TOPIC:

Which type of oil would you recommend for a KZ1300. I use a semi-synthetic motor oil, the same stuff you put in your car, however I have just been told I should be using an oil produced specifically for motorcycles. Can anyone shed some light on the subject?

I have 200 miles on a case full of Pennzoil 10w-40 with no ill effects. Biggest thing is that the friction modifiers in auto oil can mess with the clutches and make them too slippery.

When I change the oil I'm probably going with Rotella T 15w-40 diesel oil. No friction modifiers. The early Goldwing guys swear by it, and my GL1000 has nearly 3000 miles on it, again, no problems.

Oil threads are funny, though- be prepared for 100 different opinions. Important thing is that you have oil in it!

Yeah it's best to use oil for motorcycles. I have used Castrol 4t stuff for years because a local shop has it for a decent price. Rotella is alos a good choice. Lots of info out there on that stuff. The two biggest requirements of oil for your 1300 are:

1. It must not have friction modifiers. These are additives designed to increase efficiency in modern engines and they can cause problems with a wet clutch.

2. It must have the zinc-phosphate additive ZDDP. This is additive is designed to reduce wear on high load bearing surfaces like flat lifter tappets. It poisons catalytic converters so ZDDP has been removed from automotive oils over the years. Motorcycle only formulations still contain it.

For everything you would ever want to know about oil take a look at this website: Bob is the Oil Guy

Lucien-Harpress wrote: I have 200 miles on a case full of Pennzoil 10w-40 with no ill effects. Biggest thing is that the friction modifiers in auto oil can mess with the clutches and make them too slippery.

When I change the oil I'm probably going with Rotella T 15w-40 diesel oil. No friction modifiers. The early Goldwing guys swear by it, and my GL1000 has nearly 3000 miles on it, again, no problems.

Oil threads are funny, though- be prepared for 100 different opinions. Important thing is that you have oil in it!

It’s funny you mention diesel oil in old goldwings. I have a Harley - come on now somebody has to buy them - and I was told than if I couldn’t get genuine Harley Davidson oil it was ok to use oil meant for diesel engines as a temporary measure.

Funny that this topic comes up today. I was just talking to another member about this subject. Check out this link and you'll see the requirement for JASO MA standard and why you need it.

www.oilspecifications.org/articles/JASO_MA_JASO_MB.php

My personal favorite is Shell Rotella T6. It's fully synthetic and meets JASO MA. Here's the spec sheet for it.

s02.static-shell.com/content/dam/shell-n...ella-t6-brochure.pdf

Note - not all of the Rotella line meets JASO MA so pay attention when you buy your oil. Also, Rotella T6 is a little less than half the price of motorcycle oil.

And here's an interesting 5 minute read on the pros and cons of mineral oil and synthetics.

articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-10-22/b...-oil-gooey-synthetic

McZed wrote:
It’s funny you mention diesel oil in old goldwings. I have a Harley - come on now somebody has to buy them - and I was told than if I couldn’t get genuine Harley Davidson oil it was ok to use oil meant for diesel engines as a temporary measure.

The guy I got my info from goes by the handle "Randakk", and he's a bit of a minor celebrity in the 4-cylinder Goldwing crowd. Did a couple of early 'wing builds (supercharged, turbocharged, and not), put together a number of carb repair kits for both Goldwings and the CBX, and has done a whole list of modifications, maintenance tips, and more to these early bikes. Long story short, I trust his judgement. Combine his oil recommendations with the amount of miles these bike usually rack up (100,000 is considered "broken in"), and I'm inclined to agree with it.

Can't speak for the Harley Davidsons (Do they have a wet clutch or not? I thought some didn't), but I'm skeptical how much of that is brand loyalty. I'm not saying that motorcycle-specific oil won't work- on the contrary, it's probably the best choice. I'm just wondering if the Rotella will work just as well, and for quite a bit less money.

Here's a link to Randakk's information: www.randakksblog.com/another-reason-to-c...e-your-oil/#more-623

(It includes some information on the JASO MA standards as well, at the bottom)


What can I say? I'm a cheapskate.