Jump to content
IGNORED

What oil do you run for winter driving?


Recommended Posts

Thanks guys, I wasn't sure if synthetic oil would work in our bikes with a wet clutch. I will go with full synthetic 10W-30. It was 10 degrees F this moring on the 50 mile ride to work.

 

Cody

 

All of the above replies were from 2ndGen owners, and this is a 1stGen forum.... so I checked, and you posted in the right place for a 1stGen. . If you're going to run a synthetic oil, make sure it's wet clutch specfic. No frictions inhancers. I used to run 10-40 dino oil in the winter and 20-50 in the summer. Lately I've skipped the 10-40 and just run 20-50... Why? Because I'm cheap... :) And it's fine. And it's usually above freezing here on the best coast. Castrol GTX 20-50 works well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Condor for noticing that they were 2nd gen owners. I run the same oil you do in the summer. I got Castrol 10W-30 GTX in it now. At 10 degrees, the bike is slow to crank over and sounds rough when first started.

 

Cody

 

:sign20: At 10 degs anything would be a bit slow in cranking... Even me.. :) To get things turning over with a little more ooomph, you might try installing an AGM battery (PC680) and a set of those heavier starter cables that are listed in the classifieds... MOF if you're using the bike in weather that cold , you might think about 5-30. Just make sure it doesn't have friction modifiers. Most 5 weights do....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

Does anyone have pros and cons on gel cells? I have a 88 VR I just bought a Blue Master TruGel MG50-N18L-A Batt so far it seam to do well. But I will follow you all advice about increasing batt cable and put a heaver relay also disassemble and clean the starter this winter.

I would like to know thoughts on gel cells/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have pros and cons on gel cells? I have a 88 VR I just bought a Blue Master TruGel MG50-N18L-A Batt so far it seam to do well. But I will follow you all advice about increasing batt cable and put a heaver relay also disassemble and clean the starter this winter.

I would like to know thoughts on gel cells/

 

Gels must be charged at below 13.4vdc to avoid gassing. What happens over a period of time with a higher charge rate the bubbles will stay suspended in the gel, generally seperating the gel from the plates, and reducing the efficiency of plates to transfer amps and performance to deteriorate. Our rectifiers charge at 14.2vdc and will cause gassing. Wet cells and AGM's don't have this problem. Gel cells generally are not a good choice for any motorcycle. Personally I'd take the thing back to the store you bought it from and exchange it for an AGM. Hopefully a DEKA if they have them....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have pros and cons on gel cells? I have a 88 VR I just bought a Blue Master TruGel MG50-N18L-A Batt so far it seam to do well. But I will follow you all advice about increasing batt cable and put a heaver relay also disassemble and clean the starter this winter.

I would like to know thoughts on gel cells/

 

Some have said that charging systems intended for conventional lead acid batteries will shorten the life of gel batteries. Few OEM automobile lines have gel batteries and even fewer motorcycle manufacturers equip their bikes with gel batteries. BMW is the notable exception and their charging system (automobile and motorcycle) has computer controls to prevent damage and shorten life of the OEM gel battery.

 

The BikeMaster TruGel MG50-N18L-A has a CCA (cold cranking amps) rating of just 240, while most batteries intended for the Venture are rated at 350 CCA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...