Ok, it's not what you might think. I already know what oil I use. But somebody tell me I'm not smoking something. I seem to remember paying around $8.50 per quart for Castrol GPS synthetic in Idaho, and I cringed every time I got oil at that price. Well I just came from the local Kawasaki dealer in Lincoln (first time in the place) and they're asking a whopping $12 per quart!!! I mean it's oil, not liquid gold! Is that high or was I just getting a sweet deal in Idaho? Guess I'm going to have to shop around cause there's no way I'm paying 12 bucks for a quart of oil.

OK, I apologize in advance for asking, but what other synthetics are people using? I might have to make a switch if I can't find it cheaper.

Yep $12 is way high. You can't go wrong with Mobil 1. Wally world in my area has it. You could check to see if they have it there. It's about $8.50 a qt. I run Rotella 15w40 in my bike because thats what the PO ran in it. If I were to buy a new bike I'd run Mobil 1.

I put synthetic in mine a couple oil changes ago and soon after I did I started getting seepage in a couple spots. I switched back to regular oil, but it is still seeping. I guess I'll tear it down and put a new gasket on it.

A lot of people use the Mobile 1 synthetic.

Yeah, that's too high. I like to use Amsoil MCF in mine (full syn) and it retails for $8.70/ quart. I get a little discount off of that plus I buy it by the case... even cheaper that way. If I couldn't find a local dealer and didn't want to order it online I'd have to go with my second choice, Mobil 1, which is usually easy to get your hands on.

The guy I bought my wee from has been running Chevron Delo 15-w-40 in it. It is the same oil we use in our fire engines.

You can buy it by the gallon - cheaper option...

Joe

AMSOIL 20W50 full synthetic - $6.85 a quart at my local parts house!

For that price I will not run anything else - and change it every 2K with a filter.

OK overkill maybe - years of racing V8 engines has taught me the value of good oil/frequently changed in terms of longevity!

Just my 2 pesos!!!!!

i've steered clear of the big of oil debate. I dont know much.

a trusted mechanic (old school guy) on motorcycles has said to use a 50/50 blend. states synthetic only is not good. anyways. kragens has Mobile 7500. its a syth, pet. 50/50 blend. sells for 3.95a quart. no thats a deal.

Well I did a little bit of looking at a few other places today and it looks like I can switch to Mobile 1 pretty easy. Looks like it runs around $8/qt. I'll probably do a bit more looking before I go that direction though. It's only been 2200 miles since the last change so I've got a little further I can go if needed. But it might not be a bad idea to switch anyway if Castrol GPS is that expensive and that tough to find.

So, any down side to switching oil? I've only had it in there for one oil change anyway.

firefighter_joe,

In the Wee you might want to try Shell Rotella-T synthetic 5W/40. I'm loving it in the V-Strom!

I'm buying it at Wal-Mart for about $20 a gallon. Also available at most truck stops across our country! So when you're out and about you can always find oil.

In the KLR and KLX I'm running Shell Rotella, 15w/40.


Clean and Fresh is always good!

I use Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 oil. Very heavy duty oil designed for deisels.

$16 per gallon at Wal Mart.

Castrol Syntec 20w50 in mine for $6.49 at auto parts store

ok,gotta ask.Why synthetic? What happened to 20/50? I change my oil (castrol gtx) every 1500 miles,with filter, and have 13,000 miles.Are you guys using synthetic for enviromental purposes?

Because 100% synthetic oil is just better oil. If somebody can find a documented test too prove otherwise I'll believe it, but I havent seen one and dont think any exist since Ive done many of the tests myself and seen first hand the differences and the truth. There are better synthetic oils though, in both cost and quality, and at $12 a quart that oil should have some gold in it cause I pay $26.05 a gallon, thats $6.52 a quart, for the best motorcycle oil on the market, Amsoil MCV 20/50, and it is test proven.
I do pay $10 to get dealer prices from Amsoil, but I also buy oil in bulk for 6 different Trucks and 4 other motorcycles for the year all at once. The ten bucks plus the shipping charges for the 18-20 gallons of oil I buy a year dont add much to the per quart price of my cycle oil, maybe 50 cents.

Clean and fresh is good for all engines no matter what oil you are using, and you can never go wrong by changing it more often, but obsessively changing your oil isnt enviromentaly friendly or cheap. I like too change my oil more often than I have too in a scooter with a wet cluth because I like them to last a long time with few engine problems, about every 3000-5000 miles depending on how it smells and tastes, even though I could go 2 or 3X that regular change interval according too UOA of other KLRs using Amsoil MCV full synthetic 20/50 It is still shear stable. in grade, and the TBN is still good around that mileage. Regular old dino/mineral oil shears down about half its viscosity every 1000 miles in a KLR. That means if you are using a premium dino 10/40 oil it has the film strength of WD-40 after 1500-2000 miles. That includes Rotella, Delo, Castrol, and any other Hydrocracked oil that is being marketed as synthetic. I do change my filter more often though, 2 or 3 times before changing the oil.

Hey Joe, we use that ISO SYN Delo in our trucks as well. Its decent oil specially when your truck holds gallons of it in the sump, but its not synthetic, and it may contain alot of MDS from what Ive read, which is one reason it is good in the trucks, ya might wanna check that out, change it often, and if your clutch starts slippin flush the engine and change the oil.

Real synthetics are PAO, Esters, and polyesters, and/or blends of those "synthetic" oils. Dino blended oil is a scam, dont waste your money. Mobil 1 is good stuff and costs about $6 a quart here at Wally World for their V-Twin super syn. You cant go wrong with it. Their auto line of oils should not be used in the KLR.

Unless you live where it is below the freezing point of water during your riding season there is no reason to use a lighter oil in the KLR than 20/50 synthetic, it flows fasterand pumps easier at -10C than a dino/mineral 10/30. Got a deep freeze? See for yourself.

Thats my take, experience, and info on oil. If you wanna use the best, its easy to get. If you wanna use something else thats fine too, just dont say its the best without documented proof.


Daniel

I've heard so many diffrent views on this from so many diffrent experts. Use what works is what it comes down to. I use Valvoline 10w40 in the KLR and 20w50 in the V-max. They have a oil supposedly made for motorcycles and since I've always had good luck with "Valvo" oil I keep using it. Plus it is only $3 something a quart at the discount stores here in Ohio.