I was talking to a friend of mine about what engine oil to use in my atv. He said that atv engines run hotter and are more demanding then an regular car motor and that you need to use the specially formulated atv oil from an atv shop. Another friend said that he read that this was more of a problem back in the 70's and that todays sg rated oils are just as good as the atv oils. So who out there has any suggestions as to what is the best motor oil for my atv. By the way I have an 2001 kawasaki prairie 400 4x4.

 

I use AMSOIL Powersports 0W-40 oil in mine. It is wet clutch compatible (no friction modifiers) if that is required on your machine. A lot of folks use Mobil 1 Powersports oil or Shell Rotella. On the other hand, the manufacturers oil is probably pretty good stuff too.

I've used AMSOIL in a lot of equipment (garden tractor, boat, car & truck and now the ATV), and have never had an engine related issue. For some reason the AMSOIL seems to make a vehicle start easier, and run smoother... at least that's what I've notice. Of course, it could be "all-in-my-head". [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

i change oil so often that it basically matters more that i have proper LEVELS than what kind. since we are mostly wet clutches, no moly/super friction modifers/ etc..

i PREFER exxon 30 weight, as that's what i run in my road cars

 

If everybody rode twostrokes we would'nt be having this discussion!Maxima for a 4 stroke.

 

I have always just stuck with the Factory stuff. I use GN4 in my Honda. I'm sure Kawasaki has their own version.

 

Even the best oil is no match for bad maintenance.

 

Search goggle and try to find a advantage a conventional oil has over Full synthetic oil besides its cheaper to purchase. And don,t be fooled by blends the just contain 10-20% synthetic at most.

 

If you want know whatever oil you've been using has been doing a good job or not, send out a 100 cc sample of your used oil to an oil lab. It's as low as $8 per test. It will give you a full Spectrochemography of what's in your oil. Depending on type of particles, it will tell you what part of your engine is falling apart:

Iron - Cyl, gears, Rings
Copper/Silver - Bearings, Bushings
Aluminum - Pistons, Pump
Nickel - Valve

Above are show in PPM.

It also tells you about % of coolant and fuel in the oil.

Here is one: http://esource.staveleyna.com

 

Absolutely great idea, Hayashi, for that price, testing your oil a couple of times a year could point out problems before they cause a major meltdown, especially if you have a big riding trip coming up, a quick oil check could let you know of any unseen problems.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Scootergptx

Even the best oil is no match for bad maintenance.</end quote></div>

Every1 will tell you that the oil they use is the best, there is no way to settle once and for all which is best, because different people ride different machines and love them, and those manufacturers tell you their stuff is the best.