I hear you about the HD Formula Plus. And that is why I decided I am going to switch to it pretty soon. But I wanted to cause some debate and headaches amongst The fellow members of the forum ....

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I agree Amsoil 1 or Redline,Redline first choice ......................... JMO

 

And please anyone that read my last post don't take offense. If you have owned a Sportster longer than 6 weeks you are an expert to me. I just meant maybe someone had numbers they could share as to how different oils compared.

 

Jay. You are so polite !!!
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Joe just on here and because I'm new. In person...totally diferent person. Just know my place and in what forum. People give info I am always thankful. Might help me get to a point where I'm the "Expert" or have the knowledge to share.

 

The auto additives to avoid are friction modifiers designed to make oil even more slippery than it already is to promote better gas mileage in cars. If an oil has these additives it may make the oil so slippery that the clutch will slip and could cause excessive clutch wear or even failure. Also if an oil has these additives it will say "energy conserving" in the API circle on the back of the bottle..

Unlike Harleys, most motorcycles have wet clutches and transmission gears sharing the same oil. Mobil 1 motorcycle oil, and every motorcycle oil I can think of, is designed to be safe in a wet clutches and in transmission gears at the same time, and they do not have any friction modifiers that need to be avoided. So yes, any motorcycle engine oil of the proper weight should be safe in the trans.

 

Amsoil makes a great product, you can also use there 20/50 in your primary as well. So you can kill two birds with one stone.

 

I am at 3600 miles and just switched my engine oil today to Mobile 1 20w50 full synthetic.

 

Thinking or running Amsoil. From what I'm reading I should be good to use the 20W-50 in both the engine and tranny? Just want to make sure because this would be much easier than buying two different types or oil.

 

Here is the Harley Davidson - Amsoil chart (http://www.amsoil.com/products/stree...oil_chart.aspx ) that shows the recommendation for all HD engine types/Engine-Trans-Primary ... in our case in particular (Ironheads / Evolution Sportsters) the same oil is recommended for both engine / primary+ transmission (Amsoil MCV Motorcycle Oil), also in that page there is Cross Reference table that indicates that Amsoil MCV 20W-50 is a direct replacement for HD Formula Plus (HD Part #: 99851-05):



Link to MCV 20W-50 Details: http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/mcv.aspx

Excerpt from that page:
"APPLICATIONS
AMSOIL Synthetic 20W-50 Motorcycle Oil is recommended for air or liquid cooled 4-stroke engines. It meets SAE 90, API GL-1 gear oil requirements and is recommended for transmissions and primary chaincases. AMSOIL MCV is recommended for Harley Davidson®, Buell®, KTM, Ducati®, Aprilia®, BMW®, Triumph® and other motorcycles where 15W-50 or 20W-50 engine oils or SAE 90, GL-1 gear oils are used. Not recommended where an API GL-4 or GL-5 gear oil is required."

So.. it seems clear that Amsoil MCV 20W-50 Motorcycle Oil is safe for use in Sportster's engines / Primary+Transmission..


This is from Royal Purple's website (source: http://royalpurple.com/faqs-motorcycle.html ):

What oil do you recommend for Harley Davidson motorcycles?

For Evolution and Twin Cam motors, Royal Purple’s Max-Cycle 20W50 is recommended. For Sportsters and Buell motorcycles, Royal Purple’s Max-Cycle 10W40 may be used. Check your owner’s manual for verification or contact Royal Purple’s Automotive Technical Department at 888-382-6300.

What do you recommend for the primary tank and transmission?

Royal Purple Max-Cycle 10W30, 10W40 or 20W50 motor oil may be used in the primary tank. For transmissions, Royal Purple recommends Max-Cycle 20W50 or Max-Gear 75W90. NOTE: DO NOT use Max-Gear lubricants in the primary.

Many of us have been using Gear Oil in the Primary (Mobil 1 75W90, Royal Purple Max Gear, etc)... it is clear to me that this is a mistake... opinions?
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