Cap'n Nemo - 2011-01-29 2:38 PM I've used 10w40 for the most of the life of my Vision and it was worked as expected, regardless of brand, so long as it was JASO: MA. I've had the start up tick-tick-tick basically from the beginning, especially if I started the bike on the kick. During this past summer I ran a 20w50 for the hard desert riding and then switched back to the 10w40 on return. I heard folk talk of the 5w40 oil and decided to give that a try and was very pleased since it made the start up tick-tick-tick nearly non-existant. Well today I went to my old oil jobber and he only has the 10w40 or 20w50 motorcycle oil and I quipped I wish he had 5w40. His reply was he had no 5w40 but he did carry a 0w40 with a JASO: MA rating. He only had one quart on hand so I ask him to order me enough to change my oil. I figure if 5w40 worked well to greatly reduce the tick-tick-tick the 0w40 should eliminate it. He'll get this week and I probably change my oil next weekend, weather permitting. I'll let you folk know how it turns out in case you might want to give it a try. Thar she blows....!

I attached the following link to a previous oil question, probably much to the dismay of some. I will attach below again for those with the will or desire to read due to cabin fever or whatever. This guy has a very logical approach to the science of oil and lubrication in general. I would recommend starting with the articles starting on the home page called "Motor oil 101". Enjoy if you are interested!

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

I would agree. What I take from the Oil Guy's explanations and reasoning is that we all tend to try to solve oil related problems by doing the opposite of what we should do. By this I mean we tend to conclude wrongly that heavier viscosities are more beneficial under "harsh conditions". He clearly reasons that lighter viscosities, particularly as relating to the first number in the multi-viscosity oils, produces more complete lubrication at start up than do heavier oils.

As he points out in a number of places, we have known widely for years that most engine wear occurs during the critical time the engine is running with cold oil upon start up. And he also shows that upon reaching operating temps there is very little difference in actual viscosity between the different oil weights we generally use compared to that of the lighter oils. Now there are limitations here, particularley for continuous desert heat conditions, or say for those that only ride long distances and rarely make short jaunts around town.

On the other hand if you only ride 15 minutes or less at a time for the most part, say daily commutes to work, the oil never truly reaches operating temps. This could have a major effect on engine wear over time if you prefer using heavier oils such as 20w50 or more.

One last thing that would benefit all of us is the effect of viscosity on fuel mileage. By running oils on the heavier end of the scale we experience much higher levels of hydraulic drag and therefore decrease mileage significantly. Conversely with lighter viscosity oils mileage is significantly increased. Many couldn't care less about the above info. That's fine, but for those that do, it can make a big difference in overall durability and long term cost savings.

BTW another side benefit is that with lighter viscosity oils the starter and battery system don't work nearly as hard to crank over and start the engine. This could add significantly to the overall life of these components as well.

Chris,

I did use the 0W-40 last year during this colder months and never had a problem with it. The startup ticking was gone and shifting was smooth. As the weather warmed back up, I went back to the 10W-40 and had no problems. Amsoil all the way!