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Oh boy an oil thread!
My choises.
The Spectro because you can really feel the difference shifting even though it's crazy expensive ($28) The Bel-Ray because it's 38 ounces (1 liter) and it exactly fits the primary.
And the Lucas because it's a quality dino oil crazy cheap ($40 for 6 quarts!)
As long as you don't use the same oil for all three holes like the dealership.
There is a better oil choise for each one whatever you choose.
My choices for tires, battery, windshield, fork oil, brake fluid and fuel additives/stabilizers are available in my manifesto.
Oh boy, I misstyped 38 instead of 34.
However that is what my Electra Glide takes - 34.
But wow, the rest of my information must have been spot on, that's kind of surprising.
I hope no one ruined their transmission by overfilling with my advice.
I stand corrected and myself reprove.
Oh boy an oil thread!
My choises.
The Spectro because you can really feel the difference shifting even though it's crazy expensive ($28)
The Bel-Ray because it's 38 ounces (1 liter) and it exactly fits the primary.
And the Lucas because it's a quality dino oil crazy cheap ($40 for 6 quarts!)
As long as you don't use the same oil for all three holes like the dealership.
There is a better oil choise for each one whatever you choose.
My choices for tires, battery, windshield, fork oil, brake fluid and fuel additives/stabilizers are available in my manifesto.
see that's exactly what got me to thinking about different gear oil, is the fact what I use is what you say crazy expensive! It's about $30 a quart for the 75 w140 Royal Purple full synthetic. I was just wondering by other people's real world experience if there was something out there that they felt worked better as far as shifting and smoothness goes and not so damn expensive.
Well, I'm really totally unqualified to comment, but I am a syn fan on just about anything. I just changed mine to the Lucas product. Seems like it was 20 per quart, but not sure.
Well, I'm really totally unqualified to comment, but I am a syn fan on just about anything. I just changed mine to the Lucas product. Seems like it was 20 per quart, but not sure.
While the non synthetic Lucas conventional dino motorcycle oil can be had on Amazon for $40 for 6 - under $7 a quart.
Can change it 3 times as often.
I know a lot like the synthetic but I don't leave it in there long enough to justify it.
Last edited by Robertbc3141; Jan 13, 2026 at 07:17 AM.
see that's exactly what got me to thinking about different gear oil, is the fact what I use is what you say crazy expensive! It's about $30 a quart for the 75 w140 Royal Purple full synthetic. I was just wondering by other people's real world experience if there was something out there that they felt worked better as far as shifting and smoothness goes and not so damn expensive.
Rocky
My previous owner always used the dealership for his yearly oil changes.
I have a stack of 18 receipts for $280 oil changes where they used the same HD oil in all 3 holes (That's $5,000!).
Well a little less, some of the earlier receipts were for "only" $240.
I do appreciate that he took care of it - or rather had it taken care of -
and maybe should have left it alone - but, I like to do the work myself almost as much as riding, I find working on a motorcycle fun and relaxing - especially when nothing is broken So researched what might be better for the trans and primary.
On almost every receipt was the note "customer complains it's hard to find neutral" then that they could find nothing wrong.
I rode it on his latest oil change for a few days, I thought it shifted fine and could find neutral pretty easy.
Then I put the Spectro in and it changed the way it shifted to like butter, and neutral is way easier to find.
Made the way it shifted before seem bad.
So I'd stick with any of the $30 ones - it's only a quart - other than the regular motorcycle oil.
As a side note on prices - he had a stage one done at the dealership before he picked the bike up in 2008 - Reinhart true duels, Kuryakyn air filter and Power commander 3 - $1,500 parts AND labor. I wonder what that would cost today?
Last edited by Robertbc3141; Jan 13, 2026 at 08:32 AM.
I too just happen to use Bel Ray oils for the primaries and transmissions of my bikes...
I was told many years ago, that the Bel Ray "V-Twin Primary Chaincase lubricant" is the exact same oil as the Bel Ray "Gear Saver 80wt Transmission Oil".
I sent an email to Bel Ray, asking them if that info was true. They confirmed that info in their email response.
Now, when I stock up my oil cabinet, I buy/use whichever of those two are cheaper in my primary. I have seen over the years, that the Chaincase lubricant can be $2 to $3 dollars a bottle more than the Gear Saver trans oil...
When buying oils to maintain 4 motorcycles, that $2-$3 a bottle adds up.. OK, I'm also cheap..
Last edited by hattitude; Jan 13, 2026 at 08:29 AM.
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I asked, or more like stated an idea in another section here, and just got a wise-*** comment about it - But I just have to wonder what 2-3 oz. of the old STP oil treatment might do for smoothing and quieting the clunk? Evidently, no one ever tried it, kind of surprised. Stuff is slicker than any other oil product I have ever used. Sure seems like a heavy-duty transmission would like it.
I asked, or more like stated an idea in another section here, and just got a wise-*** comment about it - But I just have to wonder what 2-3 oz. of the old STP oil treatment might do for smoothing and quieting the clunk? Evidently, no one ever tried it, kind of surprised. Stuff is slicker than any other oil product I have ever used. Sure seems like a heavy-duty transmission would like it.
I may just have to give it a go.
One of my riding buddies went with the Lucas Oil treatment (very similar to STP), and he swears it helped. He mixed it with Lucas gear oil. To me, it still sounds the same when I hear him drop it in gear, but he is happy so I don't bust his *****
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So researched what might be better for the trans and primary.
