| Author | Message | ||
     Dilysi73 |
Ok I know that there are some of you laughing right now. Yes I'm new to bike so please for give my ignorance. I have read a few post that recommend Mobil 1 for the XBs. So if you don't mind WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE,if any. thanks for the help!  | ||
| Johnk3 |
different. Use motorcycle oil, most autoparts stores should carry it. I like the mobil 1 v-twin brand, though i see many people here like redline brand. the difference was explained here once before. the difference really doesn't mean anything to me, how could I tell anyway? I just use the motorcycle stuff. (Message edited by johnk3 on March 02, 2005) | ||
| Captainkirk |
Dil, There is a rather large thread topic in the knowledge vault concerning oils. Take some time and read it. Two things to bear in mind 1) everybody has an opinion, and not everybody can be right. 2) If your bike is still UNDER WARRANTY which oil you choose can have major financial impact down the road. I have heard of at least one warranty claim voided due to the fact that the owner ran a certain oil of his choosing in his new bike and mentioned this to the shop in question (which used it as ammo to deny the claim, among other items which I won't mention) If the bike has no warranty to consider, read & take your best shot. I know of one Buell owner I ride with who has been running Castrol 20W50 automotive oil for over four years and 20K with no apparent problems. As for me...I won't give an opinion unless you ask!!!!  | ||
| Orangeokie |
It makes no difference, though many will swear by motorcycle only brands. It is probably more important to pick one brand and stick with it for the duration. BTW . . . don't feel like you need to apologize for asking questions. That's how everyone on here learned. | ||
| Djkaplan |
Automobile oils are formulated to be compatible with catalytic converters. A small amount of oil is consumed as a product of combustion. Other than minor changes in the additives, this is the only significant difference I'm aware of. | ||
| Steveshakeshaft |
Quite a few bikes running with cats now. Steve steve_s@ukbeg.com www.ukbeg.com | ||
| Buelliedan |
For our bikes with the seperate crankcases and primaries(transmissions) its not a big deal. You should still run a 50 weight. But for bikes that share oil(inline 4s and v-rods) it can be a huge deal as car oil has additives to reduce friction. Good thing in cars but really bad when your clutch slips and burns up all your discs in less than 500miles. | ||
| Daveinm |
Yeah, i'm with Buelliedon. You can use 15w50 for the engine, but don't put it in the primary...it's too slick for the clutch. Stick with 20w50 for the primary. | ||
| Tatsu |
I run Mobil 1 gear oil for the clutch and Mobil 1 20W 50 in the primary. With no problems. BTW ..come out Friday night to Waikiki about 9:30 or 10:00. Meet at the gas station on the main strip. | ||
| Bigj |
If you were smart, while under warranty, you'd run HD oil, mineral or synthetic. I know someone will post about the Magnuson Moss Act, or whatever. That is the law. But realistically, if you ever have to make a warranty claim, it'll be much easier if you run the HD stuff. I'm sure the HD synthetic stuff is great stuff anyway.  | ||
| Fullpower |
yeah, for 10 bucks a quart it had better be good stuff. | ||
| Daveinm |
Screw that...the harley fluids are garbage. Motul or Mobil-1 only. Nobody is gonna give you a hard time with warranty. | ||
| Daves |
It is not 10.00 per quart. 8.95 yes but not 10.00  | ||
| Daveinm |
Dave...you ever heard of anybody getting a hard time with a warranty issue because they didn't use the recommended brand of fluids? How could the techs even tell what brand it is? | ||
| Starter |
Talking of cheap oil, my old man runs Castrol GTX and has just "upgraded" to GTX 2 in his 1100 Virago for the past 15 years without a hint of problems. I was horrified when he told me I was wasting my dollars on pricey oil. I run either Mobile 1 20W50 Car Oil or 15W50 bike oil. Whichever is cheaper. Just a question for someone who may have an eye for detail, what makes these H-D oils so easy to distinguish from other brands? | ||
| Djkaplan |
Quite a few bikes running with cats now. I'll bet in each case the manufacturer specifies a particular oil to use to keep the warranty alive. | ||
| Keith |
Automobile oils are formulated to be compatible with catalytic converters. I don't think this applies to the heavier oils like 15w-50. If the oil meets the requirements listed in your owner's manual, the dealership cannot legally deny your claim. Besides, the burden of proof will be on them that whatever failed was indeed caused by the oil. I've been running Mobil 1 15W-50 in Harleys and now a Buell for over 75,000 collective miles with no problems whatsoever. I also use the Mobil 1 75W-90 gear oil in the trannie/primary. | ||
| Brucelee |
One of the magazines did tests about 18 months ago. Mobil One car oil (15-50W) actually did better than most MC synthetics. Cheaper too. 75-90 in trans too! | ||
| Thepup |
I run Shell Rotella T 15-40,good stuff. | ||
| Captainkirk |
Daveinm; Clarify your statement:...Harley fluids are garbage". Where do you get your info? Are you a petrochemist? HD has put a LOT of research and $$$$ into developing the oils they sell. If you have PROVEN FACTS to the contrary, please enlighten us. Now, I will be the FIRST to admit that (warranty issues notwithstanding) some of the semi-synth/full synth products out there stand up to slightly higher/lower temp ranges (quite useful for riding in either Siberia and/or the Gobi Desert or Death Valley.) Here in the midwest where I ride, you've gotta do a little more salesmanship to justify 10 bucks a quart. Some oils (as mentioned previously) have additives added to them for specific purposes (and thanx, Buelliedan, for reminding me about the clutch discs; I have my own story about that but I'll save it for another day). IF an oil is designed in the correct recommended grade (20W50 for +20-degree temps),IF it has the correct additives for a ball-bearing rod bearing configured AIR-COOLED engine and meets or exceeds the recommended SAE rating, it should be fine; knock yourself out. To say the HD fluids don't meet/aren't designed for this purpose (garbage?)is preposterous. Again, there ARE BETTER LUBRICANTS...FOR A PRICE...but simply changing the standard HD fluids at or before the recommended mileage/calendar time recommendations should buy you plenty of protection for your bike WITHOUT sacrificing three times the price for synthetics or specialty blends. OK, now that I've stepped on the toes of all the Mobil 1 users, remember...I didn't say the synths are not a superior product...just that the need for a superior product is hard to justify at triple the price when timely fluid changes will accomplish the same thing, with the added benefit of removing suspended contaminates (acids and water, among others) along with the fluids being changed. For example, I change my primary fluid every six months (or twice a season) and my oil/filter every 1000 miles or sixty days regardless of mileage. Some of you might think I'm nuts but I've always got clean oil and primary fluid. I have no problems shifting, either. So...Harley fluids are not "garbage" unless you can show me the proof/studies that have proven them to be garbage. Ask Daves how many warranty claims have been filed because of Buell motors self-destructing due to the use of the so-called "garbage" HD products. And, yes. I know of at least one person who had a warranty claim denied partially because he disclosed to the service manager that he was running Brand X in the motor. Hard to prove...yes. Has it happened...yes. I told you not to ask. | ||
| Daveinm |
It's an opinion, not fact. All the harley fluids I have used in either my engine or my primary have been horrible compared to Motul or Mobil-1 Synth. I don't have analysis reports on the fluids (It's kind of ridiculous to even ask if I'm a petrochemist...I actually never even heard the term before). My point is, in my opinion, the harley fluids are garbage. If it doesn't run as good as the other synthetic fluids I've used, then in my eyes it's crap and you shouldn't even think about using...and I don't  | ||
| Daveinm |
Also, I never made any comments about price. If your comment is based on how much money is spent on research or how much it costs, it doesn't make sense anyway. Again, in my opinion, Motul and Mobil-1 outperform the Harley fluids, which are more expensive. | ||
| Captainkirk |
OK, fair enough. I've never even heard of Motul...Mobil 1, yes. My point is, there are lots of opinions out there as to which oil, etc is "better" but little in the way of PROOF to back it up. You are as much entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. But what it boils down to is one person's opinion versus another's. And I'm fine with that. What I'd like to see is an independent lab report on all the major oils and lubes with some real live facts and figures other than the generalized speculation floating around the board. Peace.  | ||
| Djkaplan |
Here's an interesting link. It confirms some statements made. Note that all the bike specific oils don't use the most current rating for automobile oils. http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html | ||
| Thepup |
Gee,who would have ever thought that on a BMW sight,that in their summary of the test,BMW was the best oil. (Message edited by thepup on March 05, 2005) | ||
| Timbo |
To the original question. There is a difference between Mobil1 and Mobil1 V-twin blend. The V-twin blend has addatives that the regular Mobil1 doesn't. Those addatives give superior performance but are damaging to cats, that's why only the V-twin blend has them. Cats are not a concern on most air cooled V-twins, at least not yet. That being said, the regular Mobil1 is a fine product that performs well. It most certainly will not harm your motor. The V-twin blend is just more application specific, or, better for our application (Buells). | ||
| Brucelee |
"The V-twin blend is just more application specific, or, better for our application (Buells)." Not according to Motorcycle magazine test of two years ago. The V-twin oil was actually rated lower than the good old 15-50 car oil. Sorry! | ||
| Spatten1 |
Motul is a pretty common and generally well regarded MC oil, I guess outside of the Harley scene. MC Consumer News did real tests on most of the auto and MC oils about 6-8 years ago, if you want more than conjecture you can get the back issues. I was told in a seminar many years ago that some MC oils resist shearing in the tranny gears of the molecules that are responsible for viscosity changes, not an HD issue. | ||
| Weeds600 |
Curious who manufactures H/Ds oil for them I am sure they (like many others)have shell chevron etc..make it? | ||
| Spike |
Pulled from the X1 files, emphasis added: "I've been using different transmission oils to try to see which oils behave best for shifting and engine performance. My results indicated that the HD Sport Trans Gear Oil had consistently 5% better mileage with similar shifting ability than any gear oil I used. The oils I used were Red Line's Light Shockproof, Heavy Shockproof and GL-5 Transmission oils, GL-5 Hypoid Gear Oil 75w-80, GL-5 Synthetic Gear Oil, 80w-140. I had the HD Sport Trans Gear Oil analyzed for what type of oil it is and I got some surprising results. It is not a GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil! It is actually a Hydraulic Fluid, as used in tractors, with extra additives: EP (Extreme Pressure) and Friction Modifiers for the wet clutch. So in summary, the HD oil is indeed a special oil that gives good performance and I'd recommend its use for both shifting performance and horsepower. The other gear oils are simply too viscous to perform as well as the Sport Trans oil. I've heard many people like to use Redline, AMSOIL and Royal Purple for better shifting, and indeed these oils are more tolerant for out of adjustment clutches. I, too, used to use Redline, but on a properly adjusted clutch there is no difference in shifting performance. I would advise that at a minimum the clutch adjustment at the primary be performed every other oil change. It also helps if you have the clutch lever freeplay set to the minimum so you have a faster clutch engagement. So if you're not going to be consistent in keeping the clutch properly adjusted then these oils may work better for you." Mike Luddy, Jr. '04 XB12R |
