| Author | Message | ||
     Rek |
Hey All, I let the dealer service my S3 since I had other issues to resolve and when I got it home and read the invoice discovered they had put regular HD oil in it instead of Syn3. Is this going to affect my bike? Should I drain it out and replace w/ syn 3? Just curious, Rob | ||
| Whodom |
I'd highly recommend switching to some kind of synthetic. From what I see here, Buellers are split between Mobil-1 15W-50 auto oil, Mobil-1 V-twin 20W-50 MC oil, Syn 3, and a few other odd brands. If anything, our tube framers are HARDER on the oil than the XB's because most of us don't have oil coolers and we don't have cooling fans. | ||
| Jersey_thunder |
Any syn oil is better than dino oil..you can't go wrong with Mobil-1 V-twin 20W-50 MC oil..it's top notch...I use lucas 20/50 HP SYN. CAR/MC OIL I would dump it..put syn in it. my .02 | ||
| Oldog |
ditto!  | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
yup synthetic oil will do more for you than any additive you have seen on tv to "help" your dino oil and syn beats any claim to do ANYTHING for your motor. Penzoil and mobil 1 are the best and since penzoil dropped one of the additives that they we putting in there oil. I switched to mobil. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Did you ASK specifically for Syn3 when the work was being performed? If so, then I would suggest going back to the dealer, and asking them to pony up the Syn3(offer to pay the difference beteen a bottle of Syn3 and a bottle of the dino oil), a new filter, and the gaskets since they dropped the ball. Or if they want to make it right, reperform the service with you paying the difference for the Syn3 per bottle VS the dino per bottle. | ||
| Rek |
Wycked: Since the dealer is 366 miles west I'll just do the change myself, esp since I still have 1/2 a case of Syn3 in the garage. I'm P.Oed because the only reason I asked them to change the oil is to sweeten the shock upgrade, and then they buggered that job so badly (didn't order the shock even though I scheduled a week in advance) that I'll wind up doing it myself as well. Sigh. Rob | ||
| Kevyn |
I seriously doubt that 'regular' HD oil will hurt your bike...I'd run it out for a few thousand miles and then change over to synthetic...why waste a perfectly good filter and fresh oil? No one has ever disputed that 'engine damage' occurs at start-up when there is no/minimal lubrication between the moving bits and no one has disputed that synthetic oil has better 'cling' properties that protects the engines moving bits at start-up. My understanding of the oil conundrum is that synthetic's resist the brutal effects of heat, compression and 'smashing' better than standard oils due to their 'long-chain' construction. Does this mean that regular oils are now 'useless' and dangerous? No, it simply implies that synthetic oils resist breakdown 'better' and 'longer' than standard non-synthetic oils. Keep in mind that motorcycles and all other internal combustion powered conveyances have been using 'regular' oils for about the last century and that HD has done their best to put only the finest oils behind their label. If you think us Buell guys and gals are picky, you should hang with some of the Ultra-riders---for $20K+ it damn well better be perfect! You have reason to be a tad angry that the dealer didn't follow your instructions and that's an issue to take up with the dealer. However, clean fresh oil and a new filter is a good thing in every case. If you're really worried about 'damage' at start-up, just crank the motor without putting spark to the plugs to let the oil circulate a bit and then fire it on up and ride! The one other opinion I'd like to express is this; use a lighter grade engine oil such as a 5-10w-40 or even a 0w-40 to maximize 'cold' oil flow at start up... You might consider also that the tech who performed the oil change was doing you a favor to save you $$ knowing full well you ordered Syn3 and knowing that you could purchase your preferred brand of synthetic oil and a new filter for the price difference between what the dealer was charging for regular HD oil and Syn3... | ||
| Brucelee |
I always do my own changes. This is why! Dump the dino, put in your own Mobil 1! | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Alot of bike techs wonder why an owner doesnt do it himself if its out of warrenty. This kinda attitude has probley caused alot of problems during oil changes. | ||
| Buellmeister57 |
Amsoil 20w-50 BMW R100RT - 32,000 mi. Sportster 883/1200 - 38,000 mi. m2 Cyclone - 28,000 mi. No oil related problems, this stuff has worked well for me. | ||
| Rick_a |
I'm a believer when it comes to SYN3. I switched from Mobil 1 15w50 last oil change. The main thing that struck me is the color. With the Mobil one by the time it came to change it the stuff looked black as night. With the SYN3 I'm coming up on the change time and it actually has some color in it yet. I've used Castrol V-twin as well. | ||
| Whodom |
On the same subject, Amsoil evidently just reformulated their bike oil, and price went up from ~$5.50/quart to $8/quart. Rick_a, that sounds good, but I suppose that it could be that the Mobil1 is better at keeping contaminants in suspension and so it turns nasty looking. The Syn3 COULD be letting the contaminants settle out and therefore it looks clean. I would really like to see someone do detailed new and used oil analyses of Amsoil, Syn3, Mobil-1 V-twin 20W-50 MC oil, and Mobil-1 15W-50 car oil in a Harley/Buell air-cooled V-twin. So much oil info on the net is 4 or 5 years old, which makes it out of date because the manufacturers are regularly changing formulations. | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Of all the mechanics that ive talked to about oil and all the lab tests i have seen about USED oil. One thing SHINES THROUGH. Color isnt considered as anything much , its how CLEAN the oil is. Secondly breakdown viscosity. Esp discussions comparing fosil oil to syn oil. | ||
| Irish |
I just picked up an S3T. The oil is new but I dont't know the type or weight. Guess I'll be switching to Mobil 1. This is my first Buell and I'd like to keep it a while. | ||
| Oldog |
Irish: Welcome  | ||
| Gnomad |
What do you think about this? http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html Interesting info here. More stuff to think about. | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Save to say no need to buy amsoil. | ||
| Whodom |
Gnomad- interesting article. Sure wish someone would do a test that extensive with MC oil in a Buell. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Color isnt considered as anything much" I agree. I've always believed that it was contaminates of combustion that discolored oil and color had absolutely nothing to do with how good or bad an oil is (in an engine). | ||
| Rick_a |
So it's contaminants that change the color but they have no bearing. OK. I've had my rocker boxes apart with this SE stuff and had no deposits anywhere but a thin layer of burnt oil around my exhaust valves. I'm pretty that most of that occurred in the 2500 miles that I was using conventional oil. I had to get into the rocker boxes then, too...and it was quite smelly in there. I have a re-useable oil filter with a built in magnet to pick up ferrous metals. Next time I clean that out I should have a fair basis for comparison. | ||
| Mmmi_grad |
Penzoil uh NEW penzoil used to pour out of the bottle with a clearish look to it, kinda like syrup. I just got some the other day it was the darkest i have ever seen it. Kinda brown, years a go a friend showed me an empty and you could see some particles on the bottom of the qt bottle. I would have loved to been able to have those particles examined. Probley something from the machines that fill them though ...hey i dont know! | ||
| Rick_a |
I got that oil filter cleaned out. I found about the same amount of ferrous metal caught by the magnet, but much less crud in the filter media itself. What that means, I don't know. | ||
| Djcrysler |
Does anyone run amsoil in their xb? | ||
| Iamike |
I recently read a pretty extensive study on oils for cycles. If I can find it again I'll post a link. To cut many pages of analysis down to a couple of sentences: Any synthetic is leaps and bounds better than dino. Amsoil and Rotella are a little better than Mobile 1 since the M1 has a bit of molybdenum in which in larger quantities could cause clutch slippage (why you don't want to use any oil in the primary that says 'energy conserving' in the circle). I have used M1 for most of the 55,000mi. in my '99 because it is more readily available than the others. Also my next door neighbor has been using M1 in his Ford ZX2 and has over 200,000mi. on it and it still doesn't use oil. | ||
| Iamike |
I found it! http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Excellent Mike! Thanks! | ||
| Iamike |
Here's a good test comparison that Amsoil did on synthetics. http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2156.pdf | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Ok, while we are posting links, here are links, part I and part II, of an article that Sport Rider did a couple of year ago. They are the most complete explanations of oil and additives that I have found. http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0308_oil/index.html http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_oil/ |
