| Author | Message | ||
     Mr_incognito |
The guys at the dealership say that I HAVE to use Screamin Eagle Syn3, which doenst make a whole lot of sense to me. I always rode 4 cyclinder bikes before I bought the 1125, and I ALWAYS used Repsol. I would like to use it again, but I dont want to do something I shouldnt. So do you really HAVE to run Syn3 or can you run anything? Another thing I dont care for is fully Synthetic oils like that make your valves sound horrible, so do I HAVE to use synthetic? | ||
| Doerman |
I know this does not really answer your question, but the manual uses the word "recommended" not required. Syn 3 is specifically mentioned. | ||
| Ducxl |
From the owners manual link at the top of the 1125r forum page: "If SYN3 or H-D 360 are not available, the final option would be to add a synthetic 15W-50 oil that meets SG and JASO MA specifications. We again suggest the mixture of the fluids be changed as soon as possible. At the first opportunity, see an authorized dealer to change back to 100 percent Harley-Davidson oil." The key being meeting specifications SG and JASO MA standards. I believe the SG spec covers MOST name brand oils. THe dealership may be mistaken in their belief | ||
| Jlnance |
You do not have to use Syn3. HD & the dealerships would of course like you to use Syn3. Besides the obvious economic reasons, there are some technical ones. They tested the engine with Syn3 in it, they know it's going to work. It should work with Repsol (assuming it meets the SG standard.) HD isn't going to spend the money to test Repsol, and incur the liability of saying it will work, just to help you send your money to someone else. The Repsol people on the other hand would probably be delighted to discuss this with you. | ||
| Mustangturbo |
Use the Motul double ester 15W-50! I did some research on it, and it is actually a blend of 2 different esters. Ester molecules are more durable than petroleum molecules because they are from an organic source and therefore better resist sheering and burning. One of the studies published compared regular synthetic to 100% butter and the ester to vegetable oil. The butter will burn rather quickly in the pan while the latter can take heat several hundred degrees higher. It also contains certain minerals (zinc and others) that help to reduce metal to metal wear. Esters are also naturally more attracted to metal so no more dry parts when you start your bike. I used the ester oil in my bike and noticed that the bike is actually cooling better than it was before. As long as I am moving it will run at about 180-185 degrees. With the Harley oil in it I was up over 190. It's worth the money that it costs, and I am very pleased with it. You can get the big container for 60 bucks. | ||
| Brent1125russ |
Ditto on the Motul, I am not yet ready to switch to full synthetic (only 700 miles on the Buell) but when I do, I am going back to the Motul double ester. In my old CBR600, I also noticed a substantial decrease in engine temperature when going to the Motul from Mobil 1 full sythetic. In high RPM engines, there are three things that break down oil.. 1. Heat....as temperatures increase, the viscosity of the oil breaks down and it thusly looses it's ability to protect parts. 2. Shearing....with parts moving around rather quickly at 10 grand, the oil molecules are literally torn apart and when some of those molecules are viscosity controlling molecules, the oil viscosity will break down. 3. Contamination.....at startup is where most of the wear contaminants are introduced into your oil, but the biggest ugly one is a wet plate clutch. Anytime a particle in your oil is bigger than the clearances between the two substrates you are lubricating, problems can occur. So how does a synthetic offer better protection against those 3 main failure causes? Synthetic oils have very high viscosity indexes compared to mineral oil bases, and will retain their viscosity over a wider range of temperatures. Synthetic oils also do not typically utilize viscosity controlling molecules (molecules that are formulated to hold other oil molecules together in long chains) and are much better under shear conditions. Lastly, any mineral oil base is a hydro-carbon, and we all know how much carbon loves to bond with anything and everything out there. Carbon is natures little fluzy, and if that mineral oil is not hydrocracked (where hydrogen is forced into the carbon chains) then mineral oil will bond with water, dirt, clutch material, you name it. Synthetics do not have this issue and your filter has a much easier time removing the contaminants. | ||
| Blake |
"The guys at the dealership say that I HAVE to use Screamin Eagle Syn3" If that were true, then I recollect that it would also be true that they would have to provide it to you free of charge. "Ester molecules are more durable than petroleum molecules because they are from an organic source and therefore better resist sheering and burning." The source has nothing to do with it, but you got it backwards. Organic, as in from living organisms, meaning previously living organisms like plants and animals, generally referred to wrt petroleum as "dinosaurs".  The ester based oils are non-organic. | ||
| Mustangturbo |
Hmmm.... The Ester based motul comes from things like coconut... I am just repeating an article that I found while looking for a reason to spend the extra cash on the Motul. The oil was described as being derived from an organic source i.e. plant sources (coconuts etc) so as not to confuse it with a strictly petroleum based oil. As for the source... it has everything to do with it. With the Ester oil there are less carbon build ups, the ester resists heat better and won't burn, it's source is the reason it is better suited for high temp/stress uses. I'm not an expert, I only did the research. Buy the Motul, it smells like coconut! I will look for the article again and post it here. You'll understand what i'm getting at once you read it. But just in case I will reread it. Just a side note a friend at the local shop here will give me the Motul 15W-50 for 42 $'s thats 20 off the normal price. I don't know if it would be worth it with shipping but if anyone is close I bet they could save a few bucks. | ||
| Jaimec |
"Organic" is such an overused and misused term these days that I generally consider it to be synonymous with "Snake Oil." Fact is, any carbon-based chemical from a previously live source (animal, vegetable or fungi) is considered "organic" because it derived from an organism. I remember in high school choking up when a television commercial advertised that their product contains "absolutely no chemicals!" I was wondering how they were able to bottle a perfect vacuum, and why anyone would want it? | ||
| Trojan |
Why not ask some Aprilia RSV guys which oil they use on their bikes. I am sure that whatever works on their bikes will be fine for the 1125R |
