0W-40 ok??

0w-40!! (works!)

So my friend can get literally endless amounts of 0w-40 from his job and I know the FZ is 10W-40 from factory, but I know Rotella T6 (likely what I was going to run) is 5W-40 and everyone says that's fine so.... would 0W-40 be ok??

This is the oil he can get for me:


Thanks guys, I wanted to ask here before doing anything catastrophically stupid. I wasn't sure if the higher temp viscosity was the important part, and would therefore make it ok to run the 0W...unless, while cold, it wasn't thick enough to protect/lube the engine properly.

Not taking into account the weight, I would be leary as its car oil.

Likely with additives that could make your clutch slip.

I personally stick wth motorcycle specific oil, no guessing re additives, not enough additives, etc...

what kind of additives does it have in it, are there any friction modifiers? (as this can cause the clutch to slip)

Car oil in NO GOOD! Look for an oil that has a JASO-MA or JASO-MA2 rating. Japanese Automotive Standards Organization - Motorcycle Appropriate.

As for the oil weight, the lower number is the viscosity at low temperature, and so a lower low number means the oil flows smoothly at very low temperatures. Considering the typical weather we ride in, the lower number is not significant to us. We are VERY concerned about the upper number as this is the viscosity at operating temperatures.

greg said:

what kind of additives does it have in it, are there any friction modifiers? (as this can cause the clutch to slip)

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This!

I've heard that Mobil One Full Synthetic car oils ALL have friction modifiers if they are lighter than 15W-50. If you see the words "Energy Conserving" or "Energy Conserving II" stay away! I would use this oil in my cars though!

TownsendsFJR1300 said:

Not taking into account the weight, I would be leary as its car oil.

Likely with additives that could make your clutch slip.

I personally stick wth motorcycle specific oil, no guessing re additives, not enough additives, etc...

Click to expand...

greg said:

what kind of additives does it have in it, are there any friction modifiers? (as this can cause the clutch to slip)

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FIZZER6 said:

This!

I've heard that Mobil One Full Synthetic car oils ALL have friction modifiers if they are lighter than 15W-50. If you see the words "Energy Conserving" or "Energy Conserving II" stay away! I would use this oil in my cars though!

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"D'OH!" I forgot all about the friction modifiers affecting it, it would likely slip then thanks!

trepetti said:

Car oil in NO GOOD! Look for an oil that has a JASO-MA or JASO-MA2 rating. Japanese Automotive Standards Organization - Motorcycle Appropriate.

As for the oil weight, the lower number is the viscosity at low temperature, and so a lower low number means the oil flows smoothly at very low temperatures. Considering the typical weather we ride in, the lower number is not significant to us. We are VERY concerned about the upper number as this is the viscosity at operating temperatures.

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Yeah, this is why I figured it'd probably work but the problem isn't the 0W portion but rather the energy conserving properties it has for cars that impede the clutch function on a motorcycle.

Thanks for saving me the headache/horror I would have had :rockon:

This stuff has been great in my BMW and Mercedes but I wouldn't use it in the FZ because of the "enhanced frictional properties" claim.

Mobil 1 0W-40 is made with a proprietary blend of ultra high performance synthetic basestocks fortified with a precisely balanced component system.

Meets or exceeds the latest OEM and industry approvals
Is chosen for factory fill in many of the world’s finest vehicles
Provides excellent overall performance
Has excellent low temperature capabilities for rapid engine protection at start-up
Has enhanced frictional properties that aids fuel economy
Delivers fast protection for reduced engine wear and deposits even in the most extreme driving conditions
Provides exceptional cleaning power for dirty engines.

"my friend can get literally endless amounts of 0w-40 from his job" Am I the only one suspicious of someone getting "endless" amounts of oil, apparently for free?

v4rick said:

"my friend can get literally endless amounts of 0w-40 from his job" Am I the only one suspicious of someone getting "endless" amounts of oil, apparently for free?

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LOL no, I meant he can get it as cheap as say, regular dino oil. I wish it was free! :thumbup:

Well (against the better judgement of you guys) I tried it and it seems to be fine. It doesn't say energy conserving on the little certification circle (or whatever its official name is) and my clutch feels great. It's not all clunky any more, it's nice and smooth and there's no slippage at all! I must say though, I'm so glad to be on the Purolator PureONE filter now because that blasted Yamaha filter, with its smooth texture, caused MANY foul words to be expressed while trying to remove it...

I'll keep you guys posted if this experiment continues to turn out positive results or if I end up paying for my ignorance. :ban:

Good luck although I don't think this is the best choice. As others have said, its not the viscosity that's the problem but the lack of JASO-MA certification. You will probably be alright for awhile but I fear that as time passes the probability of the clutch slipping may increase.

CNY Fizzer said:

Good luck although I don't think this is the best choice. As others have said, its not the viscosity that's the problem but the lack of JASO-MA certification. You will probably be alright for awhile but I fear that as time passes the probability of the clutch slipping may increase.

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Thanks, I just hope nobody thinks I deliberately ignored their advice. I just figured I'd be the guinea pig for the forum to know if they ever are considering this specific oil or 0W-40 in general (FOR SCIENCE)

As long as it isn't low friction you'll be fine. If the clutch does slip, you'll know right away, change the oil right away and you should be fine. If not friction plates are not too much, $50ish.

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Hellgate said:

As long as it isn't low friction you'll be fine. If the clutch does slip, you'll know right away, change the oil right away and you should be fine. If not friction plates are not too much, $50ish.

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Yep, Pete's right. I have gone to Shell Rotella Dino for most all my bikes and other motors and the Rotella Syn for my KTM. Buy it by the gallon at Wallyworld, cheap.

Hellgate said:

As long as it isn't low friction you'll be fine. If the clutch does slip, you'll know right away, change the oil right away and you should be fine. If not friction plates are not too much, $50ish.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

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Thanks for the tip(s), hopefully it won't come to that

Red Wazp said:

Yep, Pete's right. I have gone to Shell Rotella Dino for most all my bikes and other motors and the Rotella Syn for my KTM. Buy it by the gallon at Wallyworld, cheap.

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If I did have to goto Rotella T6, my same friend still has 3.1 qts left from doing his motocycle (my old Nin250) that he said he'd give me if I needed it. I did see Walmart was the cheapest though.
Isn't the the dino rotella a bit too thick when cold?? Or do you live in a warm climate?

Don't worry about chilly weather, it's not like you are cranking it over below zero.

I use Dino Rotella in my Quad, bikes, mower etc etc.

Regular changing is the key to oil.

Oil is pretty much oil. As long as it is clean you're good to go. I've started my bike with 10-65 (for the Moto Guzzi) in 25 degree weather, no problems.

Red Wazp said:

Don't worry about chilly weather, it's not like you are cranking it over below zero.

I use Dino Rotella in my Quad, bikes, mower etc etc.

Regular changing is the key to oil.

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This is true lol, what kinda mileage do you get with it?? Does the thicker hot viscocity negatively impact your mileage??

Hellgate said:

Oil is pretty much oil. As long as it is clean you're good to go. I've started my bike with 10-65 (for the Moto Guzzi) in 25 degree weather, no problems.

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Nice, good to know I'm VERY well equipped then haha

Honestly in all the bikes I own of have owned (10+ dirt and street)and have never noticed any difference on how the bike runs or shifts from different oil brands, syn or dino. Oil is just not that big of a deal as long as you change it as stated in the service manual.

Red Wazp said:

Honestly in all the bikes I own of have owned (10+ dirt and street)and have never noticed any difference on how the bike runs or shifts from different oil brands, syn or dino. Oil is just not that big of a deal as long as you change it as stated in the service manual.

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You mean just running any old car oil? I know my Nin250 had no issue running any 5W-30 I put in

I think a Ninja 250 will run nearly forever on almost anything! They are/were a great little bike.