kat oil

[jono237]

ive been doint some searching around and i am getting some mixed answers my local shop is saying i can use 10w50 and im finding that others are using 10w40 i guess my question is what does the oem spec say i should be using and will i do any damage runing 10w50?

[Layinlowstang]

It is 10w40 I just did an oil change yesterday

[The CyberPoet]

10w40 and 10w50 are both perfectly acceptible for the Kats.

My general rule goes like this:
If you can walk barefoot on asphalt without discomfort, 10w40 or 10w50.
If you can't walk barefoot on asphalt without discomfort (burning your feet), 20w50.

See your owner's manual if you have any doubts about viscosity vs. ambient temp range.






Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[jono237]

any particular brand you guys recomend ive been using yamalube and a K&N filter. Also i had the shop do the 1st oil change and now the glass shows that the oil level is too high, did the shop mess up and i should remove some. I will def be doing my own oil cange from now on.

[The CyberPoet]

any particular brand you guys recomend ive been using yamalube and a K&N filter. Also i had the shop do the 1st oil change and now the glass shows that the oil level is too high, did the shop mess up and i should remove some. I will def be doing my own oil cange from now on.

Opinions on oil are like opinions on politics or religion -- everyone has their own belief systems, many of them based purely on faith.

Personally, I've used Castrol GPS and Mobil 1 MX4T / Mobil 1 VTwin as my primary oils for over 75k miles across my Kats. I have tried others, but was never as satisfied with their during-use and post-use feel (too much viscosity loss, or too much wear at the rings). Mobil 1 has the advantage of being the highest vapor-temp oil on the motorcycle market by a fairly wide margin; Castrol GPS gave me the least amount of compression loss (i.e. - least amount of wear at the rings), and I settled on a combination of the two as my oil of choice.

I am also a stickler for the OEM Suzuki oil filter, and don't believe there is a better choice on the market for the Kat's potentially extremely high temp ranges it can see. I feel so strongly about that, that I only sell the OEM oil filters (if I found a filter I thought was better, I'd sell it instead). $8.50 per filter, details here: http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=58596

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[SchOX]

For Oil filter I only use Suzuki OEM - for engine oil I use Motul 10w40 - But I would (based on what I've read here, and other places) suggest you listen to CP, he knows what he is talking about

(For air filter, I had to go for K&N last year, cause my supplier did not manage to supply a OEM (tried 3 times, but got the wrong size , and I could not wait any longer)

[The CyberPoet]

(For air filter, I had to go for K&N last year, cause my supplier did not manage to supply a OEM (tried 3 times, but got the wrong size , and I could not wait any longer)

FYI: I sell OEM air filters too ($33 + postage), as well as pretty much all your maint supplies other than the actual oils. See the link in my signature for details.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[ATOMonkey]

I use CPs stock oil filter and the oil they have on the shelf at the Suzi dealership.

Hmmmm...I think I need to check out the HD dealership to see if they have a better selection.

Wally world, and Vato Zone only have car oil, so my choices are limited...

[SchOX]

I might order some parts from you later, but S&H+time to Norway might prevent me from doing that. (I would love to get hold of some Katata Emblems...)
But I'm so far happy with my K&N air filter - the seal seems to be good around the air filter box, and my carbs are clean.
(I order most of my MC parts from UK, but they manage somehow to deliver them within 7 working days - only trouble is returning those wrong parts) - My big kat is very rare here in Norway, so local suppliers do not have parts for it.

[The CyberPoet]

Wally world, and Vato Zone only have car oil, so my choices are limited...

[Vato?] Auto Zone ought to be able to order you any brand oil they already carry (such as Mobil or Castrol) if you buy in case-quantity...

I might order some parts from you later, but S&H+time to Norway might prevent me from doing that. (I would love to get hold of some Katata Emblems...)

You should get together with Lars, who already orders parts from me -- combine shipments together to save on postage

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[pveity]

10w40 man myself

[streebs93]

20w50 here. Only Amsoil as well.

[DreKat]

I use Stealership oil and the OEM filter. The only ploblem I have with the OEM filter is that I need to remove the oil cooling line to get to the filter.....but that also removes a little bit more of the old used oil from the Kat.

[aznthundrhed]

I used K&N filter with a valvoline motorcycle 4-stroke 10W40 from autozone, I hope that's not a problem.

[The CyberPoet]

I use Stealership oil and the OEM filter. The only ploblem I have with the OEM filter is that I need to remove the oil cooling line to get to the filter.....but that also removes a little bit more of the old used oil from the Kat.

If you have to remove the oil cooler line, it makes me wonder if you have aftermarket headers, or insufficient tools.

For the 98+, a 3/8" ratchet with a pivoting head (example - Sears item # 00944815000 ) and a 6" extension (example: sears item # 00944261000 -- although wobble-tip should make it even easier ) should let you go right through the center of the #2 and #3 header down-pipes to get at the filter & get it in/out with ease. The only exception to this I've found is aftermarket headers, which often don't have the space between the down-pipes to accomplish this...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.