Motorcycle Repair: Oil Change, torque wrench, honda shadow

Question
Hey Bill, if you're not willing to answer, I understand...

I just purchased a 2005 Honda Shadow Aero.  I'm not mechanically inclined, but think I can handle a simple oil change.  My questions are this:
1.  How important is a torque wrench?  If it's an absolute, can you recommend a brand/size?
2.  How can I use a torque wrench to get the right torque on an oil filter?
3.  Is it a good idea to switch to synthetic oil at some point?  If so, what mileage makes sense?  (I've only got about 500 miles on her right now.)

Thanks for the help!
Reid

Answer
Reid, your owner's manual should give you step-by-step instructions as to the procedure. You do not need a torque wrench for the oil filter. Just spin the new one down to where it just contacts the engine block and give it another 1/2 turn.

I would wait until your third oil change cycle before switching to synthetic. You should be up for the 600 mile service, for the first one, then another a few thousand miles later. You might want to just use a synthetic blend for the third one and then switch to full synthetic for the 4th. These engines wear in slowly and have tight clearances, so you want the parts to make friends with each other before you float them out on synthetic.

http://www.shadowriders.org/ is one of a number of websites dedicated to Shadows...

Bill Silver