Im sure this has been asked before but what is your brand of engine oil for your Sporty?
I know its "highly" recommended to use everything Harley-Davidson from oil to oil filter, but I have a feeling its mostly to make more money off the owner. Ive owned other bikes that recommend a certain brand and have used Mobil oil on them and they run just fine if not better!
BUT this is a Harley Davidson so I want to know what kind of engine oil/transmission fluid/etc. that you use.
Im preparing for my first oil change on my Sporty and I have Mobil engine oil on hand and I want to know if its a good idea or not before I go and make the change.

 

I've changed the oil several times, used a couple brands, one from JP, one from DK. It seems like 20-50 motor oil, like Castrol (my fav), or any other top quality oil. I assume its graded by SAE standards, just compare that.

I've never worried about an aftermarket filter either, on any vehicle, as long as I don't buy it from some guy's van on the street. There are some industry standards at least, I think.

Changing your oil regularly is the best remedy for engine longevity.

John

 

You'll get a million opinions but personally I choose to use motorcycle oil in a motorcycle. There are additives that prevent foaming etc.

Currently I am using Amsoil 20W50 in the engine and HD Formula + in the primary, HD filter. I'll probably put the Amsoil 20W50 in the primary as well next change.

 

I too have used Amsoil on other bikes before and I was really happy with it. The only reason Im considering using the Mobil is because I used it on my Ninja and it made it run so smooth. I know its basically two different animals but if the oil is good on one Im just hoping its good for another.
Im just really glad to hear that other people use other brands besides Harly-Davidson.

 

I'm not sure about the oiling (or bearing) system on a Ninja, but HD has a "dry sump" system so any excess oil in the crankcase gets scavenged/pumped back to the tank. Not sure "foaming" is a problem with hd design, usually with "wet sump" motors that churn the crankcase oil. I think roller bearings help too.

As for Mobil One:

Isn't it 5W30 vs. 20W50? I'd be leery of going lower on viscosity, since HD recommends 20/50 I think.

I run 10W40 over (factory) 5W30 in my truck, but I live in SoCal and drive in hot weather, often in the 90's on long drives to the Sierra in the summer.

Also, how many miles on your sporty with regular oil?

True Story:

My buddy switched to Mobil One on his recently purchased 2001 Mustang that ran regular oil for 100K, now the engine needs (a lot of) work.

I warned him beforehand not to switch unless you have a very new engine or originally ran it. I teach high school auto shop and had heard an "urban legend" about changing to Mobil One from "dinosaur oil."

I talked to the engine rebuild company he called and they said Mobile One has more (or different) "detergents" and picks up sludge and deposits from the "dinosaur oil" residues and possibly/probably/likely clogged his oil pickup screen. They said the engine should easily go 200K or more with good care.

Well, I told him not to do it. Coincidence, or not?

Not for me, at least in my "dinosaur oil" infused vehicles.


John

 

I use Mobile 1 for V-Twin which is also suitable for the primary (=wet-clutches, doesn't have the anti-friction additives that regular automotive oil does). Notwithstanding what was mentioned about oil filters, I would go with the original Harley oil filter as it is a 30-micron pore size which is made for a Sporty. The finer pore filters may clog and trip the by pass and you will have defeated the purpose of having a filter.

 

Here is another true story. There is a monster that is eating up the sun. Everybody can see it happening. People used to make all kinds of noise to scare the monster away. After a bit, monster went away and left the sun alone and life was good. Worked every time too. Today, we call that an eclipse.

Question. Did said engine have good care? Was sludge found in the oil pickups? I have changed many cars over including one that was at 55K and now pushed 335K with no issues noted yet. How would your theory explain that? My other truck has gone 50K with dino and switched over and no problems over 150K.

Coincidence, IMO, unless there is real science behind it.

 

In June 2011 I got an 09 XL883L with 957 miles on it. They don't allow test drives in this area due to the high theft rates at many of the local dealerships, or so I was told, anyway I signed off on the bike, and get on her to ride home. I fireit up, and she sounded like an early 1900's singer sewing machine. So I shut her down and went over to the serice desk and asked what kind of oil was in it, since they told me the 1k service was done, so the service guy tells me in January 20/50 was installed and that was done in their shop. Anyway I take off and rode easy on the way home. So I checked the oil again since it still sounded like ****, and it just didn't look right. At this point I'm thinking i got screwed since I noticed badly discolored headers under the heat shields. Anyway I got 3 qt HD 20/50 a filter and swapped the oil. The oil was like water viscosity-wise. The motor immediately sounded better and she ran better too. I changed oil 4 times in tis summer and now I'm 250 miles into fresh syn3 and it runs even better. I am a believer in chngeing oil often in air cooled motors, and in following manufacturer reccomendations about oil brands. After break- in HD syn3.

 

Never put 5W-30 in an HD, it's WAY to thin for an air cooled engines. Also, every 5W-30 I've seen is "energy conserving" so it contains moly + not suitable for wet clutches (primary). As a rule (currently) 10W-40 oils + up are not "energy conserving" so they don't have the moly that screws up wet clutches. You can use 20W-50 auto oil in the crank + primary, but like the others above, I like MC specific oil. If I used dino, I'd use nothing but Castrol. For synthetic, I use Mobil 1 V-Twin cuz it's the only thing available locally. If Amsoil or Castrol were avail, just as good. Don't use the expensive synthetic gear oils in the primary, they have an additive that attacks the stator windings.

 

I only use used motor oil......cause its already broken in.........