Hi All,

Can someone help me out with this.

I have been given all kinds of recommendation for the best engine oil for my Sportster (2014 Sportster iron 883).
Some say Amsoil fully synthetic is the best. Others say semi synthetic is the best.
The local Harley dealer here recommend and use HD SAE60 or HD SAE20W50 engine oil.. I think these 2 are mineral based, and they claim running fully synthetic would make the engine sound noisy (higher knocking sounds) because fully syn is very thin.

I live in a country where the climate is always between 26 and 34 celcius, (78.8 to 93.2 Fahrenheit).
I don't do long haul trips. I mostly ride in the city (many stop and go) and city to city trips (60kms apart) once or twice a week the most.
What engine oil should I use and why would you recommend it?

Thanks
Marcus

 

If an oil is 20W50 I can't see how synthetic can be thinner than mineral. That seems strange to me.

Reading on here some folk have been running HD mineral oil all their bike's life without any issues.

 

An oil question? I'm not falling for it!

 

Any quality 20W50 should work fine. I use Castrol GTX for my engine oil.

John

 

RTFM. If it don't work sue the company for negligence! lol.

 

Valvoline 20W50 4 stroke or Valvoline 20W50 VR1 Racing for the high zinc.
Note it says not for use with catalytic converters which I don't have tho I know guys that use it with them with no ill effects.
Some cam manufacturers actually recommend it as well.
The 4 stroke is under $5/quart at wally world and I change my oil too often to fall into the Mobil 1 Syn hype which is the only benefit of synthetic as far as I'm concerned. Extended oil changes. But if you want to follow the masses...

 

In your climate, a straight SAE60 would be perfectly acceptable. It will perform much better in the constant heat than multi-grade oils will.

 

Ton of good oils out there but if you have any questions about which oil to use why not go right to the H-D dealer and buy the 20/50 or Syn3 ?

 

About 15 years ago Motorcycle Consumer News magazine ran a series of tests on dyno and synthetic motor oil brands for air-cooled V-twin engines. Not one single brand passed all of the tests and all of the brands they tested were good. What stood out was that in ALL of the tests, synthetic motor oil always beat dyno motor oil, particularly in keeping the engine cool. This magazine has always been noted for not taking advertisements so they could bash whoever they wanted, Honda or Harley.

If you drive in moderate climate and/or conditions and change it frequently, dyno is fine. Otherwise, you probably should use your favorite brand of synthetic.

For what it's worth, synthetic motor oil was invented in WWII for fighter aircraft which had radial engines (think of V-twins in a circle).

 

Historical Facts(borrowed from wayback machine since synlube website was down)

1877
C. Friedler and J.M. Crafts synthesize the first "synthetic" hydrocarbons.

1913
Friedrich Bergius in Germany develops Hydrogenation process for production of synthetic oil from coal dust

1921
Standard Oil in USA produces one barrel of synthetic oil from one ton of shale rock

1921
Friedrich Bergius in Germany develops commercial process for hydrogenation of coal to synthetic oil

1925
In Germany Franz Fisher and Hans Tropsch develop Synthetic Oil industrial production process

1926
I.G. Farben acquired the patent rights to the Bergius hydrogenation process for production of synthetic oil from coal

1927
I.G. Farben's Leuna works start synthetic oil production

1929
Standard Oil of Indiana makes the first attempt at commercial development of synthetic hydrocarbons

Many gallons of synthetic oil were made by polymerization of different olefins.

1930-34
Union Carbide and Carbon Corp develop and investigate the applications of water soluble Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG)

1931
Nobel Prize for Chemistry:
Friedrich Bergius & Carl Bosch

Invention and development of chemical high pressure methods (used for synthetic oil production)

1932
I.G. Farben investment into synthetic fuels production from coal

1936
Adolf Hitler in Germany starts Major synthetic fuels and oil program

1937
First Polyalphaolefins were synthesized

1939
Fischer-Tropsh process that used carbon monoxide and hydrogen to make synthetic oils and fuels was commercialized in Germany

1942-45
PAG synthetic oils used in fleets and commercial vehicles

1944-1954
10% of German supply of lubricating oil is "synthetic", made by using three different processes

1944
US Army aircraft operating in Alaska and Canada use PAG engine oils

1944-45
The idea of using colloidal solids in synthetic fluids for lubrication of the first jet engines is tested and researched in Germany

1946
National Carbide Company, Inc. markets the "First" commercial PAG engine oils

Prestone Motor Oil

1946
New York Power & Light Corp uses PAG engine oils in variety of their commercial vehicles.

1942-1955
Diester oils used in turbine engines because Petroleum oil simply was inadequate to meet the demands of these engines.

1962
Texaco produces Synthetic Aircraft Turbine Oil

1962-66
U.S. Army experiences significant problems in operating vehicles and equipment in Alaska with
MIL-L-10295 Lubricating Oil.

1965
Mobil introduces fully synthetic grease

1966
First Syn! Synthetic Super Lubricants produced in Canada

1966
Motul introduces first semi-synthetic motor oil in France

1968

U.S. Army develops MIL-L-46167 specification, which can be satisfied only with PAO synthetic oil

1969
SynLube Company is formed in Vancouver, B.C. Canada – it’s specialty the first "syn-sol".

1970’s
Arab Oil embargo prompts interest in "synthetic" oils

1971
Motul in France introduces first all-synthetic oil in Europe

1972
AMSOIL is formed and markets re-labeled MIL specification oils to motoring public through multi-level "pyramid" type organization.

1974
Mobil test markets Mobil 1 synthetic SAE 5W-20 "synthesized engine lubricant"

1976
Mobil 1 goes national in USA and changes the product description to "synthetic" motor oil

1980
Mobil introduces second generation synthetic motor oil Mobil 1 available as SAE 5W-30 and 15W-50

1982
SynLube in Canada produces first SAE 5W-50 all synthetic motor oil

1984
Agip in Italy introduces synthetic motor oil SAE 10W-50

1985
U.S. Army uses the MIL-L-46167 lubes in other than arctic conditions.

1986
Mobil only in Europe introduces Rally Formula Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil SAE 5W-50

1990
Quaker State introduces line of Synquest synthetic lubricants: grease NLGI No.2 GC-LB, motor oil SAE 5W-50 and gear oil SAE 75W-90

1990
SynLube opens sales office in Las Vegas, Nevada USA

1990
Chevron introduces synthetic motor oil

SAE 5W-30 and 5W-50

1992
Mobil introduces Advanced Formula Mobil 1 motor oil SAE 5W-30, 10W-30 and 15W-50

1992
Formulation of first SAE 0W-60 motor oil in Germany

1992
Valvoline introduces synthetic motor oil

SAE 5W-30, 10W-30 and 20W-50

1992
CASTROL introduces Syntec SAE 5W-50 motor oil based on PAO

1993
Texaco introduces Havoline Synthetic motor oil SAE 5W-40

1993
Pennzoil introduces Performax synthetic motor oil SAE 5W-50

1993
Sunoco introduces DynaTech synthetic engine oils SAE 20W-50 and 5W-40

1993
Sta-Lube launches marketing of synthetic gear oils and synthetic industrial grease

1994
Pep Boys starts selling synthetic motor oil under their own brand name

SAE 5W-30, 10W-30 and 20W-50

1994
Petrolon introduces synthetic motor oil under Slick 50 brand name

1994
Synthoil starts marketing of SAE 10W-30 synthetic motor oil

1992
CASTROL reformulates Syntec motor oils with API Group III (petroleum) base stock from Shell

1996
SynLube introduces SynLube™ Lube-4-Life ®
"The FIRST oil you do NOT change" !

1999
Mobil introduces Mobil 1 "Tri-synthetic" version of their motor oil

1999
NAD rules that hydroisomerized base oils (Group III) can be classified as "synthetic oils"

1999
Exxon and Mobil merges to ExxonMobil.

2000
Mobil 1 introduces Synthetic-Blend motor oil

2002
Mobil 1 introduces Synthetic motor oil with SuperSyn.