Winter oil change

[bigfour]

Looks like I'll be riding all winter, including regular trips between Albany and Boston. I think 10w40 is too thick for winter starting.. anyone have a reccomendation for a lighter oil?
And can someone remind me what the oil numbers are again... lower number is thicker? and the first number is cold vicosity and vice versa, correct?

[Water Warrior 2]

Winter oil for any temps you ride in would not need to be a 10-30 or lighter. The chart in the owner's manual says you can use 10-40 or 10-30 down to 4 below F. I would just pour in a good quality oil with good cold weather flow characteristics and ride on. Synthetics will flow very well at low temps and still provide excellent protection. Both of our bikes have Amsoil 20-50 M/C specific oil right now but did have Amsoil 10-40 prior to the last change. The 20-50 has shear characteristics of a 90 weight gear oil to save wear and tear on the gears. Will also mention this as an alternative...........one of the Vstrom riders has been using Amsoil 0-40 Power Sports oil for quite some time with no ill effects noted. He does long distance trips as often as possible and does work the bike within reason.

[jonathan180iq]

In the car, I run 10-30 in the summer and 5-30 in the winter. Lower numbers are lighter viscosity. Larger numbers are heavier.

On longer rides, the engine will reach the same temp as it would any time of the year.
The changes is viscosity should only be neeeded if you are worried about start-ups taking a long time. Otherwise, I wouldn't even change it.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by bigfour

Looks like I'll be riding all winter, including regular trips between Albany and Boston.

Whats your experience level with riding in the winter? If the answer is "Not much", I encourage you to do some short trips after it gets really cold and BEFORE you start out on that trip to Boston.
Unless you are a recent transplant to the area, you should already know that winter can be really nasty in that area at times. Think it through. The electrical system on a GZ won't support a lot of electric clothes.

As for the oil: Lower number is thinner, higher number is thicker. First number is how it acts when cold; second number is how it acts when hot. So.......the recommended 20W40 acts like a 20 weight when cold and acts like a 40 weight when hot. Manual recommends 10W30 for cold so I'd get 10W30 synthetic (non-energy conserving).

[bigfour]

Thanks guys, I think I'll go 10w30 . But I notice the GZ engine gets very hot very fast after a highway run, hopefully lighter oil won't hurt. I just want clean cold starts.

And frankly I'm terrified of riding all the way to Boston in mid winter, but I have to report in to my Navy CO there once a month til I graduate. It's either that or pay $140 for a train or bus ticket. I've modified my bike into a belly on tank riding style, I'm hoping this'll keep me out of the wind a little better but who am I kidding, it's the friggin northeast winter.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by bigfour

And frankly I'm terrified of riding all the way to Boston in mid winter,

And rightfully so. I STRONGLY advise you to plan on another method of transport, regardless of cost.

Here's my first (and last) experience with riding when it is REALLY cold:
(At that time I had a bigger bike and a larger windshield)
I had messed around close to home on the rural roads and pastures when it was cold so "No problem" I thought........WRONG.

Bundled up good. 3 layers of jackets, 2 layers of pants, gloves, boots and helmet. Felt very warm before starting out. Temp about 38 F. No problem first mile or so; piece of cake. Fingers and toes feel a little chilly; no problem. After 5 miles, fingers and toes feel a little numb but not bad; notice a tiny bit of air at the junctions of jacket/pants,pants/boots and at neck around helmet. Still nothing I can't handle.
Somewhere about 10 miles, while still not feeling too cold in any one spot, the shivers set in and the teeth start to chatter. This could be a problem!!!

Once the shivers set in, you are screwed. After just a few seconds, your whole body starts shaking uncontrollably and you can't control anything.......steering, throttle, brakes....nothing. If you don't stop immediately you will crash very soon.

OK, so now what? It takes a full 5 minutes to stop the shivers completely and to realize that everything but my body core feels numb and cold. About the time I start to feel warm again, I start to sweat because I still have on all the clothes I started out with. Crap. Now I'm WET and 10 miles from home.

Hope that's enough for you to get the picture. Yes, you can (and many people do) ride in the cold but you've got to remember the wind chill factor and dress for a temp. at least 20 degrees colder than it really is.

And you MUST take a test ride first. It took me another 4 hours to make that 10 miles back home........and I swear it took me 2 days to warm up completely.

[bigfour]

I think you're right, I keep forgetting how quickly my fingers and toes get numb, even on slow sidestreets. I think I'll try the trip when it's not TOO cold yet and see how it goes.

[Badbob]

Plexistar2 windshield.
Heated grips.
One piece snowmobile suit rated for subzero weather.
Some real winter gloves or maybe mitts.

There is heated riding gear but i don't think a GZ250 has enough electrical power to run one of these.
http://www.gerbing.com/

If your going to do this you need to think out of the box. Most motorcycle riders will not ride when its below 70 so there isn't much in the way of riding gear for winter and IMHO most of what there is isn't good for much.

You will need to stay bone dry. 60mph in damp clothes at below freezing temperatures can get you dead.

[Water Warrior 2]

Not to rain on your parade about the ride to check in with the C O but please don't. As fast as an Atlantic storm can blow in and cripple roadways you would be Much Safer on a bus or train. Let some one else do the driving, keep warm, relaxed and read a book. I can think of half a dozen bad scenarios that could kill or maim you. Buy a ticket, consider it added health care insurance and an investment in your future.

[bigfour]

I don't know, I'm kind of a masochist, I do more riding in the winter than in the summer so I think this'll be kind of fun, I mean seeing the twisted stares I get from cagers.
I have another kind of related question, maybe it's stupid but: can salt residue still cause corrosion even if the roads and my bike are dry? (ie. can DRY salt on steel/chrome cause corrosion?)