hi there all i see is 20-50 recommended for the switch to synth oil but the shop manual recommends 10w-40 oil , why 20-50??
i have a 2007 883l and want to switch too synth oil . wont 10w40 do????

 

Finish filling out your Profile, including the line called "Location" which is where you live.

The outside air temperatures at which you are operating your bike have everything to do with the weight of oil your motor requires.

The manual does not recommend 40w unless you're in a northern "winter" climate, and even then it's the bottom number, 10w, 15w, 20w, etc that's most important.

 

I go buy whats recommended....read a question about dot4 vs dot5..mother harley should know what to put in there bikes!

 

hi cHarley will do on the profile . I live in pennsylvania and my 883l is my only transportation now so ill be riding until it ices up around here . so i was thinking the 10w-40 would be the way to go ??

 

A 10w-40 will be OK once winter gets there, although I wouldn't do it myself until your high temps for the day are in the low - mid 60's range.

According to my HD manual, the following are the preferred oil viscountcies listed in descending order: 20w-50, 15w-40, and last, 10w40.

I'm not sure how much you know about oil viscountcies and temperature, but I'm assuming your purpose for going to 10w-40 is for easier cold morning start-ups. A suggestion for a better compromise would be to run Mobil-1 15w-50 (silver cap) automotive synthetic. I run it year round in my bike in temps that range from the 30's - 100*. This gives you a lower end number (15w) to aid in cold starting and you still have a 50 on top to handle those occasional warm snaps during the late fall & early spring months. Even though it's not labeled as a V-Twin oil, many oil analysis tests have shown it to perform right up there with the best of the $$$$ boutique V-Twin synthetics. You can get it at Walmart in a 5 quart jug for about $23.00, which is $4.60/ quart.

Since it's the early morning cold starts that are the hardest, where is your bike stored overnight, inside or outside?

 

hello again , thanks for the reply . good info i appreciate the help . i store the bike outside. so the cold mornings and upcoming days are a concern

 

If outside is a parking lot, your options are kind of limited. If it's on some sort of covered porch or patio, you could consider using a heavy full length (to the ground) cover and placing a 100w light bulb under the motor. Just a thought...

 

ok it is under the carport and i do have a full cover for it . been thinking ahead ... so that will help a bit . thank you for the feedback .

 

That being the case, you might want to consider parking the bike on a sheet of plywood put down on top of the concrete slab. It will act as an insulator between the chilled concrete and your controlled environment under the cover. It will also significantly reduce condensation formation under the cover. Concrete loves to suck up and retain moisture.

 

Temps run in the Low 40's sometimes in North FL in the Winter .. Still Never had a Problem with 20W50..