as far as engine oils.......... 6 one way, half a dozen the other
the main diff is that in many import motorcycles, the clutch shares engine oil, and some additives will cause the clutch to slip. this does not apply in harleys since the clutch has its own separate oil bath.

 

Just after Mobil1 V-twin oil hit the market I called and spoke to a person "chemical engineer" (hasn't everybody by the sound of it?)who told me he would keep using 15W-50 auto formula in his own H-D big twin because it has more moly in it than the V-Twin formula, and went on to explain the V-Twin formula isn't ideal for H-D because it's been altered from what would be optimum for a H-D so that the metrics can use it without clutch slippage.Sounded reasonable to me......Don't forget, Mobil1 V-Twin formula isNOT a H-D specific formulated oil!

This conversation took place before the Motorcycle ConsumerNews oil articles, so I wasn't surprised attheir findings.

 

I asked my Mom about what oil I should use........now understand she is 77 and don't know crap about oil......in fact she hasn't had a drivers license for 30 years......and she doesn't remember so good anymore......but she highly recommends Mobil1 Vtwin 20w50 for the engine, Redline Shockproof Heavy 75w250 gear oil for the trans and Redline 70w80 MTL for the primary.

I'm not certain how she knows all this but you sure don't want to start an argument with her...especially when she's drinkin........so if you boys know whats good for ya better get to Autozone and get some Mobil1Vtwin. Because Mom says:"You are a bovine sisifiedidiot if ya don't...cuz everybody who has a brain in their damn head knows a Harley is an air cooled cycle".

 

[sm=funnypostabove.gif]

 

so which oil do you use in a v-rod???????

 

That's a fact,the only difference between the 15w-50 and the 20w-50 V-Twin is the label. You can get all the advertising copy you want from Mobil 1 on the V-Twin oil having motorcycle specific additives but no facts.

The 15 winter number is derived from testing how well the oil flows through a specific sized passage at a specified cold temperature. Obviously if the oilpassed as a 15 winter weight it passes as a 20 winter weight. All Mobil 1 did was create a new motorcycle label and paste it on bottlesfilled with 15w-50 "automotive" oil.

As that old MCN article points out, all that motorcycle "specific formulated oil" is just BS.

 

You're pretty close. Here's the virgin oil analysis of both M1 V-Twin and M1 15W-50 per an independent lab:

Silicon: M1 15W-50: 9ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50:10ppm
Boron: M1 15W-50: 228ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 188ppm
Sodium: M1 15W-50: 13ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 3ppm
Magnesium: M1 15W-50: 43ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 538ppm
Calcium: M1 15W-50: 2464ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1899ppm
Phosphorus: M1 15W-50: 1193ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1142ppm
Zinc: M1 15W-50: 1315ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1352ppm
Molybdenum: M1 15W-50: 90ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 0ppm

Mobil formulated its V-Twin to be compatible with all the import V-Twin bikes as well as H-D's, but it is not H-D specific. This is why (at least as I understand it) they dropped molybdenum in the V-Twin variant- to prevent any prospective problems with the shared-sump wet clutches in jap bikes.
Here's a link to the thread containing the article where I got the information:
https://www.hdforums.com/m_1379162/m...tm.htm#1408675

 

It doesn't matter. Nobody ever wants to own and ride one long enough to wear it out.

 

Now that IS cold, I don't care what Bill Clinton says the meaning of Is, IS!

EZ

 

This is reason enough for me to prefer the 15w50 over the VT variant, not to mention the heavy price advantage. Any oil I put in any of my engines, even my mower, must have a moderate amount of moly in the formula.