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oil - synthetic or not

hotrains

New Member
i have a 98 fatboy. i have heard that synthetic oil is better, last longer, etc. however, some people i have talked to say to stick with HD brand oil. does HD make synthetic? and which is better, regular or synthetic? if HD makes synthetic, should i use theirs or can i use another brand?
 
I'm not real sure which is better, I hear if you have an air cooled motor senthetic is good stuff. I heard a story this weekend about mobile 1, how it was put in a corvette, after many trips to many different shops, and many engineers scratching their heads cause the thing would"nt stay running, they shipped it to california to a manufacture, anyway, the scientist finally figured out that the motor was running so cool, that some sensor was commpletly fooled and they readjusted somthing to fix it. sounds like a good sinthetic oil to me.
 
i have a 98 fatboy. i have heard that synthetic oil is better, last longer, etc. however, some people i have talked to say to stick with HD brand oil. does HD make synthetic? and which is better, regular or synthetic? if HD makes synthetic, should i use theirs or can i use another brand?

Synthetic oil is a better choice in an air cooled motor like the Harleys because it will not break down as fast as a dino oil will. It withstands higher temps before loosing it's properties and will provide a reduction in operating temps in the motor beside giving superior lubricating properties. It's not that it really lasts longer as many suggest the same change intervals as with din oil but some push it a bit further trying to justify the price difference.
I use synthetics in every bike I have had and changed them at 2500 miles with a filter.
Harley does not make synthetic oil. Their Syn 3 is made by Citgo Petroleum who is Hugo Chavez. There are MANY better choices than this oil and it is not a true synthetic to boot.
Brands like Mobil 1 V Twin, Redline, Spectro and some others are excellent choices here.

Synthetic Oils In New Motors - Harley Davidson Community

Also take a look through the oil section here...

Oil Related Tips - Harley Davidson Community
 
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Go with Syth .. most of the high end cars come with mobile on right from the factory
 
I switched to Synthetic about 3 years ago in my bike. I now run it in everything, car, truck, tractor, anything that takes oil. Well worth the extra bucks!
 
I use Mobil 1 V Twin 20/50 n my Deuce. I also use Mobil 1 in all my vehicles and my 2nd lawntractor. Been using it 20 years and will continue to do so. Great stuff.
 
synthetic will definately handle heat better without breaking down like conventional oil. I have a '97 Fatboy and have been using Mobil one VTwin 20W/50 4 cycle fully synthetic and have had no problems. It can be purchased at Auto Zone or Pep Boys and isn't to expensive ($8.00).
 
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