WOW, things a li'l "edgy" 'round the sandbox this morn.
It appears someone found lumps in their oatmeal. That is a REAL danger, in the winter time. Ain't nuthin pizz a biker off fasta, than lumps in the oatmeal.
Peshally if'n it's an ol' biker, with no toofs.

There was a time, 'back then', when Harley oil actually had trace amounts of lithium, molybdenum, or some other such element in it, because of the construction and materials used in the motor. But that has long gone by the wayside. Oils nowdays are so regulated and similar, if it says it meets XYZ requirements, on the bottle, you are good to go. Just make sure it meets or exceeds the minimum for your engine, auto, scoot, truck, boat, chainsaw, whatever.
I happen to run Amsoil. I wrench on the distributors scoot, and he pays me in earl. Works for BOTH of us.

 

This is about all I could find on the internet. I've been told to use mc oil and that's what I use.

"Though 4-cycle motorcycle engines may be considered more similar to automobile engines than 2-stroke motorcycle engines, they still have very different performance requirements. Historically, 4-stroke motorcycles have had problems with gear pitting wear in the transmissions and clutch slippage. In many cases, this can be directly attributed to the oil used. Most automotive engine oil is developed to minimize friction and maximize fuel economy. Since the oil for many 4-stroke motorcycles is circulated not only through the engine [as with an automobile], but also through the transmission and clutch, different characteristics are required of the oil. First, a certain amount of friction is necessary to prevent clutch slippage. Second, the oil needs to prevent wear and pitting in the gears of the transmission. These and other essential characteristics are addressed in the standards developed by JASO for 4-stroke engines.

As with the 2-stroke classification, the JASO 4-stroke classification is also divided into grades, MA and MB. MB is lower friction oil, while MA is relatively higher friction oil. Other than friction, the JASO 4-stroke classification tests for five other physicochemical properties: sulfated ash, evaporative loss, foaming tendency, shear stability, and high temperature high shear viscosity (HTHS). Sulfated ash can cause pre-ignition if the oil is present in the combustion chamber. It can also contribute to deposits above the piston rings and subsequent valve leakage. Evaporative loss and foaming reduce the amount of lubrication and protection in the transmission, engine, and clutch. With less shear stability, oil loses its capability of retaining original viscosity resulting in increased metal-to-metal contact and wear. High temperature high shear viscosity tests provide viscosity characteristics and data under severe temperature and shear environments."

 

I use mobile vtwin in my bike. If you go to their site they explain why it's more suited for your bike than reg mobile 1. Maybe it's just a way for them to get $8.42 a qt out of me, no way for me to know. But for the price difference, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

I've read that auto tranny oil is fine in the primary as long as it's the type w/o friction modifiers. But until my warranty is up and until I read something more definitive, I'll stick with HD's primary lube. Again a few bucks here or there don't mean anything to me.

You read and hear all sorts of things. Read a thread last week saying synthetic wasn't suited for the type bearings HD uses in the new vtwins. That was a new one on me. Seemed to be from a knowledgable source but if he's right sure going to be alot of HDs in the repair shop down the road.

For now I'm sticking with it.

 

This is not really a factor in a HD big twin motor as they have three holes - engine, tranny and primary - so you can use a different oil in each hole to meet that parts requirements.

Car oil that meets or exceeds the HD requirements are fine and will cause no harm to the engine. You can spend as much as you want on your oil but I doubt you will see an extra mile of life out of the motor because of it. JMO

 

You can use any oil that is rated for diesel service. I use DELO 400, the same oil I use in my Sporty as in my boat's diesel engine.

 

I use Castrol GTX 20W50 car oil in my evo. After over 146 k miles, it still does not smoke, use oil or have any problems. Friend of mine got 238k out of his using castrol before he sent it in for a reman. WE may be the exceptions rather than the rule but it works for us. If I had a new bike, I'd probably run synthetic but as others have said, it's your scoot, use what you want.

Bubba

 

Found this also:

"Motorcycle oil is relatively expensive compared to automotive engine oil so it's been a long standing question if regular automotive engine oil can be used. The companies that make motorcycle specific engine oils state that their products contains special additives and formulated specifically for a motorcycle. However they never offer any independent test results to substantiate their claims"

 

Considering that the manual for both my sportster and my lowrider state that the engines require oil suitable for deisel applications, I think I will steer clear of any oil suitable for a gasoline fueled cage. I use hd products, simply because I am at the dealer often so I don't chase it down.

 

The manual goes on to state that "Acceptable diesel engine oil designations include:" CF, CG, CH and CI. If you check the label on most top synthetic automobile engine oils, Mobil-1 15w-50 for example, you will find that they ARE diesel rated and carry the diesel rating designation.

 

See what Cabin Fever does to us!!!