Old Bike, Old Oil

[Lrobby99]

Hi

My new-to-me '86 Virago 1100 wants 20W-40. I would imagine Dino oil too. 20W-50 synthetic is all I'm finding at Motul, Bel-Ray, Valvoline. Small difference, right? And a switch to synthetic is also no problem. Right? I don't know what the PO used.
This is real. Here is a pic. thanks

 

[EvoMan]

Amazon has Spectro, Klotz and Indian 20W-40 motorcycle oil.

 

[jcarr0314]

I ran a 10w40 in my V Star specing 20w40. Manual said 10w40, sticker on the frame said 20w40.

 

[DCDG]

Hi

My new-to-me '86 Virago 1100 wants 20W-40. I would imagine Dino oil too. 20W-50 synthetic is all I'm finding at Motul, Bel-Ray, Valvoline. Small difference, right? And a switch to synthetic is also no problem. Right? I don't know what the PO used.
This is real. Here is a pic. thanksView attachment 343452

Bel-Ray has a conventional v-twin 20w50

https://www.amazon.com/Bel-Ray-20w5...motive&sprefix=20w-50+,automotive,178&sr=1-16

 

[Bonz]

Nice looking bike! My Japanese air cooled engines (inline 4's) from the 80s call for 20w40 in the manual in normal riding season temps I use 20w50 and call it good.

I looked up the oil change interval for that bike, looks like 4200 mi. I'd start with conventional and see how it goes. Blow-by/contamination from byproducts of combustion is fairly high on those old air cooled engines with greater tolerances for piston ring expansion, etc. I have run synthetic in my 1980s UJM's however the oil change intervals are 2500 to 3,000 Mi on the Yamaha inline fours that I have. Not worth the cost of synthetic when I'm changing it that often.