I just bought a 1999 250 about a month ago and don't know when the last time the oil has been changed I was just wondering what type of oil you guys all use and the benefits/drawbacks of synthetic/nonsynthetic or 10W50 10W40 20W40 etc. Thanks.

 

If its over 6K use shell rotella synthetic if you want to use synthetic there are other synthetics but you have to watch for formula changes that make them not good for MC clutches. If you dont want to use synthetic you can use anything thats not energy conserving. Its supposed to be 10w40 but the shell is 15w40 or you can use mobils motorcycle oil that walmart has just started carrying. For 2 qts its cheap, my Katana holds almost 4qts so its a bit more expensive to change. Right now I have Rotella syn in the Kat and Valvoline regular in the 250 because I had some valvoline left and havent bothered to switch to synthetic yet.

Whatever you do it doesnt actually hold 1.9l which is 2 qts as stated on the engine, its more like 1 1/2-3/4 qts.

Always check the oil level at every ride.

 

As for oil i use respol racing oil it's syntic oil. I know in my bike it makes the bike quieter and makes shifting actualy a little better. I used 10w 50 in my bike. As for either using syntic or using regular oil it's your chioice but if you do go the syntic oil way you will have to stick with syntic oil for the rest of the time. Unless you get an engine flush then you could go back to regular oil. but i really don't know why you would ant to after you feel the change wiht syntic oils in the bike.

 

is there a low oil cutoff switch on 250s? Im trying to trouble shoot everything I can with my bike. It just shut off the other day.
All I get is a "thunk" noise when I hit the start button.

 

Thanks for the reply guys. I think I'm going to go synthetic seeing as the bike has roughly 10,000 on it and I like the idea of it helping performance wise.

mnosbor where do you get your shell oil and how much does it cost?

 

Walmart $16 a gallon make sure you read the label and get the synthetic 15/40 they usually have their dino next to it. Ive heard that autozone and other parts stores carry it but is hit an miss call first.. Also the truck stopsusually carry it but Im not sure about the weights or price.

Also make sure you get a sealed bottle because Ive heard stories of people returning their use oil and getting their money back [:@]you can tell because it comes out black. I check it in the lid and smell it first.

Evergreene>>> There is no cut off switch, it will let you run every little bit out. Also where the pressure switch is gives a false sense of security because it will read good pressure right up until 5 min before you toast your bearings. You can however tell somewhat by how long it takes for the light to shut off when you start it but I wouldnt go by that either.
How does it look in the site glass?