Castrol GPS causing problems? EDIT: dramatically worse : (

[swiftb]

Recenty gave my 2000 ZX6R a full service. Covered around 500miles since and definetly since I changed the oil im having gearchange problems. Before the oil change I had no issues with gearchange, the odd false neutral once in a blue moon. Since changing to this Castrol Power 1 GPS (semi-synth) im getting clunky gear changes, lots of false neutrals and finding neutral at a standstill is becoming a piss take (used to find neutral first time every time). Any one else had issues with GPS or issues with there ZX6R after an oil change?
Can anyone recommend a good oil for this bike? Il be pretty pissed to drain off £30 quids worth of oil after 500mile but its looking that way

[RS2MATRIX]

Chain checked recently?
____________________
Reiju RS2 Matrix
Kawasaki ZXR400

[ZaphodBeeble]

Have you checked the free play in your clutch lever? You should have between 0.5cm and 1cm movement at the end of the lever. If there is too much slack it may not be fully dis-engaging the clutch. Other than that no, I haven't heard of anyone having problems with GPS. Bloke I work with uses it in his Fazer Thou'. He's done 76,000 miles on the stuff!
____________________
Current bike: VTR1000F Firestorm. Previous: Firestorm (written off) - XJ600 Divvy - NSR125 - DT125 and a load of offroaders.

[swiftb]

Yes chain checked and adjusted couple of hundred miles back and clutch play seems ok but could well need some attention now as bike onto 30k. Just seems odd how it went from fine to issues immediately after the oil change - coincidence

[yen_powell]

How much oil did you actually put back in after draining the old out?
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[swiftb]

[yen_powell]

[swiftb]

sounds more along those lines. Seemed too much of a coincidence after the oil change. Clutch 'feels' ok, biting in the usual place etc and play seems normal but will investigate further tmoro

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Could a be problem with the positive neutral finder on your bike?

By won't go into neutral do you mean refuses to come out of first, or flicks up into second?

If it's the latter it could be a fault with the positive neutral finder.
____________________
My Flickr

[swiftb]

Ok thanks for responses so far. I had a fiddle with the clutch today. As I said freeplay seemed fine anyway but had a play around moving the adjusment at the clutch and resetting the freeplay at the lever. All seemed good. So off I go to have my new tyres fitted. Tyres changed and off to scrub 'em in. Gearchange now feels like I remember it used to, nice and smooth and fluid. Neutral slotting in nice and easy too. Nice one, jobs a god un. Until due to resetting my trip when the tyres got changed i forgot i was going to run out of fuel earlier than I was expecting. On way home after 80miles or so of scrubbing in and bike seemed to start to lose power. Wound her up a bit to see if it cleared (forgetting I was low on fuel) and in a sort of 'oh fuk' explosive moment bike dies, oil light comes on - I panic (as im at a fair old pace) try to knock it up or down a gear (cant remember was panicking )
Bike wont have it so try to go back to the gear I was in, no again - lots of clunking/grinding so pull clutch in and let the bike coast to a stop.
I jump off and start to investigate fearing the worst. Everything seems ok ?? Then the light bulb goes off in my head "out of petrol you cock". Flick it onto reserve.
Quick check around bike again and ignition on and into neutral. Press the starter to be greeted by an electrical whine as if battery is dead. Nothing. But all lights are strong so im certain its not battery. Try few more times and then the whine goes and I now get total silence when I try to start up.
Scratch head for a moment then knock it into first and try bump it forward a bit. Press starter and she fires straight up.
Thank fuk for that. Pull away in first then go to change to second and it wont let me until i give it a good shove. Same with all the gears. Theres an inital resistance where the gear feels like its not going to engage then drops in with a bit of a clunk. Same going down the box.
Get home and adjust clutch again. No good. Readjust chain - after wheel being off though it could be that. No good. Tried clutch in various states of adjustment. No Good.
I realise this thread would now be more relevant in Workshop but its here now so apologies.
Could I have damaged the clutch or finished it off when i did a bit of box grinding????
Gutted now as was looking forward to a good hoon tommorow.
Any Ideas?

Ps. Once gear is engaged there are no other problems ie no slipping, no jumping out of gear.

PPs. As the clutch is operating fine ie not slipping im assuming the friction plates are ok. Could this be a problem with the clutch basket? Is it worth whipping the cover off to investigate this??

PPPs Is it possible adding 'decent oil' has brought out a developing problem due to the thinner viscosity or would that not affect the basket - this would explain the original theory.

ta

[baldy]

First thing i would do is change the oil. You should see metal shavings in there if something is broken. Is the oil a higher viscosity rating than the old oil?

[swiftb]

Im 'hoping' this is the end of this problem! After checking/adjusting clutch etc I focused on the gearshift mechanism. Although it was free as a bird I saw no harm in removing/lubing adjusting etc.
So after doing that the problem seems to be sorted! Thank fuk. Hopefully that will be the end of that. After rigourous googling ive discovered this is somewhat a common problem with J1/J2 ZXRs.

Cheers for all who gave advice