Suzuki recommend a good quality 10w/40 oil and I wonmder if it is Ok to use synthetic oil?

 

A good article on motorcycle oils: http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm

I have run Maxima Extra an ester based synthetic, in everything (including my Z) for many years now. Synthetics have a number of advantages over petroleum oils, and the ester synthetics have advantages over the other two types of synthetics: http://www.maximausa.com/technical/l...beNews2002.pdf

Whatever you pick, synthetic, blend, or petroleum, use a motorcycle specific oil that is API SG/JASO MA. It's best to avoid the "car/truck" oils altogether. They don't contain the high pressure additives that will protect your integrated transmission, and some (the "energy conserving" ones) are extremely bad for your wet clutch.

 

Thanks buddy, I was going for car oil!!!!!! Perhaps not.

 

Just looked at the owners manuals for my 2004 LTZ250 and my sons LTZ50 and although they both list the same grade API oil only the newer (2006 model) Z50 makes reference to the JASO reference stating MA. Will this be the same for both quads?

 

The JASO MA and MB ratings are a relatively recent thing. I bet that the older quads have owners manuals that were printed back when, and have not been updated (????).

JASO MA is your best assurance that the oil is compatible with your wet clutch. And, API SG is your best assurance that the oil contains at least a minimum amount of high pressure additives, for the protection of your transmission and cams. The only place you will find both of these is in motorcycle specific oils........not ANY car/truck oil.

Both Honda and Yamaha's oils are now API SJ, which is a downgrade from SG. Not quite sure why, but probably a marketing decision, based on keeping the price down. I used Honda oils years ago when they were SG, but not anymore.

 

Thanks for that.

 

Hows come if mobil 1 is put in corvettes, porsche,mercedes benz AMG, and vipers from the factory....It is not good enough for quads? Funny thing they haven't all marketed there own oil blends...

 

squeege-

That's super simple. It's because those high performance cars are NOT ABUSING THEIR OIL IN AN INTEGRATED TRANSMISSION! Those transmission gears are thrashing the oil, and that requires special high pressure additives that you can't put in a car, because of emissions requirements. Your quad's integrated transmission is way harder on oil, than ANY car engine ever is!

Think about it........ Since you mentioned Mobil 1 specifically, why do you think Mobil 1 comes in an MX4T motorcycle specific variant that is API SG/JASO MA????? Because they know that their car oil isn't beefed up the way a motorcycle needs to be. Read what Mobil has to say about it themselves:

http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/Mo...AQs.aspx#FAQs1

http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/Mo...4T_10W-40.aspx

http://www.maximausa.com/technical/l...spring2001.pdf

In fact, you would be way better off running Mobil 1 MX4T motorcycle oil in your CAR, rather than the wimped out car specific oils! The high pressure additives in the motorcycle oil would be helpfull in high pressure areas like the cam lobes. Trouble is, you would pollute your catalytic converter, and have to replace it ($$$$) later, to meet emissions.

 

Thanks,.....I have a auto tranny and will be looking at mobil 1's lineup of oils...I have found they carry both energy conserving and not....some auto transmissions require that the oil not be energy conserving as stated earlier....but for those of us with auto tranny's we need not worry about those special high pressure additives if I am correct.

 

But, those high pressure additives will help in high pressure areas like the cam, in any engine. I highly recommend spending the bit of extra money to get an API SG motorcycle oil, no matter what!