is harley oil a must?

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Mar 10, 2008 | 06:31 PM

Crank_Case

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is harley oil a must?

My first road bike is the 95 FLHTC all the guys use HD oil why cant i use mobil 1 ... should i put out the extra $ for the HD stuff? whats a good allternative?

Mar 10, 2008 | 06:48 PM

MikeyB

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RE: is harley oil a must?

You can use Mobil 1. Either 15w-50 or the 20w-50 V-Twin oil.

I'm using the 15w-50 since it's cheaper.

MikeyB

Mar 10, 2008 | 07:51 PM

HGM

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From: Senoia, Ga., by way of Miami, Fl..

RE: is harley oil a must?

Guys, seriously, how much of a difference are we talking about??? Just curious, but I find it hard to believe you could buy chrome valve stem caps with the change you save.. If you wanted "better" protection, that would be different..

Mar 10, 2008 | 08:45 PM

89 FXRS

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RE: is harley oil a must?

Harley Oil is junk. They bought from the lowest bidder. Just get a brand name. The best is Amsoil 20-50w.. For the primary a 10w or a 20w if you cannot find the 10w is what you need. Tranny is just gear oil.

Give me a break, when did HD go into the oil business that Hd oil is the best????

Mar 10, 2008 | 08:46 PM

pococj

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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?

RE: is harley oil a must?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: HGM

Guys, seriously, how much of a difference are we talking about??? Just curious, but I find it hard to believe you could buy chrome valve stem caps with the change you save.. If you wanted "better" protection, that would be different..

The difference between Mobil 1 and HD Syn 3 is pretty significant, especially when cost is configured in.

Mar 10, 2008 | 09:28 PM

HGM

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From: Senoia, Ga., by way of Miami, Fl..

RE: is harley oil a must?

Well, thats my question.. Cost.... Even if HD oil was $5 more per quart(its not), you would be talking $15 per oil change.. That would be a significant "oil change" cost savings, but again, I really dont know what the difference actually is.. I forget, but I'm pretty sure I didnt pay even $5 per qt on my last oil change.. Cant say, I've broken it down to the penney. I havent had this bike long enough to change the oil but once and my last one was 5yrs ago.. I'm not trying to be smart, I'm asking a legitimate question, it doesnt make sense to me..

89 FXRS, sorry, I will never consider your brand of oil. I dissagree with the marketing tactics and do not believe in their claims.. No,HD is not in the oil biz, but they do have standards that thier oil must meet for their engines. Can you buy better oils, certainly. Can you buy worse, absoloutly.. Truth of the matter, in general, oil quality has increased so dramaticly over the past 30yrs that you are getting more than adiquate protection from the cheap stuff and will likely never notice a difference between your favorite and the cheapest bulk you can find... The factor to keep in mind is that HD(regardless of who actually makes it)oil is designed as a coolant, not just a lubricant, for an air cooled engine.. I feel better spending the extra couple of bucks on my beloved toy in the form of maintenance using an oil, I know fits the requirements for my engine, its endorsed by the manufacturer..

Mar 11, 2008 | 04:56 AM

pajoe

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From: Highspire Pa

RE: is harley oil a must?

I tend to agree more with HGM in that brand name isn't as important as having an oil that meets the required specifications. I do know Amsoil has one heck of a advertising campaign that seems to work for them. I don't use synthetic and more often than not just pick up the Harley brand because it is about the same price as other brands at the outlets such as Dennis Kirk. I did read several articles and now led to believe it is better to limit the vicosity range, "20 to 50" is better than say "10 to 50" because of the additives they use to make the different viscosity tend to break down more quickly so the less they need the better, on the other hand I have read that using a straight 50 weight can be bad because the engine doesn't get proper lubrication when it's cold. I think some things Harley has learned and oil is pretty much one they have a lot of experience with, especially with the older evo engines. I lost track of how many times I changed oil, I usually try to do it around every 2500 miles and filter every 5000 miles, but don't always do it exactly at those intervals.

on edit: I did read some where that synthetic does not absorb the heat as well as dino oil and although the oil temperature may be lower with synthetic it isn't actually lowering the temperature of the engine as much as it appears. As most individuals tend to measure the temperature of the oil as oppossed to the engine temperature, it appears to them the engine is running a lot cooler than it actually is. It's hard to say because Amsoil has done such a great advertising job and flooding the market with their "spin". Everywhere you go that is all you see, they could have Amsoil win the presidency, if they wanted to.