OK, that got my attention.
I got to checking and at TheOilWarehouse.com, the semi-syn racing 20W-50 is actually cheaper than the straight dino m/c 20W-50, and comes out to only $5.25 a qt with shipping.
Looks like I'll be switching to Brad Penn at my next oil change in a couple thousand miles...

 

I am going to try the 50wt racing oil next oil change.

 

Not true.

The only problem with using oil without the Zinc additive has been excess wear on flat tappets, that is why the auto manufacturers have gone to roller tappets. Since Harleys use roller tappets, it is not needed.

If your bike has a catalytic exhaust, it is not the stuff to use.

But as long as the bike/car doesn`t have a catalytic exhaust, and at the price, it looks like an excellent oil.

 

I just put Brad Penn 50 wt in my bike on Friday for the upcoming AZ summer. I can get it from a local shop for around $5.25 which is cheaper than the HD360 I was running. They've gotten good reviews and I like that they're made in the USA from the well to the bottle so I figured I'd support them by buying a case to see how it works out.

 

I have seen this stuff in a Dirt late model 355 small block that had hit 185 degrees and ruined a head. The oil in the valley looked new, the oil coming out of the pan still was green the only spot that showed any discoloring was around the exhaust valve that finally locked in the guide. THIS STUFF IS THE BEST OIL I HAVE EVER SEEN! Period. I wouldnt run the 20w50 race oil in the newer bikes though, could ruin the O2 sensors from all the Zinc. I just ordered a case at 4.70 pr quart. This stuff is the best on the market and it stays thick and fluid. I used to run Royal Purple Vtwin oil. It gets VERY thin at 220 degrees. this Brad Penn still held its thickness/viscosity at 180 in a liquid cooled engine, and that oil was was 260 degrees according to our oil temp guage in the late model.

AWSOME STUFF!!

 

ZDDP will not harm O2 sensors. The issue is catalytic converters. Supposedly, ZDDP will "poison" the cats and make them less effective. My take on that: Who gives a crap? Contrary to popular opinion, ZDDP will not "clog" the cat (like lead in gas would back when you could get leaded gas). It MAY (eventually) reduce the ability of the cat to "convert," but, again, who cares? The minuscule amount of "pollution" a bike puts out with or without cats is irrelevant in the bigger picture.

 

Im running an older carb model So no worries here.

 

As for zinc in oil ruining catalytic converters, the world ran high-ZDDP oils in flat-tappet automobile engines with cats for decades and I don't recall any widespread cat failures as a result...

 

Brad Penn sounds like it's great stuff. But, my EVO has had Castrol GTX 20-50 in it since new, and the Castrol has such a great reputation in Harley's, I will probably stick with it.

 

I put 1000 miles on the Brad Penn this weekend. Of course, without a UOA I don't know how it's actually doing chemically, but from a performance standpoint it's working perfectly. After 1000 miles in 90-100 degree heat it's still clear green and my bike didn't use a drop.

Also, there isn't a hint of foam. I can jump off the bike after a 100 mile leg, pull the stick, and there won't be any bubbles or foam. The only reason I mention that is because right after I put it in and took it for a short test run it was really foamy. It's never foamed like that again so I don't know what happened. Maybe it was full of air from just being poured into the oil pan or something? Anyway, it was an anomaly, whatever it was.