cold climate oil change

[Valkorado]

After reading much here and elsewhere, I am leaning toward a Purolator PL-14610 filter and Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 for a needed oil change.  The previous owner (warmer climate) was using 20W-50 Honda GN4 oil with a Honda filter.  I understand that once I go synthetic, I should stick with only that.  My concern is with the cold climate here.  I will be wintering the bike in a month or so, likely until mid April or early May.  It is currently Indian Summer; we have already seen the upper 20s for lows at night, but are bouncing back to the low 70s in the daytime (for now).  I usually don't fire up my bike to ride until it is above 50 degrees.  I would like to find a decent inexpensive oil and run it year 'round.  I have read good things about Shell Rotella T6, but wonder if it will be too thick for this climate and the brutal winters.  I did like that Rotella is apparently motorcycle (JASO MA) certified, and it is reasonably priced.  Also, my local mechanic recommended that I try to start the bike at least once a month over the harsh winters, and let it run for five or ten minutes.  The oil will be below freezing at any given point in the winter.  Any suggestions?   

[Bone]

The Shell oil will be fine I use it in Michigan.

DON'T start that bike for a 10 minute idle every month.

Pull the battery so you won't be tempted.

[Farther]

My brother lives in Foxhome, MN and in the Fall, changes the oil & filter, adds Marine StaBil to the fuel, goes for a short run to get the clean oil and treated fuel throughout the bike, disconnect the battery and puts a cover on the bike for the winter.  In the Spring he reconnects the battery, fires the bike up and goes for a ride.  He is 65 years old and has been doing this for a few years.  I, however, change the oil (Rotella T6) & filter (Honda automotive) in the Fall, add Marine StaBil but try to go for a short ride each week through the Winter.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I live in Indiana and have been running the Shell Rotella 5W-40 for most of the past 90,000 miles on my Valk.

I ride year-round and my bike has been kept in an unheated barn till this year. Don't get me wrong, I don't intentionally ride when there is ice or snow on the road and I don't ride much when temps are below 32 degrees  but I seldom go a month without riding even in the winter.

Occasionally if I'm changing the oil in really hot weather I'll mix in a quart of 20-50 full synthetic motorcycle oil but otherwise I just run straight Rotella 5W-40.

I ride the scooter fairly hard and have never had any real problems with her, oil related or otherwise. 

[cookiedough]

Here in WI never had any problems always in fall change oil and filter with Amsoil full synthetic 10w-40 3.9 qts., clean bike up, put seafoam and stabilzer and mystery marvel oil in gas tank (an ounce or two of each), pump up the tires to 42 front and 46 rear and go for a short ride 2-10 miles is all after the oil change,  MAKE SURE you shut off the petcock to OFF BEFORE you put the bike under the cover for a good long 4 months of winter, cry some for lack of riding those 4 months, and MAKE SURE  you remove the battery also and charge it up on a 1 amp or 1.5 amp trickle charger for around 4-6 hours or so and store battery in the basement or cooler place, but not in the too cold garage unless heated of course in the winter. 

I do NOT recommend starting the bike during the winter with fresh oil in the crankcase every 1-2 months and just let it sit until spring arrives.  With battery out,  you cannot, so don't.  Sputters a tad in the spring but purrs to life after 2-3 minutes of rough idling over the long winter.  Just make sure you turn the petcock back on in the spring and use full choke (push real hard down to get choke to operate at all and don't touch throttle or bike will die during first initial spring startup.)

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I do use a battery tender in the winter. It's the same one the original owner got from the dealer when he bought the valk in 97. I just plug it into the pigtail under the side cover. The OEM battery lasted 10 years and never did go bad, I just replaced it because it was starting to make me nervous.

I bought another OEM battery, I think this will be it's forth winter in the bike plugged into that original battery tender.

The only thing I do differently in the winter is I top off the tank pretty much every time I ride to keep fresh gas in the tank and to leave very little room for condensation.

[sandy]

ALSO: the cover you use should breathe (old bed sheet is good) to prevent condensation from building up. Put some cardboard or plywood under the tires. Concrete is rough on rubber when left in the same spot for months.

[Patrick]

Are you worried the 5w-40 or the 15w-40 would be too 'thick' for the winter ??  Actually my answer would be that neither would be too heavy..
What the others say about storage I agree with.. Put the monster up and don't worry about it till warm weather.. Make sure the fuel additive gets to the carburetors.. Don't start it and don't worry about the battery[ just make sure its charged]..

[T.P.]

The reason to change oil before the winter storage is that the corrosion additives in the oil are at peak concentration and moisture the least,  you can use a whole can of Seafoam  in the tank without any harm to the system.  T.P.

[Tropic traveler]

5W40 Rotella is not just a "cold weather oil". I & many others who live in warm climates which require no wintering as there is no riding off season use the 5W40. 
My '97 has over 100K miles on the ticker more than half of them using the Rotella 5W40 & I love riding in what a lot of you call "hot" weather.
No problemos.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

One of my favorite things about the 5W/40 is I can run it in everything I own except my 79 Ford truck. Lawnmowers, garden tractor, motorcycles, truck and van. Could probably run it in the 79 Ford too but I just haven't tried it.

[shooter64]

Some people bad mouth the south, but even in dead winter it will often get up to 55 degrees (often higher) in the afternoon. Year round riding is nice.

[Valkorado]

Some people bad mouth the south, but even in dead winter it will often get up to 55 degrees (often higher) in the afternoon. Year round riding is nice.

There ya go, rubbing it in.   

[R J]

The Shell oil will be fine I use it in Michigan.

DON'T start that bike for a 10 minute idle every month.

Pull the battery so you won't be tempted.

10-04 what Bone says on the starting and running for 10 minutes.    That is harder on the engine that running it with no oil.

I live in the upper Midwest, Iowa, and the day before I park MGM for the winter, I change the oil, I use Mobil 1 20W50, and replace the filter with one I get from Wally World.     Put a battery monitor on the battery and cover him up.   Come the 1st nice warm day in the spring, he gets uncovered and started.  Then I'll ride him for about 30 miles and come home to warm up, LOL.   Change the oil & filter again, ready to ride for the riding season.

My other vehicles only get the oil & filter changed at 5,000 miles.    Lawn mowers get the same treatment as the bike, same for the snow blower.

I know it is overkill, but I started this habit back in the early 50's, and it has worked for me.  My instructor at school, (auto-diesel) told of this way of doing it.  Yeah, I know this was also back in the old babbitt bearing days also.   With the new synthetic oils, I could probably go ahead and ride MGM without the yearly spring oil change.    But with 242K miles, I don't want to push my luck.

[Former BMW Guy]

When in doubt; RTFM!   
My owners manual clearly states the recommended viscosity of the oil.
In my case here in Minnesota's climate range, it's 10/40....so I use good ole Castrol GTX 10/40. Nothing fancy...its a low-tech engine and transmission.
I am also a firm believer in genuine parts so I use a Honda filter. No sense in being penny wise and pound foolish.
I change the oil and filter once a year in the spring and check everything else out as well; like brake fluid and coolant. I'll also change the air filter.

For winter lay-up I will top off the tank with non ethanol fuel (which I use exclusively). I will not add anything to the tank. Condensation can form on the exposed insides of the tank with the rise and fall of ambient temperature and humidity; so the less exposed tank the less condensation to contaminate the fuel. I'll dust the motorcycle off and scrape off the big chunks of bug accumulation then a light coat of wax. I have an adequate cover for the long winters nap

Although I use non-ethanol gas, I will still run the carbs dry.
I'll remove the battery and bring it inside and hook it up to a trickle charger which is plugged into a light socket in the laundry room so every time someone flips on the light the battery gets a jolt. The battery will be stored on a shelf off concrete.
I'll also put some coarse steel wool at the intake of the air box as a deterrent for Mickey and/or Minnie
Tires will get pumped up too.

Have fun.

Joe P

[Valkorado]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.  I went for the Rotella, and just took it for a spin.  The bike seems to like the stuff, feels like I'm getting more compression.  I just wish my Cobra oil filter cover would fit over the new Purolator.  I hear a beer (soda) can will cover it up for now.  Just a standard 12 oz. can?