Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

So, this is not a debate about your favourite oil, so please don’t spam it with "that’s shit oil" or alike.

I have used many oils in many vehicles, but find bikes to be a little more temperamental when it comes to oil selection. Particularly the ZRX!! I did a 42k service on the ZRX back in October with Motul 5100 and have notice the engine is noisier, feel like its running warmer and has also made the gear changes more clunky than with the previous oil Silkoline. I have used all sorts of oil in my bikes, after warranty has ran out. I have found that Motul makes the bikes noiser. Id this just me or am I not alone with this observation?

I’m about to do another change on the ZRX, so id like to hear what the other owners use or others generally recommend. While I don’t ride it hard , I still give it the odd flick around the twisties with a demeanour .

Your thoughts?

Penrite HPR Gas 10, have used it in the ZXR since I bought it. Non friction modified (safe for wet clutches) and cheaper than bike oil.

Did you get the valves adjusted / checked at the service.?

and yep, there really is no "shit oil" in any of the name brands range these days.
In summer the bike will run a bit hotter and may be noisier.
i've switched from a 5w 40 full synth to a 10w 40 semi synth now its hotter and the bike feels better when hot.
One thing with oil though, try to stick to a brand and type, as regularly switching oils can cause extra wear and sludge build up..
Your engine does get use to the characteristics of a particular oil..

MadKaw wrote:Did you get the valves adjusted / checked at the service.?

No, but thats on the "to have done list" for the next service

MadKaw wrote:One thing with oil though, try to stick to a brand and type, as regularly switching oils can cause extra wear and sludge build up..
Your engine does get use to the characteristics of a particular oil..

Thats why i posted here, to see what the other guys use and then make a decision on what to use and stick with that oil.

Castrol gps - 10w 40 semi synthetic
or
Silkolene Comp - 10w 40 semi synthetic.

All available from supercheap - great when they have a 20% off sale.

Everyone else will say something different and most will say motul 5100......

I used to use Motul 5100 but have now switched to Castrol GPS (Full Synth for the ZX10's and semi synth for the young blokes ZX6 as it's a newer engine). I really only changed for convenience ie they sell it at Supercheap (and they have sales). I haven't really noticed any difference though.

I'm thinking I could just run the semi synthetic in all of them for simplicty though, so I might change next time for good

no comment

I,ve always used Mobil1 fully synthetic oil in all my vehicles and had really good luck. Rather expensive and I believe I could have overhauled all the motors in all my vehicles with the money I would have saved using regular oil. I would, however have used the saved money to buy booze so I'm better off using it as I get incredible mileage out of my vehicles, (250,000 miles on a 84 Dodge van and still going, 151,000 miles on a 98 Kia, etc. etc.). All these vehicles including my bike are not babied but still burn no oil and run like new. They do look like shit. But if I want to see something that looks like shit I just look in the mirror.

When I had a TRX 850 I changed to Motul 5100, made a big difference to the gearbox, smoothed the shifts noticeably.
However, my ZX9 shifts a lot smoother on Shell advance Fully synth than it did on Motul 5100. No difference in operating temp or engine noise or anything else, except the gearbox in mine prefers the synthetic oil. Expensive oil , but as I now only ride a few thousand k's a year it makes an oil change twice a year at the most.

I heard from a reliable source that you should be using Rimula X.

Whacked a sump full of Morris 4T Race in the 9 last night . Supposed to be good stuff , similar price to Motul . Will have to see how it goes next week . Was using Motul and it was fine , shifts smooth etc .

Gosling1 wrote:I heard from a reliable source that you should be using Rimula X.

The oil that protects....

I ran el cheapo Shell Helix to run in hard, for about 2500km with several oil changes then Mobil Semi-Synthetic Motorcycle oil since. Cams perfect at 22000km and runs like a dream.

bonester wrote:I ran el cheapo Shell Helix to run in hard, for about 2500km with several oil changes then Mobil Semi-Synthetic Motorcycle oil since. Cams perfect at 22000km and runs like a dream.

Its not the oil that causes cam pitting on ZRX's


Neil

Maybe you should try "Pepe's auto" here at Windsor...

they have the perfect oild for ZRX's its called "SHITBOX OIL" i thinks its the consistency for Diff oil...
should be well suited to the low revs of the old man ZRX

**ducks for cover**