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Comparison from a watercooled 6 to an air cooled vtwin? Really? Keep your pants on slick.
Dude, it's a MOTOR... just to say the even if the motor shares the primary it can run fine with NON MOTORCYCLE oil.... put the koolaid down and take 2 steps back...The oil companies have some people believing some unbelievable ****...That is funny...
I use mobile-1 because I like synthetic in the hotter running Twin cam and there are a lot more Wal-Mart's , PepBoys , AutoZones ect then HD dealers .. always easy to find.
Back in ancient days before all the new oils came out, Castrol or Kendal GT1 was the most commonly used oil in a HD. I recall some oil lab analysis saying the Castrol & Kendall chemical formulas were equal to or slightly better than HD360 oil is.
Mobil 1 15-50 is generally not available here. Mobil 1 20-50 has gotten to be stupidly expensive, around $15.00 a qt retail & Amsoil, Redline are about the same. If I can find M1-Vtwin at Wallyworld its 9.99.a qt.
For a recent oil change I got 4 qts of Valvoline Synth M/C oil at Wallyworld for $6.99 a qt. The specs on the bottle says it meets all all requirements I need to know about so in it went. Now 1000 mi later, all seems well.
I personally prefer synthetics mainly for heat protection. Ive seen my oil temp gauge hit 250 F several times so a little "peace of mind" is a good thing.
There are a ton of quality oils available for your harley. Find one that is readily available, priced to suit your budget, and is compatible with your application, and don't read oil threads.
I should have been more clearer, the Castrol 20w50 I was talking about was motorcycle oil, at a box store for $5.95 a litre.
Yes. At almost half the cost, seems like the smart play. while I would agree with most that you could probably run bacon grease in the motor with no ill effects, I paid a lot of $$$ for my bikes and I want them to last and run as well as possible. I like the Castrol products.
Automotive oil is regulated and has mandatory additives that are harmful to your bike's motor.
Incorrect. The only difference between automotive and motorcycle oils is the existence or lack of friction modifiers, since most models of motorcycle have wet clutches that share oil with the engine. The oils are otherwise virtually identical.
Not only that, but motorcycle engines use the same materials and technology that automotive engines do. So anything that would harm your motorcycle's engine would harm your car's engine as well.
Automotive oils not marked as energy conserving lack the friction modifiers and can also be safely used in a wet clutch.
I'm running the dino Valvoline 20w50 Motorcycle oil. $3.75 a quart at Wallyworld. Change every 3000 miles. If I lived in a cooler climate...then I'd do it at 5000. 26k on the bike.
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Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
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