XR400R Oil Change- Which oil to use...

[Nico Notaro]

Hey fellas, 

I have an XR 400 and it is in dire need of an oil change. I ordered some oil, ill attack a pic of it below. My worry is that it ester is one of the chemicals used in it, which will cause the clutch plates to slip. Engine oil and clutch oil are shared. Does anyone know if the ester used will cause the clutch plates to slip? Thanks a lot guys 

--Nico 

[bimbamboom]

It is a motorcycle specific synthetic (ester) oil. Should not be a problem for the clutch.

[mlatour]

The 'MA2' (as in the JASO-MA2 spec) shown on the label indicates that it's suitable for wet clutches.

'Ester' isn't a chemical or additive, it's a process of how some synthetic oils are produced, especially high end ones.

 

In dirt bike gearboxes, it's the friction reducing additives in automobile engine oils labelled as 'Energy Conserving'

that are preferable to avoid but they are mostly in lighter grades like 5W-30, 5W-20, 0W-20 etc.

By the time engine oils are of 10W-30, 10W-40 and thicker grade, they usually don't qualify as 'Energy Conserving' anymore.

High amounts of Moly (molybdenum) in some specialty oils (automobile racing oils) is also to be avoided in wet clutch applications.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by mlatour

[DGXR]

That oil is OK to use in your XR400.  Also, try not to let it get into "dire need" again LOL.

[EzLivn]

It takes a lot to put anything “XR” in dire need. ??

[Winddrifter]

Motul 5100(semi syn) would also be ok and cheaper and you could do oil changes more often, oil is your motors blood, dont kill it.

[80's hondaman]

If this is the first time you have changed oil on an XR400, please watch a youtube vid on it. The XR carries oil in the frame and reading the oil level correctly is different than other bikes. You will overfill it if not done correctly. Just a friendly heads up.

[Knightly]

Any motorcycle specific oil (Rotella T6 ok) is fine. I’d run a synthetic as the air cooled bike may run hot. 

[DGXR]

Personally I run half Rotella T6 15w40 and half T4 15w40, making a synthetic blend.  The T6 synthetic gives longer oil life while the T4 conventional helps shift quality a bit, in my experience, in my bikes.  Dirt bikes are hard on oil and have smallish capacity, so I change it often but I'm not OCD about it.  T4 and T6 meet MA/MA2 requirements, been used for many years by many motorcycle owners, and they are very affordable compared to specialty motorcycle oils.  As always, your mileage may vary, and many people prefer to spend the extra money on moto oils.  Whatever spins your beanie LOL

[Oil Baron]

The 7100 10W40 is fine. Great oil.  If you’re running in the hot desert, you might get the 15w50 or 20w50 grade next time.   The only reason not to run a 20w50 in an air cooled engine is if it gets too cold and thick to kick it over. 

But . . . .  the 400 has superior oil cooling so the 10W40 and most other oils are fine. 

The most important thing on that bike is getting the oil level correct.