Oil viscosity for Phoenix Riders

[rjg]

Which oil viscosity do fellow FZ-07 owners use in Phoenix, AZ?

According to the chart in our owner's manual, it would be reasonable to assume that in a climate like Phoenix, AZ we should use:

15W-40 in winter

20W-50 in summer    

Does anyone do this?  I want to try the Rotella T6 but 5W-40 doesn't really match up on the chart with our climate here.  Sorry for another oil thread...

 

 

[cyow5]

Rather than thinking about what temperatures Arizona will see, what temps will your bike actually be run in? Some guys run no matter what, others just when it is comfortable, so that could help clear up your choices a bit. I know for me in northern Virginia, the bike will stay in the garage on cold days (tires won't like the cold anyways), so a 10w-40 easily covers my use. On the other end, I wouldn't want to ride in 100+F - that's when I'll take the car, haha. 

 

Also, a quick refresher: the first number (with the W) is the way the oil behaves at cold temperatures. It used to be such that nonsynthetic oils had a very linear viscosity curve where they get thinner when it gets warmer. However, synthetics and blends introduced the ability to go away from a linear response. So a 5 weight oil gets thinner as it warms, and so does a 40 weight. A 5w-40, though, acts like a 5 weight at cold temperatures and a 40 weight at higher ones. This lets you keep the oil from getting too thick when cold or too thin when warm. So a 0w-40 and a 30w-40 would both be nearly identical in the summer (40 weights) but hugely different in the winter.

[rjg]

3 minutes ago, cyow5 said:

Rather than thinking about what temperatures Arizona will see, what temps will your bike actually be run in?

I commute daily with my motorcycle year round.  Last year was a Honda but this year I have the FZ-07. In December and January it sometimes gets into the mid-thirties in the early morning when I leave for work.   But it rarely goes below freezing here.