I just bought a new 09 suzuki z400 and im wondering what oil i should use for my first oil change. I was looking at bel ray. The manual says 10w40. But it's between the 10w40 bel ray standard oil or the 10w40 bel ray racing oil for sport atvs, but this oil is synethic. Should synethic be ok for a new engine after the break in or should i wait for a few changes. Also should i buy a stock oil filter or get the k&n oil filter for 2.00 more? Thanks
Shane

 

im not impressed with bel ray oils. in fact, the only bel ray product that i really like is thier chain lube. i suggest amsoil 10w40. a little pricey, but basically the best stuff out there. and with a brand new bike, its a good idea to start it off right.

 

Go with Shell Rotella 5-40.
It is a synthetic oil for diesel trucks, and available at your local Wal-Mart at a VERY reasonable price.

 

Lt.
What don't you like about bel ray? I was thinking between bel ray or castrol 10w-40(non energy conserving). I like castrol but thought the bel ray was better for atvs.

 

Im actually considering maxima oil also. I like what i read/herd about maxima. I thinking of the maxima preimum 10w-40 oil.
Thanks

 

bel ray is without a doubt, a "high end" oil. much better than castrol or the like. but honestly, amsoil seems to kick the crap out of pretty much everything else (including the more expensive "red line" and others) in the standardized ASTM tests.

maxima (which i completley forgot about haha) is probably the next best thing to amsoil. definatley a safe bet.

 

I've been using Amsoil 10w40 in my z400 since the 1st oil change in 2005......not a single problem...... It works well with the clutch and it stays totally clean from oil change to oil change.....

I'm sure there are some better oils out there like Maxima or Redline...... But so far Amsoil has been good to all my ATVs.....

 

for tranny oil i use castrol 10w-40 in almost all the quads i service. Ive run it in mine for years and never had any trouble

 

I can vouch for Redline oil. It's some of the best stuff I have ever used in anything not just ATV's!