[FrenchFried]

We're in strange territory here, there is very little data backing up supercharged motorcycles. However we can gain insights from cars as well as turbo motorcycles.

For one Synthetic is a must for forced induction applications, they withstand the higher heat and stresses far better than their dino counterparts. Oil is imperative to proper operation and longevity of the blower. Synthetic won't coke up.

 

[Titan]

I'm gonna use whatever oil Kawasaki tells me to.

 

[willem mertens]

most standard oil we need to put in the Kawasakis is 10w40

i think the h2 will be 10w50 or 10w60 standard

i think

 

[desmodromic]

I do not think natural oil can withstand the heat the supercharger would generate. For sure it will use a fully synthetic oil. I mean you already bought a 40k motorcycle, no sense in saving 20$ for oil

 

[rod442]

Do we know for sure that the 'charger is oiled by engine oil? I assume it is, because to have a different oil system for the unit would add weight, and more importantly; take up space.

But there's no reason to think that a non synthetic oil cant lubricate a power adder. Quite a few OEM turbo's in cars run just fine on regular oil. And I'm sure they generate more heat than the centrifical blower on an H2 can make.

Will a synthetic oil be benificial? Sure, just like it is in every other application. As to some of the weights quoted above, why would they need to change from every other oil kawasaki's run? 10w40 will do the trick. If the engine tolerances are designed for it.

 

[NinJAHfu]

What could oil change intervals for this be like?

 

[sdiver68]

There is not 1 thing natural oil does better than synthetic, arguable exception first break in. Dino oil is for...well...Dinosaurs.

 

[rod442]

sdiver68. True, synth oil is better. AND can even be just fine for break in. Lots of cars come from the factory with it as an OEM fill.

I was just saying that regular oil could be acceptable for this bike. It may need to be changed more often, but would work ok. As long as it was designed with that in mind.

as for intervals, my zx14r says every 7500 miles on regular kawasaki oil. I change it more often (3-5K miles), with synthetic; because I like to keep it running in top form. Overkill? maybe, but I bet most bikers do the same.

 

[Yamasuki]

I was always under the impression that in high temp applications synthetic is far superior because it wont coke/suffer thermal breakdown like dino juice...

 

[Bazza]

go syn

Turbo Engines | Oil Coking

Answer:
The temperatures you are seeing are quite high but not surprising. There are a couple of things you can do to protect the turbo from coking. You are already doing the first thing we would recommend which is to use a fully synthetic oil such as Mobil 1™. It will protect better against deposits and resist thermal breakdown than a conventional mineral oil.

 

[Fretka]

This is not a turbocharged engine, the differences are substantial. With a turbo engine oil lubes the center bearing which reaches MUCH higher temps due to the proximity to exhaust gases.

I can just hear that banned 1Krider guy saying always use (blah,blah,blah) and break-in the motor by running it hard from the start.

Without a shred of knowledge but lots of opinion!

These questions are really easy.... read your manual that was written by the folks that engineered and assembled the bike. They really know!

 

[ninja boy]

One thing I know for sure. Synthetic oils have a higher flash (burning point) than conventional oils. Knowing that alone leads me to believe a supercharged engine
will do much better with synthetics, because of the increased heat.

Kawasaki has said that their supercharger runs cooler than a typical charger due to fast spinning centrifugal compressor, whose high efficiency would produce less heat.

 

[Fretka]

What is kinda cool is they are using the same oil to lubricate slow spinning gears and 110K rpm impeller shaft. And what is ultimately cool is all of this high-end racing tech and a warranty!!

 

[edinlr]

As for oil, do your research and don't just listen to the wive's tails. Virtually every factory turbo charged or supercharged car recommends synthetic oil. For the heat, load, and rpm this motor will experience, this is not the place to go cheap. Probably the first two oils that come to mind would be the Driven (Joe Gibbs) or Mobil One. They both have oils for motorcycles (remember we have clutch issues) and they offer top quality products with the additives these motors need. As for oil change schedules, see what Kawasaki recommends. I doubt very many of these bikes will be used for commuting, so it may be you change it on an annual basis, rather than on a mileage basis. I'm sure some dummy will chime in that he plans to use Rotella because he has always used it and can buy it at Walmart. Only problem is there is minimal zinc in there and Rotella is designed for motors that turn 3,000 rpm, not 14,000!

 

[SilverbirdH2]

The 2012 and up zx14R is noted in the service manual to use full synthetic...or regular as well.I think this new motor will be noted as 'needing' full synthetic...just a guess.As was mentioned...I'm gonna run what Kawasaki says to run.Including the Kawasaki brand.As we all know...this motor is NOT a zx10 motor beefed up.It's a new design.I think trying to outguess the designers with this bird COULD be asking for problems.

I'm breaking mine in as the MFG's say to...on this one...I am.The maintenance intervals for the H2R are pretty 'extreme'...I HOPE this H2 is a bit more Joe A friendly

 

[SilverbirdH2]

I know this is an oil thread..BUT...I wanted to ask about this quickshifter deal.When you're out riding this bike at 'normal' speeds and such...shifting as a 'normal' shift technique...would you be shifting this bike with the clutch..or not.Probably a dumb question...but I'm all ears here.My 14 can smoothly and easily shift up or down without clutching it...and it's stock.

 

[ninja boy]

I have been running Rotella T-6 full synthetic in all my bikes and LOVE it.

Really good results at a decent price....

 

[Turtle1000]

With a qs you don't need to let off the throttle where as your just letting off the throttle and clicking the next gear, up,or down. Imo the qs is a big reason why the bmw is usually successful in racing the 10r. Most people opt for the qs when they buy the bmw so that's a huge advantage in racing anyways. And the strip or even roll on racing

 

[edinlr]

If the Rotella works for you, that is great. I also race the Honda CX650 turbo and a common problem with those engines is the camshaft, follower, and valve tips have wear problems. Many of the CX owners swear by Rotella and don't seem to understand the cause of their problems. The CX was one of Honda's few bike motors with pushrods and these all seemed to have wear problems that a better oil could have prevented. A good strategy is if you plan to vary from the manufacturer's oil recommendation, you might want to buy an extended warranty and hope they don't ask what oil you used.

 

[ninja boy]

nonsense

If the Rotella works for you, that is great. I also race the Honda CX650 turbo and a common problem with those engines is the camshaft, follower, and valve tips have wear problems. Many of the CX owners swear by Rotella and don't seem to understand the cause of their problems. The CX was one of Honda's few bike motors with pushrods and these all seemed to have wear problems that a better oil could have prevented. A good strategy is if you plan to vary from the manufacturer's oil recommendation, you might want to buy an extended warranty and hope they don't ask what oil you used.

nonsense

google it....T-6 is used by the big 4 manufactured bikes with outstanding results. In some cases, exceeded the recommended oil by manufacturer.

I've been doing this a long time my friend. When I go to the track, T-6 is
also used by many riders.....your entitled to your opinions though.