I have a 1985 flhtc and run synthetic oil. I was wondering about using Lucas stabilizer. What is y'all's take on it? Good or not worth it?

 

Modern good brand oils come with a stack of additives as part of their 'recipe'. I don't see any need to add even more! As a fellow Evo owner I also suggest that running synthetic in an old Evo is not the best choice. Your bike will probably thank you for using a traditional dyno oil.

 

I have Lucas oil in my bike right now, but I wouldn't recommend using any oil stabilizer period in a new bike. Of course, with yours being a 1985, I don't think it could hurt any.

 

Grbrown, I was under the impression that switching back to dyno from synthetic is not a good idea? Your thoughts?

 

Jolly good question. I've never swapped from one to the other. I use synth in my Glide's S&S engine because it's recommended, but dyno in my Buell and Sporty. I wouldn't personally hesitate going back from synth to dyno. Unfortunately the internet creates myths about such things and I'm not sure just exactly where the truth stands.

I'm on the fence about synthetic oils. On the one hand many of them are made to meet the same specs as old style oils (e.g. Harley oils), so they ought to be interchangeable, to my simple brain. On the other hand my car has a Ford Mustang engine that uses synthetic oil which looks as thin as water! No way would I put anything else in that.

 

What type of oil are you using that needs to be "Stabilized"?. If the oil your using isn't doing it's intended job, it's time to change brands. If you want to know why one brand of oil is better then another, go to the Bitog site. Read the motorcycle Voa section, then the Uoa section. That will tell you A) whats in any given oil you might use and B) what shape that oil is in after it's been used. That's how you can tell how a given oil holds up in real world service. They even have test results for some additives that show there's nothing of value, or to be gained by using them. Choosing oil by what the bottle says or looks like is a silly way to choose an oil. Advertisers will sell any idea they think you'll believe, to sell you their product. Having lab testing that shows you what your really buying and having results after use, will tell you if your oil is good or just sales hype. You can switch back and forth from mineral oil to synthetic oil if you want at every change. If it's designed to be put in a motor ,it wont hurt anything.,,