Hey all,

I am just about 1000 miles away from servicing all three holes. I plan on using Mobil 1 15/50 in the engine and primary and 75/90 in the trans. Sound ok? Anyone else using this setup?

 

Here's my 2 cents on the oil choice for the motor. I have had 5 Hogs over 7 years and have used Mobil 1 15-50 in all of them. Never a hitch. Had a cam job done and the mech commented on how slick it was. I didn't tell him. It might void my warranty. Who knows about HD anymore?

 

15W50 is automotive oil. Not recommended for motorcycles. Use the Mobil 1 or Amsoil 20W50 motorcycle oil.

Your clutch willthank you forit!

Steve

 

That's only true for bikes whose clutches share the oil with the crankcase. Harleys don't fall into this category.

 

I've used the 15-50wt mobil 1 for 30k.. no probs. read the article on the Night Rider site about oils..real tests, real data, by indp. party's.. No oil co. B.S...just facts..I use Redline heavy duty shock proof in the gear box.torco in the primary.. Steve

 

Been using Mobil 1 15W-50 in both my bikes over the past four years. I do all my own engine work so I get to see first hand how clean and well protected the internals are. I made my decision years back after reading several articles like the one on the nightrider site, and hearing first hand accounts by satisfied users over on harley tech talk. There is a higher concentration of moly in it, which is good for the engine, but not so great for clutches. So while there are some people who've run it in their primaries without issue, I do not take that chance. I use automatic transmission fluid...it is made for wet clutch operation, and does not have additives that may cause your clutch plates to slip. Been real happy with Valvoline high mileage ATF.

I'm also a convert to extended oil drain intervals. I run my 15-50 for 7500 miles, with filter changes ever 2500 miles and top offs whenever necessary.

My tranny gets the best...Redline shockproof heavy and has been getting changed once a year...however, I'm going to up that to every two years as there is virtually no wear or debris occuring and the oil looks like new. FYI: Amsoil claims their Gear Lube is a "lifetime" lubricant in manual transmissions...If anything, I consider the Redline superior and have no worries whatsoever of extending the service intervals on the tranny fluid.

 

Mobil 1 15w-50 in a 5 qt jug at Walmart = $23. 3.5 qts for the motor, and 1.5 for the primary.
Mobil 1 75w90 gear lube in a 1 qt jug at Walmart = $8 = 28-30oz for the transmission.

Been using it for 15000 miles in my ride with no problems at all, and I had the motor apart his winter for some upgrades and everything was still looking like brand new.

Steve

 

so 15/50 eh? You mean I don't have to spend 8 buck a quart for mobil 1 vtwin 20/50 anymore??

 

I like the 20-50 Mobil 1 syn. forhere inthe South, but it's getting harder to find! I used to run straight 50 or 60 wt. air cooled aircraft engine oil in my old Shovel down here in the steamy South for decades andI'm still on the original factory rings! I changed the Shovel every 2000 miles though

Seahag, I have to get my lowers painted, your's look so good!!!

 

Baloney. The car-oil vs. motorcycle-oil argument is bogus. I ran a car oil (not Mobil 1) in my old Evo RK for 106k miles, now at 115k, and never removed the heads nor had any engine trouble on that bike. In 1998 the static compression was 155/160 and in 2006 it was 160/160, and oil consumption never increased over that period.

Coincidentally, I just talked with a Mobil 1 tech specialist at a Mobil 1 NASCAR event I was working just yesterday. In a long discussion, he said the 15w50 is almost identical to the VT 20w50 and will serve well in an HD motor, which is something I already knew based on several tests by MC magazines. Anyway, we're talking about the engine, which is unrelated to the clutch pack since the two do not share oil. With all due respect, if you don't know this you shouldn't be giving advise on oil. The primary doesn't need more than an inexpensive fossil engine oil (e.g., Castrol GTX), preferably one without moly or other friction modifiers.