im going to be changing the oil on my z400, and i was wondering if there is a specific kind thats best, like regular oil has 10-40 or 20-50.

 

I know that this is the standard response, but, the owners’ manual will have the answer. If you do not have one a dealer will be able to supply the correct oil and oil filter if needed.

 

Im not starting a fight or by anymeans bashing anyone, BUT why do people say "the owners manual will have it" or "the dealer can tell you" many people post on these forums to get the latest information (ie regarding new products and such) and also persoanlized info. Anyone can tell me what weight the manual says, BUT his topic is synthetic. So hes interested in something that probably isn't in his manual. And also many dealers are very biased or thick headed. Also he may be at work or at school, where he cant refer to his manual or make personal phone calls. So when someone poses a question, lets try to give him all the info we can, thats why most of us are on these forums, for information.

BTW- synthetic is the way to go! i believe (but hopefully someone will chime in and too possibly correct me and keep this thread going to give you more info) any motor oil that is made for motorcycles is sufficient, i believe it DOES NOT have friction modifiers which from what I've read can cause clutch slippage problems. G/L

 

Dont use regular motor oil its not designed for a wet clutch. Get some motorcycle oil its made for the wet clutch. Whether you want to go synthetic or not is personal decision. All i can tell you is you cant break in a fresh top end on synthetic oil. I run full synthetic amsol motorcycle oil in my Wolverine. I think its the best stuff. Spectro is good too I run spectro 2 stroke oil in my Quadzilla. Whatever brand Your better off for your clutch and tranny to get motorcycle oil instead of automoibile oil.

just my two pennies

as to what weight of oil that depends on your bike and your riding conditions. Im sure somebody can help you out with that. your manual should give you the right weight of oil unless your running EXTREME hot or cold.

 

ive never delt with synthetic befor, does it have the same way of describing the viscosity of the oil like regular car and motorcycle does with 10w40 or 10w50?

 

There are a few reasons I like to tell people to refer to the service manual when it comes to specific questions. First, the information about basic maintenance is listed in such a manor that it is easy for anyone to understand, this includes people without a technical background. Second, I have seen all too many times when an improper type or weight lubricant damaged an otherwise good engine/ transmission/ or differential. The owners’ manual correctly states the proper type, weight, and specification for the machines needs.

The subject matter listed in the topic is Synthetic Oil, but the question in the thread appears to be asking about the weight oil best suited for his Z400. Synthetic or conventional oil use will not change the API spec for the required weight recommended by the engine manufacturer. There are people I have met that will recommend the wrong lubricant thinking that it will better suite the need at hand. From years of experience I know first hand that the engineer that designed the equipment is best suited to state the API spec and weight. Engine design requires higher education to the PHD level, and any modern engine ever produced has had scores of designers that fine tune the specs and clearances before the machine ever hits production.

 

i run royal purple maxcycle 10w-40 its full synthetic and i think it is the best stuff out there, i like it better then the spectro which is what i used before. its this pritty cool dark purple color too but thats probally why they call it royal purple lol.

 

thanks that answers my question. All i wanted to know was are synthetic and standard oils are weighted the same way.lol

 

i guess i worded my first question wrong.

 

Yes, they are weighted the same.
Synthetic is better.
Don't use a synthetic that has friction modifiers (can cause clutch slippage)
Some (car) synthetics don't have friction modifiers in them. Mobil1 (RED cap) is one of them.

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