2000 Kawasaki ninja zx12r Motul 10w40 300V

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I reread your first post, was it a Kawasaki recommended 2,000 mile break in procedure?

Nikasil is tough and hard, I installed JE high-compression pistons and rings about 10,000 miles ago. Before that I had installed ZZR 1200 pistons and rings (11.0:1 CR with base gasket removed). A simple wipe-down of the cylinder walls with scotchbrite removed the dull gray micro wear material in the crosshatch and the crosshatch was factory new. The cylinder bores in every dimension spec'd smack dab in the middle of factory specs. Both times I've simply installed rings with the pistons and they've sealed up fine.

Point being, I take it out and run it up and down the rev range within the first 5 miles once it's warmed up and don't let the idle drop below 2000 RPM at initial startup. Keep on riding for as many miles as I feel like, taking it up the RPM scale and letting it brake back down then taking it back up, always keeping the rings under a load from acceleration or engine braking. I do keep the initial rides to 20 or 30 miles, letting it cool down fully and then taking it out again the next day. I think a few heat cycles is a good thing early on, but I do believe everything has seated and mated within the first few miles after startup.

Not a drop of oil consumption in over 10,000 miles with the recent pistons/rings over the past two riding seasons.
 
Originally Posted by Bonz
Something else I have read is ester oil leeches lead out of the bearings and can cause high lead readings that way.



if the motor only has roller bearings (not saying this one does, but my own) explain were the lead comes from then?
 
sorry i had not been on to respond.

the OP sent me an email and explained the bikes situation a lot better.

i think having a bike covered dirt n grime is never a good start
even more so if a k&n filter is used (and dried out)
that is probably where the high silicon is coming from
and that in turn can cause the rest.

i would address the air filters 1st
no reason to do anything else until thats done
i, personally, dont give a flying rat about tbn on a non-touring bike.
i let my left foot determine when the oil is done.

motul 300v 10w40 is a great oil (glad it was a typo and not 0w40) but still 10w40s break down fast
the vii's just cant live in a shared sump. the tranny just chews it up. now motul 300v is one of the best
at staying i grade, but still 5k miles is probably a dream and not reality
the question is...do you care about what grade the oil is in at the oci?
most of us dont. what you really care about is shift quality.

im all about bang vs buck on shift quality
if a $15oci last 2k miles and a $40oci lasts 3k miles
which are you going to pick if a stoner report shows the same wear or less with the 2k oci?

i cant wait to see this next report

steve
 
A year ago I posted my M1 10w40 4T analysis. It had barely sheared below 40 weight at almost 5,000 miles in the ZRX 1200. The ZRX as I have it modified makes about a 145-150 hp is at the rear wheel and 87 ft/lbs. Not a ZX12R, but should show little difference in the way it treats the oil.

And 4T 10w40 starts out as a very light/thin 40w to begin with at 13.4 cSt. Motul 10w40 starts at 13.1 cSt I think? The reality with the full or high ester oils is that the base is good enough and doesn't need as much viscosity index improver to carry the load. With that, it holds up so much better than a conventional oil against shearing. At least that's how I understand it, open to correction of course.
 
Originally Posted by sunruh
sorry i had not been on to respond.

the OP sent me an email and explained the bikes situation a lot better.

i think having a bike covered dirt n grime is never a good start
even more so if a k&n filter is used (and dried out)
that is probably where the high silicon is coming from
and that in turn can cause the rest.

i would address the air filters 1st
no reason to do anything else until thats done
i, personally, dont give a flying rat about tbn on a non-touring bike.
i let my left foot determine when the oil is done.

motul 300v 10w40 is a great oil (glad it was a typo and not 0w40) but still 10w40s break down fast
the vii's just cant live in a shared sump. the tranny just chews it up. now motul 300v is one of the best
at staying i grade, but still 5k miles is probably a dream and not reality
the question is...do you care about what grade the oil is in at the oci?
most of us dont. what you really care about is shift quality.

im all about bang vs buck on shift quality
if a $15oci last 2k miles and a $40oci lasts 3k miles
which are you going to pick if a stoner report shows the same wear or less with the 2k oci?

i cant wait to see this next report

steve



Thanks for the reply Steve,

Yes, everything has been corrected and I assume this report will be much better. It has 1550 miles on the oil this go around. I am sticking it on a priority box tomorrow and sending it. As soon as I get it back I will post.

Bonz, yes the zx12r is the one Kawasaki recommended a 2000 mile break in on. It makes sense because of the hard cylinders. All a break in needs is heat cycles. Let the bike come up to operating temp, shut down, let cool completely, and repeat.

I just filled it up again today with same oil. I get a 4L jug for about $62.00, which is a great price.

Came wait to see this new report too!

Thanks again Steve and Bonz.
 
Originally Posted by JPowell490

Bonz, yes the zx12r is the one Kawasaki recommended a 2000 mile break in on. It makes sense because of the hard cylinders. All a break in needs is heat cycles. Let the bike come up to operating temp, shut down, let cool completely, and repeat.

.


Lots of bikes have Nikasil on the cylinder bore(s).

I think the extended break-in had more to do with the fact that an early ZX-12R test bike in the hands of the German magazine Motorrad, had a connecting rod break and punch a hole in the block. Prompting long delays of delivery of the bikes to customers (like me) who had put down a deposit when the bike was first announced. Of course there were the rampant rumors that KHI also got scared by talk of a ban of the bike in Europe, and neutered them before the bikes were delivered to customers. A shame as it never gained the fastest production bike crown it was built to wrest from the Hayabusa.

Of course the following year the Hayabusa was restricted too. Restrictions which if course were eventually circumvented by the aftermarket.
 
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Yes, the 12r test bike chunked a rod because the filled it too full of oil.

The 12r was restricted and is highly debated. It was restricted with smaller velocity stacks, corked up exhaust, timing retarded, etc.

I have taken all those out of the equation. New stacks, new exhaust, etc.

These bikes were ultra rich from the factory. A tune is a must.
 
A lot like the ZRX 1200. That was a 100 horsepower restricted bike in every market, so Kawasaki did very little to give it more power when they introduced it in the states in 2001 to replace the ZRX 1100.

The ZZR 1200 was the fastest carbureted bike to exist and still is. It was based on the ZRX 1200, came out in 2002. But with downdraft heads, another half point compression, and 40 mm carbs along with hotter cams.

Even with be only a full system and jet kit, the stock internal ZRX 1200 engine is good for 130 horses and 85 foot pounds.

ZZR 1200 parts plug and play into the ZRX, I developed jetting for the adaptation of the 40 mm carbs with pods. ZZR Pistons, ZZR 40 mm carbs, ZZR cams put it in the lower 140 horsepower/87 foot pound arena. I am running JE high compression pistons, power is in the 145-147 hp range with similar max torque, just stronger down low.
 
Yup, however the overall makeup is very similar in terms of that era of Kawasaki engine, thus "a lot like". The ZX12R does have shim under bucket valve train instead of rockers of the ZRX.

I wouldn't be opposed to a ZX12R, but also would love to get a ZZR 1200 and turn it into a good sport tourer. I am very familiar and good with the ZZR 40mm carbs, so hopefully can find one that someone has neglected and only needs maintenance to get running in top form again.
 
Originally Posted by sunruh
Originally Posted by Bonz
Something else I have read is ester oil leeches lead out of the bearings and can cause high lead readings that way.



if the motor only has roller bearings (not saying this one does, but my own) explain were the lead comes from then?


Totally missed this post, was going back through some stuff for some fun Sunday afternoon reading.

They are plain bearings on the lower end.
 
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