Second oil change. Dang!

[Texas Pete]

You got it. Break-in oils use conventional base oils without friction-modifier additives to allow controlled wear between the rings and cylinder wall. They also contain zinc and phosphorus additives to protect the camshaft and other components during break in.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Fast_Freddy

I thought that break-in oil had very high zinc content and was designed to protect the camshaft during break-in? Although this probably only applies to flat tappet engines. I've only rebuilt 2 stroke engines so I've never actually used break-in oil. I used a lot of Bel ray synthetic 2 stroke oil at 60:1. Love that smell!

Most modern engines don't require the high levels of zinc and other additives, even during break in. Modern metallurgy and engineering have advanced to a point where the ways of the past just aren't necessary. Most modern engine oils contain almost no zddp thanks to the EPA. Heck, most modern engines come with synthetic oil in them from day 1 as their "break in" oil. They just lack the friction modifiers in as high of a quantity.

These engines can benefit from a higher zinc level due to the nature of the valvetrain, which is why I like Rotella T4 during the break in period as it has one of the highest zinc levels on the market.

I still run Rotella oil in my Hawk. I found 15w40 T6 synthetic and I never looked back. My bike and I both love it lol.

[Fast_Freddy]

Thanks, TexasPete and MegaDan, good info. For now I had to order some oil that would arrive quickly so I got a gallon of Honda 10w40. I may switch to Rotella later on.

I found the owners manual pdf and was reading it. It states to replace the oil filter but it looks like it may be similar to the filter on my Vulcan which was a washable SS screen. Is that what the ZS172 engine uses or is there a replaceable paper cartridge? If a cartridge, where would I find one? TIA

[Zapkin]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Most modern engines don't require the high levels of zinc and other additives, even during break in. Modern metallurgy and engineering have advanced to a point where the ways of the past just aren't necessary. Most modern engine oils contain almost no zddp thanks to the EPA. Heck, most modern engines come with synthetic oil in them from day 1 as their "break in" oil. They just lack the friction modifiers in as high of a quantity.

These engines can benefit from a higher zinc level due to the nature of the valvetrain, which is why I like Rotella T4 during the break in period as it has one of the highest zinc levels on the market.

I still run Rotella oil in my Hawk. I found 15w40 T6 synthetic and I never looked back. My bike and I both love it lol.

So then it is okay to break in these engines with the t4 rotella diesel oil? i am a bit confused now.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Zapkin

So then it is okay to break in these engines with the t4 rotella diesel oil? i am a bit confused now.

I've said so from the start. Not sure how you got confused when I literally said T4 contains a high level of zinc and is wet clutch rated so it makes it a great oil to break the engine in on

[tknj99]

I'm curious to learn more about the oil that comes from the factory. everyone automatically assumes it garbage, and it probably is compared to T4 and other known motorcycle oils, but for them to ship with substandard oil that is not rated for the engine would not make sense from a liability and warranty perspective.

[Mudflap]

Originally Posted by tknj99

I'm curious to learn more about the oil that comes from the factory. everyone automatically assumes it garbage, and it probably is compared to T4 and other known motorcycle oils, but for them to ship with substandard oil that is not rated for the engine would not make sense from a liability and warranty perspective.

Need a volunteer to send a shipping oil sample out to an oil analysis company to see what's in it. Better to change it out with a known good oil before running the engine.

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by Mudflap

Need a volunteer to send a shipping oil sample out to an oil analysis company to see what's in it. Better to change it out with a known good oil before running the engine.

I still wouldn't trust inexpensive Chinese engine oil over a basic $6 bottle of Valvoline MC oil I can just toss in.

That's putting an awful lot of faith in an engine manufacturer of questionable QC. A single qt of known good engine oil is cheap insurance to ensure you won't do lasting damage.

Maybe their oil is fine... but even a single VOA of the so-called shipping oil wouldn't be enough for me to trust it, or to trust that every engine mfg is going to be the same, or to trust that they don't change the oil type on a random Tuesday because they got low on the "good stuff".

I mean, consider, we don't trust the China bike mfg to properly tighten and torque the bolts and screws... why would we trust that they're using top tier quality engine oil?

[tknj99]

I hear you and completely agree.. for some reason i kept the factory oil in for the first 25 miles and then dumped it for T4. I had alot of metal shavings that i've never seen before on other bikes. since then i've changed the oil twice and the screen has come out clean. I guess i'm just wondering if keeping that stock oil in for the first ride(s) caused any long term damage. I know most change it immediately but im sure there are just as many that don't. What interested me recently as well was another member mentioning that they changed out the oil immediately upon build and then after some miles with the fresh oil changed it and it came out with metal shavings as well.. perhaps its QC on the engine where some come out with shavings on first change and other don't?

[Texas Pete]

Originally Posted by Mudflap

Need a volunteer to send a shipping oil sample out to an oil analysis company to see what's in it. Better to change it out with a known good oil before running the engine.

Not for actual oil additives, its only $12 or so a quart for break in oil. They also sell break-in oil additive but that just adds the minerals without addressing the friction additives in regular engine oil.


But they have done it for contamination out of the factories.


tl;dw Royal Enfield beat the entire sample from Japan, Europe, China, etc.

[TominMO]

Cool video, thanks.

[Fast_Freddy]

So does anyone know whether the Templar's ZS172FMM engine has a oil filter cartridge or a washable screen?

[Hap]

Originally Posted by Fast_Freddy

So does anyone know whether the Templar's ZS172FMM engine has a oil filter cartridge or a washable screen?

It has a washable screen. I haven’t been able to locate a changeable filter of any kind. I wouldn’t mine having a little better filtration.

[Magician16]

I bought my Magician before I knew about this site. I think I ran the oil that was in the bike for a few miles before I changed to Valvoline conventional motorcycle oil. I didn't remove the screen until after the second oil change because I didn't know it was there. There was very little particulate in the screen at that time. I have done a few more oil changes since and have been using Valvoline synthetic motorcycle oil. It has come out very clean every time.


I bought my Bashan used/abused. It was running when I bought it, but it had a lot of problems. I couldn't believe how dirty the screen was when I first changed it, and I couldn't believe how overfilled it was. I changed the oil again after 500 miles, and the screen again had some particulate, but the bike runs great now.

[tknj99]

Thanks for that info.. in reading that and another report, it may be more of a make/model and QA of the build that determines whether or not there will be metal shavings in the first oil change, and probably not related to the factory oil.
So with the Templar X, 2 of us so far reported that the first change had metal shavings. That's probably a minority and may have been the case whether i dumped the oil immediately upon build or changed it at the 25 mile mark.