There is just one thing you need to know about powersports engine oil. Seriously. Although pages on the subject can be read all over the net, including on my own website, the thing that matters most is MA.

What's "MA"? In the late 1990s, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the organization many feel is similar in power to the CIA, forced engine oil producers to begin adding friction modifiers. The idea is, increased fuel economy equals reduced exhaust emissions. Thus from service rating SH and forward, all engine oils are friction-modified, or as their label touts, "energy conserving". Some powersports producers, such as Torco and Spectro, opted to not have their oils certified with the then-new SH API service rating, staying with SG, but this had the effect of locking their product into a 1995 manufacturer's warranty endorsement, which of course handicapped them in the market. The Big Four Japanese powersports manufacturers responded with a much larger scope. They devised a system that would allow oils to be API certified with the latest service rating, while at the same time exempting them from the government friction-reducing mandate. To identify these oils, a special label was devised called MA. The label identifies the oil as modern in formulation yet powersports friendly at the same time. Honda released their technical bulletin in 1998, Kawasaki in 2000.

What's wrong with friction modifiers? Unlike cars, Japanese motorcycles have unitized engines and transmissions: they're contained within the same casting. While a friction-reducing oil might be fine for the engine, it is not at all okay for the clutch. In addition, Japanese engines contain sprags, which are kind of one-way bearings. These sprags are, like clutches, friction-dependent and thus also vulnerable.

While there are several other concerns when it comes to engine oil, the MA thing is the most important. You have to do it right.