I have been using Castrol 20-50W in all of my bikes for over 30 years, never a problem.

 

Valvoline VR 1 60 wt has friction mods.zddp that most oils have,including HD single wt.

 

You've got to be baiting us, but even if so I'll bite.

Excuse my choice of words, but this is baloney. In all independent tests of oils that I've seen, all by MC magazines, the "car" oils performed as well as the MC-specific variants. One that was emphasized was Mobil 1 15w50, and it was an excellent performer on all the tests. No matter how often the car-oil myth is debunked here, it will never go away. It's similar to the "scating bearing" myth floating around years ago about using synthetic oil in HD's. It's now dead, but it took years to kill it.

I used a synthetic "car" oil in my old RK and it ran for 106k miles before I sold it, and there was no measurable change in compression, oil consumption, or performance in that nine-year period. So if this is bad for an air-cooled engine, how long before the effects will show up?

You can recommend Amsoil, and someone else Redline, yet another some other brand. The fact is that there are a number of excellent choices in synthetic oils, and I've never seen any objective tests that shows one to be superior to all others in all tests and under all conditions and applications. Amsoil is in the top-rung of synthetic products, but Redline, Royal Purple, Mobil 1 among others are also riding on that tier.

 

This is true, and most manufacturers will advise not to use racing oil in a street bike.

 

Most of the major synthetic players (Mobil 1, Redline, Royal Purple, Amsoil) have a CF rating. HD lists CF4, CG4, CH4, and CI4--but only Royal Purple carries both a CF and CF4 rating that I'm aware of. The way they mention it in the HD manual, it doesn't sound like this list is exclusive, however. I think this requirement is baloney like the "car" oil myth, but if you are in the warranty period it might be advisable to use an oil that is at least CF rated.

 

Guys I did some research, the result is interesting.

As a Porsche owner, I was trying to find out if any oil company or oil brand came up with a special oil for 1998 & earlier Porsches (all 911s were air cooled before 1998), but the result came out with a big ZERO! Not even a single attempt from the small or big oil companies to market a special oil for the expensive air cooled Porsches. In my opinion Porsche owners would'veeaten the bait if such a product was offered at that time, but Porsche Germanyis still using & recommending Mobil 1 for the new water cooled 911s as they did recommend it for the older air cooled 911s. So I think its nothing but apure marketing strategy to fool people like us, empty our pockets & leave uswith a big smile on the face!!

[sm=closed.gif]

 

check the product info for" Valvoline VR1" racing oil and their MC 20-50,also havoline,s 20-50.ICar oil. Icould see no appreciable difference in additives,etc...VS any conventional MC specific oil.

 

No particular response to any one...does anyone know the " product info stats" on HD 360 oil.I can find nothing on it anywhere.Just had a little time on my hands today.

 

SPEND THE MONEY
Use a good synthitic motor oil (20-50) in your bike.

You may get away with it, but if you don't its $7K to replace a engine (parts + labor)

Good oil is such cheap insurance.
...gene

 

Make sure you use a oil that says on the bottle designed for wet clutches in your primary. Always put wet clutch designed oil in the primary; gear lube in the transmission and motor oil in the engine. Period!