this Spring I'd like to switch to Amsoil Synthetic Oil in my 1200 Sportster.

this is from the AMSOIL site;

" ...we are also recommending the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (product code MCV) in the engine, transmission and primary chaincase on the 1340 and 1450 cc models.

For 883cc and 1200cc Sportster motorcycles, the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (MCV) is recommended for both the engine and transmission. "

those of you who use synthetic oil in your Sportsters....do you use it in your 'primary chaincase' also or just in your engine and transmission?

am I reading this right?

 

use it for everything

 

HD says you can use 20w-50 in the primary/tranny but that is no longer the recommended oil. HD now recommends Formula+ which is a Gear Oil. Many peeps here run the Mobil-1 75w-90 Syn Gear Oil which is comparable in weight to the Formula+ but is synthetic.

Engine oils are formulated for engines, Gear oils are formulated for Gear Boxes.

 

everything is fine

 

Based on reading a plethora of motorcycle oil information(and there was much, much more I didn't read), I decided to use H-D Formula+ in the transmission and Mobile 1 V-Twin for the engine. Seems the special nature of the H-D V-twin requires certain additives not all oils have. My owners manual recommends Diesel engine oil when H-D oil is not available. This becomes more interesting if you read the National Corvette Restorers Society web were the oil of choice for the old 60's and older Hi-Performance Vettes is Shell Rotella diesel engine oil. It seems that many of the additives necessary for flat tappets and the likes are being removed from newer automotive oils to keep from clogging catalytic converters. The issue becomes very sticky, enough so that one should pay some attention before getting away from the specially formulated H-D oils.

 

I wouldn't use 'motor oil' in the manual transmissions of my cars and trucks, and I won't use it in the transmissions on my Harley's either....

Even with the 'shared' primary/tranny on the Sportsters I use Mobil 1 75W90 Synthetic Gear Lube.

I know people that have been running it in their Sportsters (including a couple of Harley dealership mechanics) for over 85,000 miles without any clutch pack problems, which would lead you to believe that it contains few (if any) friction modifiers.

 

I run HD Screamin' Eagle SYN3 Synthetic SAE 20W50 in the engine and Red Line Shockproof Heavy Gear Oil 75W90 in the tranny.

 

When I got my 06 with 5000 miles on it, I put in Mobil 1 75/90 syn gear lube. After I put 2000 miles on it I went to Amsoil 20-50 just to try it out. I dont see or feel any deference. So as of now I think I will stay with the Amsoil...

 

I emailed the AMSOIL company and got this reply.....this is their recommendation for the use of Amsoil Synthetic Oil in Harley bikes;

.................................................

Hi , hopefully this will explain it better: Harley-Davidson recommends 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil for the engine, transmission and primary chaincase on the 1340 and 1450 cc models.

In order to be consistent with this recommendation we are also recommending the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (product code MCV) in the engine, transmission and primary chaincase on the 1340 and 1450 cc models.

For 883cc and 1200cc Sportster motorcycles, the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil is recommended for both the engine and transmission.

An optional recommended alternative on 1340cc and 1450cc models is to use the AMSOIL 20W-50 Motorcycle Oil in the engine crankcase, AMSOIL Synthetic Severe Gear 75W-90 Gear Lube for the transmission and the AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil for the chaincase.

There is no right or wrong choice, it is simply a matter of personal preference. Some customers prefer to use the Severe Gear 75W-90 gear lube in the transmission and the 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil in the primary chaincase while others use the 20W-50 in all three areas and with both options customers report a noticeable performance improvement, including smoother shifting.

For the 2008 Harley Softail Night Train, there are two options. The simplest is to use the AMSOIL 20W-50 Motorcycle oil (product code MCV) in the engine, primary and transmission. The second option is to use the 20W-50 (MCV) in the engine, AMSOIL 10W-40 Motorcycle oil (product code MCF) in the primary and either the 75W-110 or 75W-140 Severe Gear (product codes SVT or SVO) in the transmission. Either option will work well the second being the trick set-up.

The AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle oil (MCV) provides superior gear protection, meeting API GL-1 gear lube viscosity requirements for those customers that choose to use it in their transmission. The AMSOIL Severe Gear 75W-90 Gear Lube meets API GL-5 gear lube viscosity requirements and is an extreme severe duty rated transmission lubricant for those customers that choose to use the Severe Gear 75W-90.

Either choice of AMSOIL products as outlined in this notice will outperform the Harley- Davidson Syn3 oil as documented by independent ASTM laboratory testing.

The change interval specification on the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil is two times Harley-Davidson's recommended change intervals or one-year, whichever comes first. The AMSOIL EAoM Absolute Efficiency Motorcycle Oil Filters are specified as two times Harley Davidson's oil filter recommended change intervals or one-year, whichever comes first.

Best Regards,

Dave Mann
Lubrication Specialist - Truck/Automotive Engineer
Society of Automotive Engineers Professional Member
Performance Oil Technology, L.L.C.
www.performanceoiltechnology.com
1-888-879-1362

3698 Leeside Lane
Traverse City, MI 49686
Business Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 215
Acme, MI 49610-0215

Every attempt has been made to ensure that the information provided in this e-mail correspondence is accurate and reliable. However, Performance Oil Technology, L.L.C. makes no warranty, guarantee, or promise (express or implied) concerning the accuracy of our e-mail response, as it is based solely on the information provided to us by the e-mail originator.

 

FYI - there is a whole section here on the forum with good oil information and recommendations for those that take the time to study it. Something other than a specific manufactures propaganda who's sole purpose is to sell their product.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/oil-a...ted-topics-30/