Subaru OEM filter on Kawasaki ltd454

[mount]

I just noticed that my stash of Subaru Blue OEM filters (~$6 at the dealership is as cheap as anything else) will fit on my dad's old EN450 that I buzz to class on.

My question is will filters ~23 psi bypass affect anything.

I would imagine that a bike would have a hard time putting any car filter into bypass. I don't bang on the thing when it's still cold, but I do still ride in 25 degree weather if it hasn't snowed yet

.

Would an average bike with an ordinary filter be put into bypass with Rotella 15W-40 at a cold startup in that type of weather?

 

[mount]

Here's a picture for some interest

1985 Kawasaki LTD 454

Dad purchased new.

only 3,900 miles - (I think over 1,000 of those are mine)

He always used to put Havoline 10W-40 in it, not knowing any better.
I know the Havoline isn't speced for wet clutch, and if a remember correctly has a fair amount of moly. I hope this didn't hurt too much. It probably didn't too much as it hardly got driven.

Whether or not it is related, the clutch plates are frozen together on a daily basis when everything is cold. (I guess this sometimes happens on older bikes?) I have developed various methods for breaking these apart with minimal stress on the drivetrain

. Goes like a raped ape.

Additionally, I always hear so much about "adjusting the valves" on a bike. I am very mechanically inclined, but haven't been exposed to how to go about this. I can't seem to find any good places to read about it. Could someone either give me a rundown or send a link my way? Thanks.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Great bike! Looks to be in a very good shape for its age.

If I'm not mistaken, this engine has an internal bypass valve which opens at a fairly low PSI, so the additional bypass valve on the oil filter will most likely never come into play. AFAIK, the OEM Kawasaki filter has no bypass valve at all for this reason.

As far as valve adjustment, this thread has some useful info on the subject:
http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2609

It's for a later model year (EN500), but it should be similar on yours.

Good luck. My Vulcan 500 is at around 6K miles right now. Will probably have the valves adjusted this Spring.

 

[zrxkawboy]

nice bike!

 

[Robenstein]

Well the big issue with Havoline is not just the possible wet clutch issues, but the weaker additive package.

Run 15w40 Rotella or Delvac. Bike will like it a lot better on the long haul.

The 454 is a peppy motor for its size. The belt drive is also very convenient on them.

 

[Ken2]

Rotella syn 5W-40 would be a better choice in the cold weather.

Be sure the tires and valve stems (or tubes) are not old and rotten. The tires can have good deep tread but if the rubber has deteriorated, you're riding a time bomb. Ten years max for a tire in northern exposures and six years in the south are limits to seriously consider. The tire's date of manufacture is listed in the DOT code. The last four digits are the week and year of manufacture if the tire was made after 2000. Previously, the last three digits were the week and year, but you don't know if the final 5 was 1985 or 1995.

It is common for the cold oil to cause the oil-bath clutch plates to stick together. Use whatever technique that works with the least stress on the machinery.

 

[mount]

I have been running Rotella T6, but figured I'd try the dino and see if it quieted down the valves, although its probably just in need of an adjustment.

The tires are in fact the original ones that came on it

and I'm fully aware of the situation. I don't drive any faster than a speed I feel comfortable wiping out at.

I don't have much confidence in it out on the highway, its mainly just to drive to class (they have motorcycle parking next to pretty much every building on campus, car parking is so far away, you might as well walk from your place)

I figured it'd be about $400 for tires to be installed, and don't want to put that kind of money into the bike. Is there any reasonable places online to get tires (say BikeBandit)? I don't know how much a dealer would charge to mount tires.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Don't get me wrong, but putting your life on the line by riding on 27-year-old tires is just silly. If you wipe out, regardless of speed, your medical bills and repair costs will easily exceed the cost of new tires.

As far as online bike tire dealers, I'd look at Motorcycle Superstore. Mounting of bike tires usually isn't cheap, but if you're handy enough to take the wheels off the bike by yourself and carry them to the bike shop, it should save you significant amount of cash.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Don't get me wrong, but putting your life on the line by riding on 27-year-old tires is just silly. If you wipe out, regardless of speed, your medical bills and repair costs will easily exceed the cost of new tires.

As far as online bike tire dealers, I'd look at Motorcycle Superstore. Mounting of bike tires usually isn't cheap, but if you're handy enough to take the wheels off the bike by yourself and carry them to the bike shop, it should save you significant amount of cash.


YES, YES, YES... LISTEN TO THE ABOVE !! nothing else to add.

 

[JT1]

You've got some real cajones for cruising on old rubber dude. Just aint worth it. Don't rule out Shinko tires as low cost alternative, shinko purchased yokohama's tire molds and recipes and alot of folks really like 'em. I've got a shinko 705 on the back of my honda xl350 and it is a very high quality tire, and it only cost 45 bucks.

Motorcycle superstore is the place to get tires, I ordered a Michelin Pilot Road2 on sunday night, it was here waiting on the doorstep wed. morning. FREE SHIPPING, yep.

Oh yeah, sweet bike brudda, my buds got a kz440, its the bike that got me HOOKED on two wheeled vehicles.

 

[mount]

Alright! I'll put new tires on this spring lol. Probably get a set of Dunlop D404

 

[Robenstein]

I really like Pirelli Route 66 tires myself.

 

[Slick17601]

That is a sweet bike. My Dad has it's little brother...a 305 belt drive.

 

[Norm Olt]

I typically spend more on new tires (and tubes) on a new (to me!) bike than I do on a helmet...

Maybe I value my (synonem for "Posterior") more than my head?

Maybe a hundred-dollar helmet is pretty good protection, but old tires can be DEATH (or WORSE!) and can't be trusted.

Cheers!

p.s. METZLERS (they ONLY make motorcycle tires) and check the belt tension: it's a pretty hard to get part, in my experience.

 

[Mackelroy]

The bypass will never be used, since most mc filters are designed for 9 to 11 psi, and most car filters are 10 to 14 psi.


Originally Posted By: mount
I just noticed that my stash of Subaru Blue OEM filters (~$6 at the dealership is as cheap as anything else) will fit on my dad's old EN450 that I buzz to class on.

My question is will filters ~23 psi bypass affect anything.

startup in that type of weather?

 

[ddtmoto]

If your clutch is hanging up when cold try the T6 Rotella 5w/40. I tried the 15/40 in several on my bikes and it was just too thick on startup. Shifting was like the tranny/clutch was full of molasses. I was using the T5 until the phos and zinc was cut way down a couple of years ago when the T6 came out and my shifting when down the toliet. Added zddplus to get the good shifting back. I just filled with Delo 5w/40 and will try for this change...