What type of oil should I use in my 650, the dealer used 10w40 castrol is this the norm.I was thinking of a synthetic,good or bad?

 

A lot of people seem to think synthetics are best.

Since there is no wet clutch, the reasons for not using Auto oil are not the same. I have never heard an answer from my dealer that I felt was intelligent about this. There are some oil smarties around here that will hopefully post.

I have seen auto oil ruin some clutches (or at least make them really glazed and not grab), I had to replace them. But the friction modifiers in auto oil don't count here without a wet clutch. I dunno.

But, the Amsoil salemen will bend you ear bragging about their synthetic products in motorcycles. One of those guys will post here, I bet.

I know people that put mobil syn in their qaud. I want to put some kind of syn oil in because I know if reduces wear both when the engine is being driven wide open (higher film strength and less breakdown with heat) and when the engine is cold (flows better so it gets lubed earlier). And it does not make coffee stains on crank, cam, valves and stuff. Nor does it turn to sludge.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Not sure how much credibility this carries but... Was talking to my future dealer (getting a 650 in March) and he said NOT to use a synthetic oil in the V-twin 650. Sounded like he knew of a unit that neaded to be rebuilt because the oil was not finding it's way to some parts of the engine. Almost sounded like the synthetic oil was either too thin or too slippery to make it into some of the oil passages that a reguler oil would. Not standing behind this statement, just relaying the info. Anyone ever here of this type of problem in any engine? Guess it was enough to convince me to use reguler oil.

 

I wish I knew how credible some stories are.

Your dealer could be right, I have heard tales that some automobile engines experience problems because they were not dersigned for it. Could lifters (not that the 650 has any hydraulic ones) or valve tensioners be designed for dino oil and not syn? Who knows.

I go know that synthetic is superior (if you engine can handle it), and that a lot of high performance cars come with mobil 1 from the factory.

Oh well, I may not try it. I think the engine will last plenty long if I:
1. change the oil & filter
2. don't rev it before it has a chance to warm up a little (awful, awful stupid)
3. keep the air filter clean

 

Went to dealer got Kawasaki oil for ATV and gears along with 2 spark plug.
Going to do first service tomorrow.I will take 650 in for valve adjust at 20 hrs .
Had anyone had valves adjusted yet. When hrs and cost
Gb in NJ

 

My dealer said that no 650 he has taken in for valve adjustments has needed it yet (unlike other kawasaki motors which actually needed the adjustment).

 

guys i have new 650 running mobil 1 5-30 w synthetic oil. it works great. i have taLKED TO yamaha engineers about running this in my banshee and they said they run it in all there race bikes. most people dont understand what the differance between the two is ? the molecules that make up the regular oil are all differant sizes and therefore creat hot spots on surfaces. the molecules that make up sythetic oil are all the same providing better protection . both regular oil and sythetic oil are both petrolium based products which is normally misunderstood

 

I run Mobile 1 V-Twin which is eapecially formaulted for VTwins that have a rear cylinder running hotter. This is inherent of Vtwins.
I aksed my dealer about the synthetic and the quad so he calls Kawasaki about it, he says the tech he spoke with said there wass no adverse problems with the oils as long as they met Kawasaki oil requirements.
So i went a step further guys because the post on NOT using the oil got me worried I called Mobil's help line....response was Synthetics molecular makeups usually consist of a tighter bonding to parts thus reducing wear, the story of an oil to slick to make it to an engine part and i quote from the help line "is assinine, Oils generally fail to make it to there destination because they do not meet an engines requirements." So then I ask was the Vtwin correct for the 650 and his response was yes. I picked my oil up at autozone by the way guys. Hope this helps.

 

autozone has that vtwin mobil? Wow, I live walking distance to autozone. I'm there.

I appreciate your info about the kawi

I am sure that the mobil v-twin oil is far better than kawi oil (or auto oil).

I just am not sure why kawi would say to use v-twin oil, which is formulated for air cooled engines. Yeah, I know that the rear cylinder runs hotter even in a vtwin water cooled, but the same thing happens in a water cooled inline 4, inner ones run hotter than outer. I would have thought that the Mobil MX4T is more appropriate for the 650 engine, since temperatures in the 650 are more nearly like an inline 4 water cooled than an aircooled v-twin. I am sure the V-twin oil specs cover the kawi recommendations and is a great oil to use.

What do I know anyway?

Mobil claims that it bonds better, meaning if you leave it sitting, it will stick longer and prevent rust, and not allow as much wear when you fire it up.

I never knew that. My engine builder recommended mobil 1 to me also. But having kawasaki say it too, I am convinced.

 

Mobil stated the V-Twin was more correct. Kawi just said that as long as the oil meets specs, and it does. I have over 200 miles on the Mobil and the oil still looks like the day I put it in (or should I say my dealer) and another thing its 20W-50 and the temperature here has been as cold as 5 degrees here and I went out to start my quad and the oil was not thick like dyno oil, a total plus I believe since the oil is chemical based and not dyno based.