I used Mobil ! 4T and Amsoil in my old bike. It seemed to shift better with Mobil 1. I think the Mobil 1 flows better as if the Amsoil is a little bit thicker when cold. Since I still have 8 qts. of the Mobil 1 4T, that will be my oil of choice for at least the first two changes on the 14. Motul 4T full syn is reputed to be a top-grade bike oil, although I've never had occasion to try it. Rotella full syn, which is intended for diesels, is a good, cheap alternative to 4T bike oils, but I wouldn't stretch the change intervals with it like you can with a good 4T syn.

shell T6.....best so far for me

Hey guys, Have you ever heard if IPONE R4000 10w40. Worth the look. This is all I have used over the past 6yrs. Here is the info off the Website. Here is the website http://www.ipone.fr/EN/4-stroke,products-4.

R4000RS 10W40
10W40 - Synthesis



A high-performance semi-synthetic lubricant, R4000 RS is recommended for modern high performance machines.

Advantages :
-Formula contains added extreme pressure modifiers for excellent lubrication of integrated gearboxes.
-Compatible with catalytic converters.
-Viscosity is suitable for a very wide range of temperatures: SAE 10W for starts in very cold weather (recommended for hydraulic tappets), and SAE 40 for high engine temperatures.

R4000RS has excellent shear stability. Its low volatility reduces oil consumption and its high lubricating power reduces friction.

Cheers

Amsoil 10w 40 for me. I agree with Danno, not the best when cold, wasn't great at over 100 degrees either. Will try motul or mobil 1 in about 2000 miles. I don't think it makes a difference as long you use one of the better brands out there.

TRY VALVOLINE RACING 4T, THE PRICE IS GREAT AND IT BEAT HUNDREDS OF OTHERS, IN ALL THE IMPORTANT TESTS, VALVOLINE PRODUCTS NEVER LET ME DOWN.

I do not have my bike, or the manual yet. Does anyone know what Ma Kawasaki has as a recomended oil weight for the ZX14? And has it remained the same over the years, or changed? Mine will be a '12 model when it arrives.

Craig, from the owner's manual, Kawasaki recommends 10W-40 oil meeting the following standards:
API SG,SH, SJ, SL, SM AND JASO MA, MA1 or MA2.

The viscosity of 10W-40 is good from -10ºC up to 104ºC. If you're riding in Temperatures hotter than this then Kawasaki also allows for 10W-50 and 20W-50.

This is my first ZX14 so I can't comment on what the previous model years required.

My Previous bike ran Shell Rotella for 50,000km. My ZX14 has been using Motul 7100 from the break in period and gets dumped with a filter change at 5000km or less. Of the two oils, the Rotella was cheaper but the Motul feels to be the superior oil.

Synthetic is an expensive crock. I run Valvoline 10-40 Cycle oil in all my bikes and find no reason to switch to something that's double the price.

The below sites are a 2-part (allegedly) truly independent study done by Sport Rider on some major oil brands that helped me to understand the confusing world of oil products. It has synthetic stuff and motorcycle-specific oils in it. At the end of the day,some of this gets philosophical. As a Philosophy instructor I can certainly appreciate that. For example one oil will hold up better in one test than another (e.g. extreme heat vs. a ball bearing wear test). But, one thing to keep in mind about the wet clutch argument is this: Clutch pads are cheap and WAY easier to replace, compared to engine bearings and piston rings - just sayin. What I extracted from this study is that overall you cannot go wrong with Mobil 1(auto), Amsoil, Castrol, Motul. Getting a truly scientific study of exactly which oil gives longer life to a bike's engine would have to be a very long study. I see a lot of guys making comments about not having problems with a certain oil, when they don't even have 30K miles yet on the bike. Even cheap, crappy oil ought to get you that far! I want to know how to get 100K out of an engine. It has been done.

http://www.sportrider.com/hands_on/how_to/146_0308_oil/
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_oil/

Ok, so i have read that write up but i cannot still find a clear cut winner. Anyone get a different thought from it?

Viperkillertt, That is just the point of the article. There is no clear cut winner. There are always variables that are invovled and where one oil gets ahead of anothr in one category, it gets beat in another. No one oil beats everyone in every testing category. So, which overall best oil to have in your specific situation may depend on whether you are in a real hot climate or on how hard you ride, etc. Bottom line = you are probably not going to go wrong with any of the top brands, but cost efficiency may be something to consider. Again, this study was in a laboratory, not on real bikes with real riders in real climates. It is theoretical and the subjective assumptions about which one will outperform the other in an actual bike are philosophical in nature. The only true way to test such oils is to have duplicate bikes in the same conditions over a long enough preiod to wear down the engine and transmission internals to a measurable level. Motul, Mobil 1, Amsoil, et al. = good stuff.

I've always used Amsoil in everything. Maybe I'm just partial since I'm a dealer for Amsoil lol

Rotella T-6 (meets the MA specs, etc.). Have used it for several years on other bikes (ZX6R, ZX10R, CBR1000RR, HD 883). Never had a problem. Always change oil and filter on new bike at ~100 miles; then again at ~500 miles. Thereafyer every 1000 miles or 6 months, whichever occurs first. Also use the stainless steel PS Racing filters after the second oil change. Never had a problem. Then again.... I live in the middle of rural nowhere , have a diesel pickup, and wear my bibs (lotta' pockets) when I need to make a grocery run...

Valvoline Motorcycle Oil 4Tstroke full synthetic SAE 10W-40 from Pep Boys-$10 a quart, and a dollar off per qt with your military discount! They also sell Purolator motorbike oil filters for less than $10.

Amsoil for me local canadian tire almost 20$ a quart,buy from a rep 9$
A quart if you buy a case

Just switched over to full synthetic oil on my '11 ZX14. Two questions:
1) Any issues with Yamalube 15w-50? Why Yamalube you ask? I get it serviced at a Yamaha/Kawi dealership. The mechanic who races (an R1) highly recommended it.
2) If I ever choose to switch brands, yet stay full synthetic, is that going to be an issue?

Thanks in advance.

I've used oil from numerous makers and settled on semi synth, always 10w/40. I usually go with whatever brand I can get a good deal on at the time. I'd never use 15w/50 in the 14. Racing and road use present different oil requirements. I also have a Husaberg dirt bike which I've used synth car oil in from new and it's presented no issues. It also costs less than 1/2 of equivalent motorcycle branded oil. Changing brands or viscosity is no big deal. The residual amount of oil left in the engine during an oil and filter change is negligible. JMO

Synthetic is a better choice in engines that run especially hot like air cooled bikes. Other than that, synthetic really shines if you ride for long intervals between oil changes. If you change oil every 1000-1500 miles like I do, any name brand car oil in the proper weight will do a fantastic job.

Synthetic is a better choice in engines that run especially hot like air cooled bikes. Other than that, synthetic really shines if you ride for long intervals between oil changes. If you change oil every 1000-1500 miles like I do, any name brand car oil in the proper weight will do a fantastic job.

I run Amsoil 10-40. Its hot here in Tx.

Nothing but AmsOil in my rides, and I still change it every 3k miles or 3 months. Which ever comes first.

I've been using Amsoil for a very long time. Its been in all my motorcycles. And all my cars. And my trucks. And my air compressor. If it needs lubrication its got Amsoil in it.

With my truck, I change the oil and filter once a year. Period. And have the oil tested each time, and never had a bad test. I prefer to change it in the Spring.

My new Harley-Davidson trike still has dino oil in it, and it will have fresh dino in it after I change the oil at the end of the month. In the Spring I'll convert it to Amsoil before I leave the east coast for California (and back, and all around). But I have to do a little research. The transmission oil is separate from the engine oil. I'm sure Amsoil has it in the table, but just need to look it up.

Transmissions in wet clutch machines are what chews the viscosity up the most. And this is where Amsoil shines, because in test after test, it has maintained viscosity longer than any other oil, dino or synthetic.

But anything works well, if you change it at the appropriate intervals based on the oil characteristics and use. Back "in the day" before synthetic oils were a common thing (even though Germany perfected it during WWII), Castrol was all the rage. But we'd change it every 2,500 - 3,00 miles like clockwork. Cars, bikes, all the same. I used Castrol 20W50 in my sports cars exclusively.

I have used Kawasaki S4 oil for the past 72,000 KM and my 2009 ZX14 run great.

I use Silkolene Pro 4 Plus 10W-50