Is using syn 3 ok?

 

I guess no one likes to answer this one [sm=biker2.gif] :-)

 

Welcome to the board!!! Most people will expect you to use the search function here. There is plenty of debates on which oil to use on the forum. As I said it is a debate, so what is better Chevy or Ford? Check into Mobile 1, Amsoil, etc they are all good.

 

Syn 3 is pretty good oil and you will be fine with it in the engine. Some will say diffrent but there are to many guys I know with tons of miles with no problems using the Syn 3. The biggest majority of the riders I know use it here in my area.

Take Care,
Bill G

 

Using it in what? Check your service manual. Depending on the bike, HD recommends their 360 oil for the engine and Formula + for the transmission and primary.

 

Yes, Syn 3 is OK but not as good as other, less expensive, alternatives IMHO.

The advice to "look in your owner's manual" is OK as far as determining what weight and SAE class you need BUT remember that the MOCO is pushing their own brand and has consistantly bidded out their specs to the lowest bidder. For years they said synthetics were BAD for Harleys!

With alternate oils like Redline, Amsoil and Mobile one, just to name a few, available for less money , using Syn 3 is not your best move.

In all the tests I've seen, Syn 3 is the LEAST effective oil compared to the synthetic alternatives that are its major competition. Further, it is only a semi syn and they are charging three times what other semi syns are sold for. The others I mentioned are full synthetics and Redline is even a class 5 synthetic, the most expensive base they can use.

Summing up, syn 3 is better, IMO, than dino but an expensive, inferior alternative to truly good MC specific syns offered by other brands. It will, however, be adequate or more than adequate to use in your bike if you don't mind paying more for less.

EZ

 

Agree with EZ,.....Syn3 is probably the most expensive, and you're only getting an Ok oil at best. Might as well pay a little less and get a better oil.

 

It's absolutely great for dealer profits. I used it for several years but switched to Mobil 1 vtwin 20w50. It's the same price at my local AutoZone as the Syn3 at the dealer.

 

Syn 3 is ok in the engine and yes Harley recomends on the 07 models in the owners manual the Formula + in the trany and primary and no longer recomends the Syn 3 in the trany and primary. Harley says Syn 3 is an upgrade over the regular H-D 20/50 360 oil.

Some of the other posters say that Syn 3 test lower than other oils, I have only seen that on Amsoils test and I question that my self.

I trust theMOCO in general about specifications. They come newwith a 2 year unlimited milage warranty and a few diffrent exstended warranty options. I do not think they would recommend a specificoil that would cause them any problems due to poor quality over time that they would have to pay for, you have to give the MOCO some credit in this area.

NOTE
Below is the last paragraph or the conclusionof Motorcycle Consumer News oil investigation update from 2003 about the Harley Davidson Syn 3 and H-D 360 oil test against several other main stream oils and this is what they had to say at the end in conclusion to the test. I tend to believe this due to no agenda being placed on the test by Motorcycle Consumer news, they only wanted to compare H-D oils to others & find out if it was the same as Citgo oil like so many say. They found it to be diffrent in a few major waysand it rated right in there with the rest over all.

MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS OIL INVESTIGATION UPDATE 2003.... CONCLUSION TO TESTBELOW

So, what is Harley Davidson oil? it seems H-D oil is pretty well formulated oil for your engine. It does test on the upper end of the viscosity scale for it's rating with the Syn3 slightly thicker than the mineral-based H-D oils; It was actually the highest vicosity tested. The TBN is among the highest tested and it contains no Molybdenum. All in all it's everything we all say we want in an oil.

Take Care all,
Bill G

 

It's a good oil. I sent some Mobil 1 15w-50 gold cap, some Mobil 1 V-Twin 20w-50, and some Syn # 20w-50 to an independent lab for testing. The specs showed that the V-Twin was the best, followed by the Gold Cap, with the Syn 3 at the back of this group. The differences between the V-Twin and Gold Cap were very minor, not justifying the much higher V-twin price of the V-Twin. The Syn 3 is a good oil, but way, way over-priced. And it is made by Citgo, a company 100% owned by the Venezuelean government.