I've been trying to search the forums on this one.

I just went to my harley shop to get fluids for tanny, primary, fork oil etc..
HD 20w50 was 8 bucks a quart.

So I choose to use regular dino oil, not the synthetic stuff.
Do any of you buy regular old 20w50 oil in the auto parts store?
I can get 5 quarts of castrol for 10 bucks.
A friend of mine did this last year, but I dont know if hes doing damage or not.

Autozone had some moto oil for 3.50 a quart, basically same price as auto oil in my area.

I change my oil frequently. But just wondering if anyone uses auto oil.

 

The following are my opinions but they are based on facts. Motorcycle Engines are different than car engines in that they are air cooled, have generally higher RPM'S and compression ratio's. Operating temps are all over the map compared to Water Cooled Engines. Oil temps in the hot weather can reach 280 Deg F. Petroleum oil becomes volatile a little over 300 deg F. Motorcycle oils are formulated for Motorcycle Engines. Automobile oils are formulated for Automobile water cooled engines.

If you put an Automobile Oil in a wet clutch application like the Harley, and it has "friction Modifiers" in the oil you will have clutch slippage which can get costly to rectify.

I guess it is your Motorcycle and your money. I think of oil as the life blood of the engine and I sure wouldn't put the cheapest stuff I could find in my $30,000.00 investment.

Bear

03 Ultra Classic
Screamin Eagle 103
Screamin Eagle 6 spd.
Hydraulic Clutch

 

The majority of guys I know with what I would consider "high mileage" bikes are running regular old Mobil 1 15W-50 synthetic oil, which can be purchased for less than $4.00 a quart.

I'm taking about bikes with 80,000, 100,000, or more miles on the original engines, and NOT ONE of them have had any oil related problems.

But then again, performing regular oil and filter changes, along with other preventive maintenance items will have more to do with protecting the engine and keeping it in good operating condition than the specific type of oil you use.

Don't buy into all the "oil hype" you hear.

Harley V-Twin engines aren't high tech, and they don't run at high RPM's. Perform regular maintenance, don't 'beat' on your bike, and it will perform like it should be many, many miles, no matter what oil you choose to use.

 

Some folks run auto oil, some don't. I had an air/oil-cooled Suzuki 1400 Intruder that never saw anything but yellow-bottle Pennzoil 20W-50 dino for the entire 4 years & 40,000+ miles I owned it. It too was a hot, lean-running SOB and it logged every mile in South Florida, which is pig-nasty hot in the summer. I changed the oil every 2500-3000 miles and it ran like a sewing machine right up to the day I sold it.
There are numerous used oil analyses available on BITOG (and other oil-specific websites) that indicate Havoline, Pennzoil, and even Valvoline Max Life are more than capable of properly lubricating your m/c engine. Diesel engine oils like Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo, Texaco Ursa Super, Mobil Delvac, etc. also have proven to be good lubricants in m/c engines and have a strong following, and are Harley's recommended alternate in the event you can't find "their" oil. Most of these can be had for about $8 a gallon at Wal Mart or any auto parts store, so they are a very good choice for dino oil and I'd bet big bank they'll protect your engine every bit as good (or better) than H-D dino that costs 4x as much.

If you want a top-shelf synthetic auto oil that is more than capable of protecting your engine and has a lot of Harley followers, try silver-cap Mobil 1 15W-50 as OldFenderGuy suggested. It's available at Wal Mart for about $20-$22 for a 5 quart jug. I've run it (as well as a lot of other forum members) and achieved excellent results. It has just as stout an additive package as Mobil 1 V-Twin, but at half the cost. At that price it's almost a no-brainer if you want a good synthetic that won't break the bank.

Some folks are only comfortable with $10-$15/qt. m/c-specific boutique oils and consider it "cheap insurance." That's fine, however, oil analyses have shown that there are other alternatives that protect just as well and can offer a considerable savings. But in the end only you can decide what works for you and what fits your budget...

 

I searched the forums about the mobil 1 15w50 oil, picked it up at wally world for 22.88 for 5 quarts.

 

That is all I run in my 86 Honda VF700C... (it has the V4 w/ the oiling problems). I have been running that for about 15,000 miles without any problems.

Now to what I am going to put in my "new" 04 Road King...

 

You will do fine with that.

 

First of all, Porsche and Volkswagen auto motors were air cooled for years. And all motos of course are not air cooled. Geez, not even all H-D's..

 

Install an oil cooler w/ a thermostat and run any oil (15-20/50) you like.

 

i use hav 20/50 with lucas oil adv .