[Kenneth_Moore]

The other day I rode the Concours by the local bike shop to get some oil. I purchased some Honda Synthetic. The guy at the counter asked what I was putting it in, and I told him the old Kawi. He became quite alarmed and started telling me a list of problems I’d have with the synthetic oil, including bearing slip, ring failure, and leaking. I didn’t dare tell him the previous owner had run the bike for years on Castrol Syntec car oil, I figured he’d blow a fuse. I damn sure didn’t tell him I’d been using Mobil 1 in the old Shovelhead for years; I’ve gotten crap about that from various “experts” since I started using it.

I’ve never had an oil related failure in any bike. Has anyone else heard these horror stories on synthetic oil? Do you put any stock in them?

 

[longride]

The other day I rode the Concours by the local bike shop to get some oil. I purchased some Honda Synthetic. The guy at the counter asked what I was putting it in, and I told him the old Kawi. He became quite alarmed and started telling me a list of problems I'd have with the synthetic oil, including bearing slip, ring failure, and leaking. I didn't dare tell him the previous owner had run the bike for years on Castrol Syntec car oil, I figured he'd blow a fuse. I damn sure didn't tell him I'd been using Mobil 1 in the old Shovelhead for years; I've gotten crap about that from various "experts" since I started using it.

I've never had an oil related failure in any bike. Has anyone else heard these horror stories on synthetic oil? Do you put any stock in them?

Most people don't know shyt about oil, and just repeat what they hear from the last guy they talked to. I have oil arguments with a guy here at work who swears by straight weight oil. Anything else is crap to him. Change it often and filter it, and pretty much any oil will do the job. I will probably be tearing into my Twin-Cam this winter, and I will tell you how 30,000 miles on Mobil 1 worked. ;-) I used Mobil1 in my Shovel too. The crank bearings didn't slip, and it didn't leak any more oil than it did before. All B.S. with a capital 'B'. I swear by Mobil 1 15-50. It works great.

 

[seruzawa]

Oil is like astrology.

The other day I rode the Concours by the local bike shop to get some oil. I purchased some Honda Synthetic. The guy at the counter asked what I was putting it in, and I told him the old Kawi. He became quite alarmed and started telling me a list of problems I'd have with the synthetic oil, including bearing slip, ring failure, and leaking. I didn't dare tell him the previous owner had run the bike for years on Castrol Syntec car oil, I figured he'd blow a fuse. I damn sure didn't tell him I'd been using Mobil 1 in the old Shovelhead for years; I've gotten crap about that from various "experts" since I started using it.

I've never had an oil related failure in any bike. Has anyone else heard these horror stories on synthetic oil? Do you put any stock in them?

If you think it works then it does!

Every oil horror story I've heard has been 4rd hand at a minimum. Joe heard from Bill whose cousin had an uncle.....Sounds like a good suggestion for the Myth Busters.

Actually I did have the rear end seal go on my GSX1100G after I put synthetic in it. But it had 60K miles on it with mineral oil. It might have been ready to go already.

 

[SmokeU]

30,000 miles and you have to tear it down?!?! Typical HD. I hate them! ;-)

 

[mscuddy]

My buddy billy jo bob has a cousin, named clarance who heard from his buddy joe bell about a problem his uncle rob had when he switched from 30 weight motor oil to some new kinda oil made from soy beans and xanthan gum in his '49 mercury and all kinda hell broke loose when he was on i-60 and the motor almost dug its way to china via a self-made tunnel when the spin dart let loose and the johnson rod hit the sprag retainer. i told him it was probably the oil as you know nothins better that straight old 30 weight.

 

[54937]

I pay about 9 bucks a quart for Amsoil.

It will make my engine last forever, it provides the best mileage, and it makes me more attractive to the opposite sex.

If you have any objective evidence to the contrary keep it to yourself. Did I mention it costs 9 bucks a quart?

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

I pay about 9 bucks a quart for Amsoil.

It will make my engine last forever, it provides the best mileage, and it makes me more attractive to the opposite sex.

If you have any objective evidence to the contrary keep it to yourself. Did I mention it costs 9 bucks a quart?

I'm paying about that for the Honda oil, and about $5/qt. for Mobil 1 when I get a case. The big thing for me is there is a measurable drop in engine temp, which is a big deal during summer in FL.

BTW: My johnson rod was hitting the sprag retainer this very weekend! It was great!

 

[acecycleins]

In the most basic of terms: There's very little difference. They (oil comanies) add compounds to m/c oil that allow for less wear on internals and clutch plates. That's really all the difference. Most synth oils (even car oils) are far superior than traditional oils. I have known many Mobil 1 users that have never seen an oil related break-down. I use Repsol Semi-Synth but I know many that use Shell or Castrol synth auto oil for their tour bikes and have not had any mechanical failures in their bikes history. To me, the auto vs m/c oil is all bunk. Just like all technologies, oils have advanced to a stage where you really can't make a bad choice anymore. Buy what you want.

 

[longride]

30,000 miles and you have to tear it down?!?! Typical HD. I hate them! ;-)

Have to? No. Want to? Yes. 95" kit and cams. Not anything astonishing.

 

[cruiz-euro]

Hmmm... I recommend using same type of oil the bike manufacturer recommends as I have heard of clutch plate failures with wrong oil. Many use car oils succesfully, but the fact is they don’t necesarily cater for clutch as the car clutch is dry.

- cruiz-euro

 

[pplassm]

Well, this is only a second hand report, not fourth hand.

I have a friend with a 2005 KTM450EXC. Manufacturer recommends using synthetic _mtorcycle specific_ oil. I use Suzuki synthetic in mine.

My buddy decided to save a few bucks by using Mobil 1 car oil. He immediately experienced excessive clutch drag when the bike was cold, and slight slippage in the top gears.

A switch to a motorcycle specific oil resolved the problems.

Just sayin'........

 

[SmokeU]

The 95" and cams would be fun. My dad's torn between getting an '08 Road Glide or building up his '06.

 

[bbtowns]

100's of thousands of miles using Synthetic with no ill effect. You do hear stories about the very light mixes of oil (5-20 and 5-30) causing clutch plate slippage on bikes with wet clutches, but I haven't experienced it myself.

 

[longride]

The 95" and cams would be fun. My dad's torn between getting an '08 Road Glide or building up his '06.

I have an 01, and I can get a six-speed and more HP and TQ that a new one for about 3500 bucks. No way could I sell mine and get a new one for that. Plus it would be a Baker six. No 5th gear whine!

 

[The_AirHawk]

If you think it works then it does!

Every oil horror story I've heard has been 4rd hand at a minimum. Joe heard from Bill whose cousin had an uncle.....Sounds like a good suggestion for the Myth Busters.

Actually I did have the rear end seal go on my GSX1100G after I put synthetic in it. But it had 60K miles on it with mineral oil. It might have been ready to go already.

The only oil-based failure of anything I've had personal experience with was a DSM Transaxle that had Mobil 1 GL-5 synthetic put in it, when the mfgr calls for a GL-4. Wasn't the oil's fault that it was used inappropriately.

This is when I actually sat down and READ a bit about oils, instead of ASSUMING that the dipshyte behind the counter "knows all, tells all - Good Luck Charms!"

A higher number doesn't actually mean it supercedes a lower number..............

 

[The_AirHawk]

100's of thousands of miles using Synthetic with no ill effect. You do hear stories about the very light mixes of oil (5-20 and 5-30) causing clutch plate slippage on bikes with wet clutches, but I haven't experienced it myself.

It's not the light-weight of oil, it's the EP additives that cause wet-clutch slippage.

EP additives are designed to cling to bearing surfaces and be slippery under Extreme Pressure when the oil itself might be "squeezed-out" of the lubrication cavity.

As a typical wet-clutch works by springs squeezing a friction-material between metal plates and "locking up" to transfer the motive-force of the engine through the drivetrain, any additives that might reduce that friction (ahem - "EP" additives) can cause the clutch to slip.

Go figure.

Mobil 1 15w-50 is free of EP additives, just as an example.

Look for the "Energy Conserving" wording, or "EC-II" logo in the lil' circle on the container. If it has it, don't put it in a wet-clutch machine, or one will likely have problems.

 

[fumanchu]

tengo un botón de vientre. ¡que lindo es!

due to the unfortunate taxing system here in eastern europa, mobil 1 costs $30 per quart... i'm not going to support that bit of legislation, so i use a standard bauhaus API-rated SL semi-synth in mein geschwindigkeitsdämon, and change frequently.

it may not be fully synthetic, but it's additive package is three generations newer than what the manufacturer "requires," and i have a belly button.

 

[mscuddy]

I use Mazola at 32.1 in my Betty Crocker 250 MX. Not only does it cut down on cholesterol, it also leaves a nice tasty brown glaze on the piston, that the family just loves when it's time for dinner. Mmm Mmm.

 

[sarnali2]

I read an old HD factory manual that recommended adding a little kerosene to your 60 weight for winter use.

My buds about sh*t when I started using 20w50 in my bagger instead of 60w racing oil everyone else used, when I sold it it had over 60k on on a virgin motor. It was getting a little noisey but I think it was the rockers arms sliding around as they are prone to doing on Shovelheads, I just couldn't be bothered f*cking around shimming them

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

I read an old HD factory manual that recommended adding a little kerosene to your 60 weight for winter use.

This from the same clowns who spent a decade convincing everyone that synthetic oil would destroy their HD engine within 1k miles. It reminds me of the IBM engineers who came to the company I used to work for. They had a physicist explain in great detail why 100mb Ethernet would never work, and would actually cause the aircraft landing at the nearby airport to crash and burn due to the RFI.