I have my 1000 mile service scheduled for next Friday and the dealers service advisor is trying to get me to use a synthetic oil versus the standard motorcycle oil. Benefit, according to him is one oil versus three (Tranny, Motor, etc). My brother, an FLHTC owner and engineer, says his salesperson told him to stay away from the synthetic. Anybody got an opinion on this? Then again who doesn't have an opinion right.

So come on folks, Tell The BigDog your thoughts on this......

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I'm not qualified to give you scientific facts, but I will say that I have used Amsoil in everything I have owned since the late 80's and never had an oil related problem.....That includes street bikes, mx bikes, quads, my big rigs, personal vehicles, etc. no problems at all.....

 

If you change your oil at the recommended schedule there is no advantage.

 

Tellthebigdog, you can do a search on this and get alot of different answers, imo if you run the syn3 from HD you might as well run the regular oil, with that said there are only a few company's that make a tru syn oil and hd is not one of them, Amsoil, Mobil1, Redline, these are the one's that come to mind, remember that syn oil will stand the heat better than the standard oils, after all of that I'm ought of here.

 

Wrong. GOOD synthetic will help you run cooler, cleaner, and stand extremes far better.

Especially important given how hot the big twins run right now - you'll get far better oil cooling with a good synthetic.

Note that Syn3 is apparently ~not~ one.

 

IMHO....you both havecorrect answers!

 

I perfer synthetic, however I dont run the same oil in all holes. I run lucas (synthetic)20-50 in the crankcase, lucas 80w 90 in the tranny (synthetic), and HD primary and chaincase lube in the primary (synthetic makes my clutch slip)

 

I've put nothing but dino in my Twin Cam. She's got 70k miles on her now, doesn't smoke, doesn't use oil between changes, runs cool according to oil temps, hasn't had anything in the engine fail, and basically runs as good as new.......Your results may vary.

 

I am no engineer but everything I've read and its been a lot, says that synthetic is superior. Keep in mind that there are different levels of quality so not all synthetic oils are created equal. The most recent tests I recall seeing seemed to showAmsoil at the top. I personally have used HD's Syn3 since my 1k service. I use Mobil 1 in my truck and don't expect I'll go back to regualr oil. I will be changing over to Amsoil for my next change in the bike.

Also, I would not and do not use synthetic oil in the tranny. Too much added chatter.

 

Let the opinions fly!
Look, I used Mobil 1 in my 86 Buick Grand National and I ran the **** out of that car. At 140,000 milesI parted the car out. I sold the short block to an engine builder from Jersey. He pulled the main caps to inspect the bearings and crank journals and we were both amazed at howgood they looked.
I have used it in all of my vehicle since 1986.
Do the research. Don't rely on all the opinions. The info is out there.

A little info reprinted:

Because a synthetic oil's molecules are much more consistent in size and shape, they are better able to withstand extreme engine temperatures. By contrast, the unstable molecules in conventional oil can easily vaporize or oxidize in extreme heat. Mobil 1 synthetic is said to be capable of protecting engines "at well over 400 degrees F"; in the real world, most racers have no problem running synthetics up to 290 degrees F under prolonged use, but they get really jumpy when a conventional exceeds 270 degrees F.
Because a synthetic oil is chemically produced, there are no contaminants in the oil. By contrast, conventional oils contain small amounts of sulfur, wax, and asphaltic material that can promote detonation as well as varnish and sludge buildup. With no wax, synthetics will flow at much lower temperatures than conventional oils. In fact, synthetic oils are now available with viscosity ratings as low as 0W-30, as in Mobil 1's new Tri-Synthetic blend or Castrol Formula SLX. These oils flow more than seven times faster than a conventional 5W-30 motor oil during initial start-up, yet at normal operating temperatures act like a regular Grade 30 oil.