)

[almost40]

Originally Posted by seldom

Ok maybe it's might be just in my head but I reckon the engine is running alot tighter. It's easier to start on the cold mornings. Changing gears is alot easier and quieter and lastly I used to get around 250km on a full tank but now I get 300km on a full tank running at RON91.

Is that a normal milage for a full tank?

Are you filling the tank all the way??
Can someone find that link to that disscussion?? I dont feel like looking for it.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by almost40

Are you filling the tank all the way??
Can someone find that link to that disscussion?? I dont feel like looking for it.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13536

[seldom]

Originally Posted by alex.s

either there's a hole in your gas tank or you have it WOT quite a bit. my ninja gets about 60-65mpg depending on driving. (well it drops to about 30 or 40 in the canyons...)

Definately there's no holes in my gas tank. I'm only getting around 190miles on the full tank. Well I think the calculations are correct. You guys still uses imperial measurement so I'll have to convert it.

I get 300km avg for full tank which is 18L but I never let it run dry.
300km = 187.5miles on 18L/3.7854(L/Gallon) = 4.755 Gallon.
187.5/4.755= 39.4 miles per gallon.

I usually sit on ~6000 - 7000rpm. Is it too high of rpm to be sitting on? I give it a hand full every now and then to dodge the traffic.
Where I live people here are antimotorcycle and anti cyclists and most of the time they'll try to cut you off so you have to ride very aggresively and defensively. This is the town of bogans.

[kkim]

your problem is your method of calculation of fuel filled. use what the pump says, not what you think/assume the tank will accept when empty.

[nah.uhh]

Yea don't use the tank capacity, 4.755(4.8) gallons, for your base calculation,, if you read what you wrote in words, you just said you get 187miles for every 4.8 gallons, or a full tank. But the truth is you get 187 miles til you hit empty, the amount of gas you put in at the gas station is how much gas 187 miles consumed. So if you had to put in 3.5 gallons after driving 187 miles you final calculation would read. 187.5/3.5= 53.6mpg

When the needle reads empty there could be anywhere from .5 to almost 2 gallons left in the tank, depending on how much your gas guage sucks
Posted via Mobile Device

[seldom]

Originally Posted by nah.uhh

Yea don't use the tank capacity, 4.755(4.8) gallons, for your base calculation,, if you read what you wrote in words, you just said you get 187miles for every 4.8 gallons, or a full tank. But the truth is you get 187 miles til you hit empty, the amount of gas you put in at the gas station is how much gas 187 miles consumed. So if you had to put in 3.5 gallons after driving 187 miles you final calculation would read. 187.5/3.5= 53.6mpg

When the needle reads empty there could be anywhere from .5 to almost 2 gallons left in the tank, depending on how much your gas guage sucks
Posted via Mobile Device

That's a good point. I was just going by assumption that when the gauge hit E (empty) it has atleast 1L left in the tank so going by 17L consumption.
I'll fill it up tonight after work and see many L it needed.
I always fill it up just below the lip. So I'll do that a few times to get the avg.


I called the dealer and they reckon it may be running a bit too rich. I really don't want to take off the fairings and I don't know how to adjust so it'll become abit leaner.
I have service manual but can I adjust it without taking off engine covers and mess around with shin and needles etc.
As you can see I don't know anything about engines. I just learned how to service the bike a few weeks ago and did my first time ever oil and filter change a couple weeks ago.
I got the bike serviced with the dealer at 1000km (600mile) first service but since then I had already change the oil and filter at 3000km (1875miles) and I rather save the money and do the minor servicing myself. I think the next service schedule is at 6000km (3750) but I think it's only minor service. Should I change the oil and filter at the schedule service since the manual book said to service the bike at 1000km, 6000km, 12000km (major like chaecking valve clearance etc.).

The next question is should I change the oil filter since I'm running fully synthetic oil? I look at the oil through that glass and it's quite brown even though it has only done a little over 1500km. Yes I drained the old dino oil for 90mins and I change the filter to brand new filter.

I feel like giving it all up and sell it and upgrade to bigger bike and never Kawa again. Such poor workmanship. I am noticing rust spot on the side stand base, on the steering bar bolts and exhaust bolts etc.
I don't even ride in the rain and every time I was it I make sure it's dry and I even go to the extend of getting the hair dryer out and blow drying the nick and cranny.