Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: mike-s4 on August 04, 2015, 07:40:42 PM
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Hi guys,
Havent posted here in a while. Been riding.
Not wanting to start another oil thread but i have to say what happened with my clutch.
I've been using Rotella T 15w40 for a while now in my 08 zg1400 and love the stuff.
But my clutch has been jumpy /grabby when i start out in first gear for a while now.
Had a big ride planned to Alaska and figured i would take it apart when i got back.
When we got to Fairbanks it was overdue for an oil change. The local yamaha dealer took us in with no appointement and did the oil change same day.
They put in non-synthetic Yamalube 10w40.
When i rode the bike out of the service department i noticed the clutch was as smooth as new!
Up and down a side street a dozen times and it was perfect.
Rode back to Quebec and it is still working like new.
I have never seen such a difference in any brand or type of oil before .
Just want to let you know in case anybody else has had the same thing happen.
I'm not stuck using Yamalube forevoer but thinking about using Motorcycle specific oil from now on.
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:yikes: is my first impression... Yamalube in a C14...oh the humanity! Please try another MC brand oil and let us know if it still ok. It could also be just changing the oil helped. Anything may have shown an improvement.
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I noticed this problem in my Vmax when I was using Rotella 15W 40(Petroleum in white jug). Shifting was also notchy. I switched to Rotella T6 5W-40 (Synthetic in blue jug) and it was a huge difference. Rotella T6 synthetic for both bikes now.
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Been using Rotella T6 5w40 in multiple bikes and ATV's now for a decade. No problems what so ever.
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Still have oil for 2 changes with the Lucas 10-30 synthetic motorcycle oil.
Then it's the Mobil Delvac 15-40 after that.
I've ran the Mobil oil in the ZX14R since new, and it's perfect. 8)
I did notice when I first changed to the 10-30 synthetic, the engine seemed to spin up faster.
To be honest, it really was noticeable.
My clutches have never been grabby, but Connie sure lets out a big moan sometimes. Almost sounds like a yawn. :)
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Over the years I have heard really good things about Yamaha lubes. In my
humble opinion Mad kaws love motul.
I just switched over to Motul 7100, everything improved, amazing transformation
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I have enough Rotella T for one more oil change. I bought the 20 liter pail at walmart.
I'll put it in and see if it goes back to grabbing .
Will report back!
Here's a photo of the bike after a hard day on the alaska highway.
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Personally I would use what you have left for starting your next bon fire. Switch to Rotella T6 synthetic.
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Personally I would use what you have left for starting your next bon fire. Switch to Rotella T6 synthetic.
Now it's starting to be a real oil thread :thumbs: :chugbeer:
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Rotella T does NOT meet JASO-MA specifications. So it's NOT rated for motorcycles with integrated transmissions and most especially WET CLUTCH systems. I know there are people who swear by Rotella and I'm not saying it's not a high quality motor oil but it's not MOTORCYCLE oil.
Look for JASO-MA or JASO-MA2 on the label for proper oil for use in a C14.
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Rotella T does NOT meet JASO-MA specifications. So it's NOT rated for motorcycles with integrated transmissions and most especially WET CLUTCH systems. I know there are people who swear by Rotella and I'm not saying it's not a high quality motor oil but it's not MOTORCYCLE oil.
Look for JASO-MA or JASO-MA2 on the label for proper oil for use in a C14.
+2
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Now it's starting to be a real oil thread :thumbs: :chugbeer:
(http://cdn.na16.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/enough-already.bmp.jpg)
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Rotella T does NOT meet JASO-MA specifications. So it's NOT rated for motorcycles with integrated transmissions and most especially WET CLUTCH systems. I know there are people who swear by Rotella and I'm not saying it's not a high quality motor oil but it's not MOTORCYCLE oil.
Look for JASO-MA or JASO-MA2 on the label for proper oil for use in a C14.
There it is, right on the label. NOW we have a proper oil thread 8)
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee304/SteveKoski/20100119%20New%20Wee/20100124Oil002.jpg)
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Rhino,
The label does not have a pic of a motorcycle on it ;D
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There it is, right on the label. NOW we have a proper oil thread 8)
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee304/SteveKoski/20100119%20New%20Wee/20100124Oil002.jpg)
If that label is from a bottle of Rotella T then I stand corrected. The JASO-MA shows it meets the requirements for a motorocycle although since the C14 has a catalytic converter, JASO-MA2 is preferred. But MA is not going to mess up the clutch.
Their web site doesn't list JASO-MA in the list of specs, however and I don't have any of that on hand...
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Yep, the Mobil Delvac has it too. That 15-40 stuff works good in our bikes.
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If that label is from a bottle of Rotella T then I stand corrected. The JASO-MA shows it meets the requirements for a motorocycle although since the C14 has a catalytic converter, JASO-MA2 is preferred. But MA is not going to mess up the clutch.
Their web site doesn't list JASO-MA in the list of specs, however and I don't have any of that on hand...
Actually it is not recommended for motorcycles since it contains phosphorus levels beyond 600-800ppm range, therefore it is not recommended for gasoline vehicles with catalytic converters due to high risk of damaging emission controls.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Rotella_T
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There it is, right on the label. NOW we have a proper oil thread 8)
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee304/SteveKoski/20100119%20New%20Wee/20100124Oil002.jpg)
Is that label off of Rotella T or Rotella T6? This one number is a huge difference here. Im going to guess that it is from T6 since the viscosity is 5W-40. Rotella T oil is 15W-40
Here is the specs from Rotella T, directly from the Shell website.
(http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah209/Sailor_chic/image.1561483454_zpstevynaku.jpeg) (http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/Sailor_chic/media/image.1561483454_zpstevynaku.jpeg.html)
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Is that label off of Rotella T or Rotella T6? This one number is a huge difference here. Im going to guess that it is from T6 since the viscosity is 5W-40. Rotella T oil is 15W-40
Here is the specs from Rotella T, directly from the Shell website.
(http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah209/Sailor_chic/image.1561483454_zpstevynaku.jpeg) (http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/Sailor_chic/media/image.1561483454_zpstevynaku.jpeg.html)
Definitely form a Rotella T6 5w40 gallon jug. That's the only Rotella I've used.
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5w40 rotella T ??
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A "higher" risk, not a "high" risk. In fact, there is virtually no risk unless the engine is passing a lot of oil out the exhaust (i.e., severely worn and obviously smoking).
ZDDP does have the ability to plate the catalytic metals in a catalytic converter but the other side, flat- tappet engines, such as most motorcycles and specifically the C-14, benefit from the extreme pressure aspect of ZDDP, which is why it is there in the first place.
Brian
Actually it is not recommended for motorcycles since it contains phosphorus levels beyond 600-800ppm range, therefore it is not recommended for gasoline vehicles with catalytic converters due to high risk of damaging emission controls.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Rotella_T
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5w40 rotella T ??
6
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My next oil change I plan on trying T6. Its cheap enough that if it doesn't work out I will dump it and go back to what I have been using but it seems like enough people are using it with success that I am going to jump on the band wagon. The clutch action after a couple of thousand miles will tell the story.
Fred
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ROTELLA T6! 108,000 miles and counting.
SteveJ has over 238,000 miles on his C10. He runs Rotella plain (non-synth) in the winter, and Rotella T6 in the summer.
I lubs the mad pow-ah of KiPass mixed with the awesomeness of Rotella ;D
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bikepeace.gif)
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Now it's starting to be a real oil thread :thumbs: :chugbeer:
Yay!!! Oil thread!!!!
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Poseidon Adventure comes to mind
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For the same reason I don't use a car tire on a motorcycle, I don't use car oil either. You can save the paltry amount to use the right stuff by giving up a hamburger or two (your health will thank you too), and never worry if you're using the right oil or not. Just saying ;). Mobil1 Racing 4T 10/40 here, but any motorcycle oil is better than any car oil IMO.