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Oil for winter\cold weather

14K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  Uncle Salty  
#1 ·
I'm due for an oil change, currently running Mobil 1 20w50.

My 2001 manual says 10w40 is "excellent" for temperatures below 40, 20w50 only "good".

With my heated gear, I take my bike to work often with morning temps in the 20's.

As I probably won't drive 5k miles over the winter, I am considering use a cheaper dino and then go back to 20w50 in the spring.

Do you think that is a good plan or just stick with the synthetic 20w50?

Thanks!

rkc
 
#3 ·
Thanks, but I am not going to put synthetic in just to dump it next spring after 1-2k miles.

I am hoping the answer is: "stick with synthetic 20w50 because it does not change viscosity in those temperatures".

rkc
 
#8 ·
Use a 10w 40 motorcycle type oil like your owners manual recommends for your winter riding. Continue to use it in the spring until you feel you have your monies worth and then switch back to the 20w 50 until the weather gets cold again. It will not hurt anything other than possibly an increase in oil consumption when running the 10W 40 in warmer weather.
George
 
#4 ·
You just answered your own question.:)
 
#7 ·
#10 ·
Find a good full synthetic 20w50 with a viscosity index over 150 and your blood will thicken before the oil gets cold enough to get too thick for winter rides.

Most conventional 10w40s have a viscosity index of 150-152. Syn3 is 155 in the 20w50 and Castrol power rs is 157 in 20w50. Takes a lot of cold to thicken up them two and more heat than you could throw at them to thin them out. M1 is just a tad under them two. Amsoil MCV is at 147 in 20w50. Close 4th, will probably work fine but the others will handle the extremes better.

No need anymore to run 10w40 in the winter when such strong synthetics are out there that barely thicken up in cold temps.
 
#18 ·
I change my oils every April on my daughters birthday.
I use only 20/50 in the engine. I also let it warm up inside the shop to operating temp before I hit the road.
Yesterday before the snow hit I was riding in 20ish degree weather. The engine never got over 150 degrees.
By this time in the winter the oil is about to be changed, so it may not be as good as it once was. Just like me.