Engine Oil Question
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 861
Likes: 135
From: Wisconsin
Harley motors are not manufactured with aluminum, steel, brass or any other materials produced here on earth, like automobile motors, but instead are manufactured with materials from Kryton, so they need special oils.
Jonnierock
Jonnierock
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 289
Likes: 4
From: Canada
Automotive oil is regulated and has mandatory additives that are harmful to your bike's motor. HD branded oil certainly isn't the best out there, but if you're going on the cheap, at least get oil specific to motorcycles. This is the recommendation from S&S who makes a ton of aftermarket V-twins!
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 10,216
Likes: 224
From: Glendale AZ
I'm a weirdo but I enjoy oil threads, you always walk away with learning what the thinking of the general populous is....OP use a motor specific oil in your engine I do with no issues. I run the same oil in my primary with no slippage. If I could find a diesel specific oil higher than 40 weight Id be running that and may opt to run Rotella 5-40 in the cooler season here in desert.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,922
Likes: 589
From: Running with the gators
How can anybody not be using Amsoil? It's the cure all fix all oil. Your bike will last forever, get over 100 miles per gallon, get more women, cure hangovers etc. And at $20.00 a quart, it better get you laid !
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,445
Likes: 2,817
From: Oklahoma
Due to the operating temps of air cooled engines, those wanting to use car oil should at least check for "approved for use in turbo charged engines". Early on when tuhrbos first hit the "mass" market, the drive side of the turbos (exhaust driven) had a tendency to get coked (carbon build up) from cooking the oil especially after shut down. The oils approved for turbo engines are formulated to tolerate the higher temperatures without coking.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,241
Likes: 7
From: Daytona, Fla.
P.S. Castrol 20 w 50 works just fine in the primary also.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,994
Likes: 653
From: bklyn,ny
I don't know about Castrol , but my buddy runs Cam 2 super pro max semi synthetic 20-50 in his bikes and car for years.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,630
Likes: 185
From: Mountain West, Big Sky Country
it runs cool.
good for it
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,653
Likes: 9,113
From: Snow Hill, NC
You know the additives bullshit is just that...use a good 20w50 or 15w50 even not (OMG) v-twin..The engine is just that an engine and as long as it doesn't share the primare you can use Aotomotive type oil...I have been using napa 15w50 FOR 2 years now and the bike runs as go as when i used $12.00 Amsoil or Mobil 1 Vtwin...
Marketing is the force on the Vtwin branding... You gotta love it....If you run a metric that only uses 1 oil it may be critical but even there... My buddy has a 2004 Goldwiing with over 300000 miles on it and all he has ever used since new is regular Castrol oil...10w40 i think....still going strong....You can drink the koolaid or not... it's up to you.
Marketing is the force on the Vtwin branding... You gotta love it....If you run a metric that only uses 1 oil it may be critical but even there... My buddy has a 2004 Goldwiing with over 300000 miles on it and all he has ever used since new is regular Castrol oil...10w40 i think....still going strong....You can drink the koolaid or not... it's up to you.