WHAT'S THE BEST OIL: HARLEY or AMSOIL
#1
12-23-2011 | 12:24 AM
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 343
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
WHAT'S THE BEST OIL: HARLEY or AMSOIL
Hey Guys 
At the present time I'm using H-D oil for my 1985 FLHTC.
I came across a guy who swears about the great performance he's getting in his engine & easy tranny shifting by using; AMSOIL.
He put in his tranny: AMSOIL WEIGHT 80-90
And in his engine: AMSOIL WEIGHT 10w40
What do you guys think about all this. Is AMSOIL a better oil for my Harley being that its a classic and would that SYTHETIC screw-up my engine & tranny ?
I'll wait before I consider buying it.
P.S. What stores carry AMSOIL Tranny & Engine Oil in Nevada ? __________________
Hey Guys
At the present time I'm using H-D oil for my 1985 FLHTC.
I came across a guy who swears about the great performance he's getting in his engine & easy tranny shifting by using; AMSOIL.
He put in his tranny: AMSOIL WEIGHT 80-90
And in his engine: AMSOIL WEIGHT 10w40
What do you guys think about all this. Is AMSOIL a better oil for my Harley being that its a classic and would that SYTHETIC screw-up my engine & tranny ?
I'll wait before I consider buying it.
P.S. What stores carry AMSOIL Tranny & Engine Oil in Nevada ?
At the present time I'm using H-D oil for my 1985 FLHTC.
I came across a guy who swears about the great performance he's getting in his engine & easy tranny shifting by using; AMSOIL.
He put in his tranny: AMSOIL WEIGHT 80-90
And in his engine: AMSOIL WEIGHT 10w40
What do you guys think about all this. Is AMSOIL a better oil for my Harley being that its a classic and would that SYTHETIC screw-up my engine & tranny ?
I'll wait before I consider buying it.
P.S. What stores carry AMSOIL Tranny & Engine Oil in Nevada ? __________________
Hey Guys
At the present time I'm using H-D oil for my 1985 FLHTC.
I came across a guy who swears about the great performance he's getting in his engine & easy tranny shifting by using; AMSOIL.
He put in his tranny: AMSOIL WEIGHT 80-90
And in his engine: AMSOIL WEIGHT 10w40
What do you guys think about all this. Is AMSOIL a better oil for my Harley being that its a classic and would that SYTHETIC screw-up my engine & tranny ?
I'll wait before I consider buying it.
P.S. What stores carry AMSOIL Tranny & Engine Oil in Nevada ?
#2
12-23-2011 | 12:50 AM
Seriously. K. There is a dedicated oil section. Read up on this topic. There are easily 1000 threads on this exact question.
Amsoil is good oil but honestly why use it in all 3 holes when manufacturers make a specific product for each one.
I like amsoil for the motor but red-line is also great. I use cheap rotella 15w-40 diesel oil in the primary,keeps clutch plates clean and resists shearing and red-line shock proof in the tranny. Neutral is easy to find with the shockproof,far better than engine oil.
Now the h-d syn 3 is a mix of group 2,3 and 4 basestocks. Group 2 is conventional,group 3 is a hydrocracked conventional and group 4 is synthetic. It's over-priced re-badged citgo oil and not worth the price when you can get better oils for the same or less money.
Now as far as oil goes and oil that meets the spec will do just fine when changed regularly. Do you need synthetic?NO. is it a better product?YES. Your motor isn't going to blow up if you use a lesser quality oil as long as you change it often. A good synthetic like amsoil or red-line will last 5000 miles easy and will pay for themselves due to less wrench time and more ride time. I wouldn't push the h-d syn 3 or any conventional past 3000 miles. Air cooled motors beat the heck out of oil and a synthetic will dissipate heat better as well as keep the internals cleaner however a conventional oil will protect just as well only it's changed more often.
To answer your question amsoil is better then syn 3. If your gonna change oil at 3000 miles anyway don't bother with the added cost of synthetic.
And synthetic oil isn't more slippery or any crap like that. It just lasts longer.
You decide. How often do you want to change the oil then choose accordingly.
And next time you have a question TRY THE SEARCH FUNCTION. I guarantee that it's been asked AND ANSWERED before.
Amsoil is good oil but honestly why use it in all 3 holes when manufacturers make a specific product for each one.
I like amsoil for the motor but red-line is also great. I use cheap rotella 15w-40 diesel oil in the primary,keeps clutch plates clean and resists shearing and red-line shock proof in the tranny. Neutral is easy to find with the shockproof,far better than engine oil.
Now the h-d syn 3 is a mix of group 2,3 and 4 basestocks. Group 2 is conventional,group 3 is a hydrocracked conventional and group 4 is synthetic. It's over-priced re-badged citgo oil and not worth the price when you can get better oils for the same or less money.
Now as far as oil goes and oil that meets the spec will do just fine when changed regularly. Do you need synthetic?NO. is it a better product?YES. Your motor isn't going to blow up if you use a lesser quality oil as long as you change it often. A good synthetic like amsoil or red-line will last 5000 miles easy and will pay for themselves due to less wrench time and more ride time. I wouldn't push the h-d syn 3 or any conventional past 3000 miles. Air cooled motors beat the heck out of oil and a synthetic will dissipate heat better as well as keep the internals cleaner however a conventional oil will protect just as well only it's changed more often.
To answer your question amsoil is better then syn 3. If your gonna change oil at 3000 miles anyway don't bother with the added cost of synthetic.
And synthetic oil isn't more slippery or any crap like that. It just lasts longer.
You decide. How often do you want to change the oil then choose accordingly.
And next time you have a question TRY THE SEARCH FUNCTION. I guarantee that it's been asked AND ANSWERED before.
#3
12-23-2011 | 01:28 AM
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,752
Likes: 143
From: On a Large Sandbar, NY
This subject has been discussed numerous times...but here is a link with the recommended Amsoil for HD...BTW, I am a fan of the product
http://www.amsoil.com/products/stree...spx?zo=1813824
http://www.amsoil.com/products/stree...spx?zo=1813824
#4
12-23-2011 | 01:45 AM
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 343
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
Thanks Shredding rubber -4- The Heads-Up
Hey Shredding rubber
You certainly cleared things up for me.
I will follow you suggestions.
THANKS AGAIN
You certainly cleared things up for me.
I will follow you suggestions.
THANKS AGAIN
Seriously. K. There is a dedicated oil section. Read up on this topic. There are easily 1000 threads on this exact question.
Amsoil is good oil but honestly why use it in all 3 holes when manufacturers make a specific product for each one.
I like amsoil for the motor but red-line is also great. I use cheap rotella 15w-40 diesel oil in the primary,keeps clutch plates clean and resists shearing and red-line shock proof in the tranny. Neutral is easy to find with the shockproof,far better than engine oil.
Now the h-d syn 3 is a mix of group 2,3 and 4 basestocks. Group 2 is conventional,group 3 is a hydrocracked conventional and group 4 is synthetic. It's over-priced re-badged citgo oil and not worth the price when you can get better oils for the same or less money.
Now as far as oil goes and oil that meets the spec will do just fine when changed regularly. Do you need synthetic?NO. is it a better product?YES. Your motor isn't going to blow up if you use a lesser quality oil as long as you change it often. A good synthetic like amsoil or red-line will last 5000 miles easy and will pay for themselves due to less wrench time and more ride time. I wouldn't push the h-d syn 3 or any conventional past 3000 miles. Air cooled motors beat the heck out of oil and a synthetic will dissipate heat better as well as keep the internals cleaner however a conventional oil will protect just as well only it's changed more often.
To answer your question amsoil is better then syn 3. If your gonna change oil at 3000 miles anyway don't bother with the added cost of synthetic.
And synthetic oil isn't more slippery or any crap like that. It just lasts longer.
You decide. How often do you want to change the oil then choose accordingly.
And next time you have a question TRY THE SEARCH FUNCTION. I guarantee that it's been asked AND ANSWERED before.
Amsoil is good oil but honestly why use it in all 3 holes when manufacturers make a specific product for each one.
I like amsoil for the motor but red-line is also great. I use cheap rotella 15w-40 diesel oil in the primary,keeps clutch plates clean and resists shearing and red-line shock proof in the tranny. Neutral is easy to find with the shockproof,far better than engine oil.
Now the h-d syn 3 is a mix of group 2,3 and 4 basestocks. Group 2 is conventional,group 3 is a hydrocracked conventional and group 4 is synthetic. It's over-priced re-badged citgo oil and not worth the price when you can get better oils for the same or less money.
Now as far as oil goes and oil that meets the spec will do just fine when changed regularly. Do you need synthetic?NO. is it a better product?YES. Your motor isn't going to blow up if you use a lesser quality oil as long as you change it often. A good synthetic like amsoil or red-line will last 5000 miles easy and will pay for themselves due to less wrench time and more ride time. I wouldn't push the h-d syn 3 or any conventional past 3000 miles. Air cooled motors beat the heck out of oil and a synthetic will dissipate heat better as well as keep the internals cleaner however a conventional oil will protect just as well only it's changed more often.
To answer your question amsoil is better then syn 3. If your gonna change oil at 3000 miles anyway don't bother with the added cost of synthetic.
And synthetic oil isn't more slippery or any crap like that. It just lasts longer.
You decide. How often do you want to change the oil then choose accordingly.
And next time you have a question TRY THE SEARCH FUNCTION. I guarantee that it's been asked AND ANSWERED before.
#5
12-23-2011 | 05:14 AM
Road Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,121
Likes: 3
From: Mass.
Oil, oil, oil and opinions, opinions, opinions! The subject will never end. All I can add is that I've been using Syn3 in my '05 Road Glide 75K and '92 FXRT/RLE 32K with no problems. One reason is that I want the extra protection and I can get it. There's a usually a Harley dealer close enough to buy a quart of oil from everywhere. And they all carry Syn3.
A word of caution though, if you put synthetic oil in and older engine it will seek out any weak spots in the gaskets and you'll have leaks. The synthetic flows much better than dino at the same viscosity. I wanted the extra protection of Syn3 in my FXRT because of the sidecar. I put it in and it came out.......everywhere. LOL! So I changed out the top end gaskets and it's been 25K with no problems.
A word of caution though, if you put synthetic oil in and older engine it will seek out any weak spots in the gaskets and you'll have leaks. The synthetic flows much better than dino at the same viscosity. I wanted the extra protection of Syn3 in my FXRT because of the sidecar. I put it in and it came out.......everywhere. LOL! So I changed out the top end gaskets and it's been 25K with no problems.
#6
12-23-2011 | 07:18 AM
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 701
Likes: 1
From: The Great Southwest Desert
Neither is better. Use a mixture of baby oil and cheap scotch whisky.
What the world needs now is another oil thread!
And which tire is better? Dunlop or Shinko? Or car tires? Should I do a search? Nah!
What the world needs now is another oil thread!
And which tire is better? Dunlop or Shinko? Or car tires? Should I do a search? Nah!
#7
12-23-2011 | 07:20 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 177
From: East Coast
First Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive oil is my favorite. Here are others. (read the poll results):
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/oil-a...ghlight=amzoil
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/oil-a...ghlight=amzoil
Trending Topics
#8
12-23-2011 | 08:12 AM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 11
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
The only thing I have to say on oil is: 1. Make sure it meets factory specs. 2. Don't mix oil brands or switch back and forth, find a brand and stick with it as sometimes the additives used in different oils don't mix well. 3. Use engine oil in the engine, primary oil/ATF in the primary (some engine oils are either too slippery or too thick, both of which will cause problems), and some type of gearbox oil in the gear box as this type of oil resists shearing off of the contact surfaces. As a bonus you can use different colored oils in each hole making finding the source of a leak much easier. We use bikers choice(amsoil) in the engines, Castrol type VI ATF in the primary, and Royal purple (viscosity depends on ambient temperature) in the tranny. Hope this helps.
John
John
#9
12-23-2011 | 09:37 AM
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,944
Likes: 1,812
From: Ohio
The engines I have been associated with for 30 years average 300,000 to 700,000 miles before overhauls without miracle syn oils, I'll take this experiance to my Evo with dino and ride the h$ll out of it and have some jingle to buy my buddy a beer.
Syn 3 seemed to show up about the time of hot running EPA restricted Twinkees, the marketed cure to offset the lean running engine was this miracle tonic to help protect your investment, brilliant marketing strategy. Diagnosing the root cause of the complaint or failure is what my occupation has adapted to and not band-aid it, tune your god d@mn engine to the proper AFR's and eliminate the heat and hopefully HD will take away some focus of getting rich on Syn 3 and channel board meetings to better compensate HD parts people so I don't have to look up my own parts.
If I take a quart of Syn 3 to my shovel riding buddies, they will try and mix it with Tequila
Syn 3 seemed to show up about the time of hot running EPA restricted Twinkees, the marketed cure to offset the lean running engine was this miracle tonic to help protect your investment, brilliant marketing strategy. Diagnosing the root cause of the complaint or failure is what my occupation has adapted to and not band-aid it, tune your god d@mn engine to the proper AFR's and eliminate the heat and hopefully HD will take away some focus of getting rich on Syn 3 and channel board meetings to better compensate HD parts people so I don't have to look up my own parts.
If I take a quart of Syn 3 to my shovel riding buddies, they will try and mix it with Tequila
Last edited by 1997bagger; 12-23-2011 at 09:50 AM. Reason: 3rd grade education
#10
12-23-2011 | 10:22 AM
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,008
Likes: 4,363
From: Haslet Texas
For what it is worth I run Amsoil 20w-50 in my primary and engin, and amsoil sever gear 75-140 in my tranny. Is it better? Hell I don't know but I can tell you a story told me by a local indy. They told me they ran an experiment and ran Amsoil in a bike to try it. They said they changed the oil filter every 2500 miles and changed the oil every 5k. At 125k was the first motor problem (a lifter went bad). I'm not sure how this stackes up to regular oil but to me it seemed like good insurance.
