Z1OwnersClub GB

Just changed my oil

Despite only covering a few hundred miles last year i still kept to my routine annual oil change however this time i decided to use Shell Advance Mineral oil instead of the Morris Semi Synthetic

What are the limitations of mineral oil and am i likely to notice any difference

Chrispy,

You'll find these old Zed's are so 'over engineered' they'll probably run on old chip oil, not that I'd recommend that of course.
The underlying issue is that these bikes have a wet clutch, so a bike specific oil is advisable, since so many car oils have 'friction modifiers', which aren't designed for a wet clutch.

Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

...... Mmmmm, seem's I've 'gone on a bit'..............

Chrispy: I would defo go for the mineral: a few months ago I tried my A4 with semi synthetic - result was instant clutch slip.
Quick change to Castrol Evo 10-40 mineral, and she ran like a tot (well that was until my front disks warped )

You could run Fully Synthetic mineral oil - if its designed for a wet clutch....


Debbens recommend this stuff: http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/ams ... cycle.html

I used it in me Z1000 for a few years..... no probs... even running a few 1/4 miles at Santa Pod

Tonto wrote:Chrispy: I would defo go for the mineral: a few months ago I tried my A4 with semi synthetic - result was instant clutch slip.
Quick change to Castrol Evo 10-40 mineral, and she ran like a tot (well that was until my front disks warped )

I did the same on my GPZ1100, result; two oil changes in 50miles

Chris

asda doing 4 litres of 10-40 or 15-40 semi synthetic for £12, they did have mineral oil as well im sure;

home bargains had 4 litres of gulf 10-40 for £10, great prices

(I use mineral oil in my Z's have done for 35 years, never had a problem, whatever is on sale in asda or tescos!)

Buy the best you can afford. It's still cheaper than an engine rebuild. I use mineral for breaking in new rings. Then a good semi synth without the stuff that makes clutches slip they put in car oil. Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

Toyboy wrote: Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

A bit like this

Ginger Bear wrote:

Toyboy wrote: Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

A bit like this

If you dont do many miles and change it every year. it should not be a problem. Even " cheap" oils are modern and better than most oils of the 70's

my point exactly, most of our bikes (not all before the howls of protest) do little mileage, arent thrashed and get oil changed every year, so a mineral oil off the supermarket shelf is pefectly adequate

Ginger Bear wrote:
Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

That's what I was trying to say at the beginning of this thread.

I use posh stuff as mine gets used & thrashed (sometimes) .... and oil is the LIFE BLOOD of an engine and I won't skimp


That said - a cheap Mineral Oil manufactured nowadays is probably much better than a good one back then

The AMSOIL is specifically designed for ROLLER BEARING cranks and WET CLUTCHES... (H-D's ) so it's ideal.

http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/ams ... cycle.html

A lot of the hi-spec synths are too slippy and can ruin ROLLER bearings as the bearings just SLIDE, rather than ROLL

PAYS YER MONEY - MAKES YER CHOICE

Ginger Bear wrote:

Ginger Bear wrote:
Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

That's what I was trying to say at the beginning of this thread.

Which is exactly what I do every 1500 miles with GTX laterly and GTX semi Synth now and despite popular belief I suffer no clutch slip at all

so you want to get to asda then keith!!

loving the responses

I reckon oil from Asda is best kept for the kitchen

I will continue with semi synthetic although have Shell mineral for this year which i am sure will be fine even with a few planned laps of Mallory at festival 1000 bikes.

Was oil really that bad in the 70s.........i used to thrash around on my GS550 using Castrol GTX.....