Best oil for a Harley Evo

flyenby · 04-08-2017, 06:22 PM

I have a 97 Harley Softail Evo motor...what is the best oil to use in motor ? Thanks

KFC911 · 04-08-2017, 06:26 PM

Whatever tooks good on your garage floor

scottmandue · 04-08-2017, 06:32 PM

We have a couple Harley guys here, I'm sure one of them will chime in.

Jeff Higgins · 04-08-2017, 06:35 PM

The standard, non-synthetic Harley branded 20W-50.

scottmandue · 04-08-2017, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The standard, non-synthetic Harley branded 20W-50.

Or tequila... but the gold definitely not the blanco!

Don Ro · 04-08-2017, 07:18 PM

I bought a case of oil on sale once for my BMW R1100S, I think it was called "Twin"...something or other...Harley guys used it...a 20-50.
Just about any good quality 20-50 elixir out there would be fine, really.
Regular oil 'n filter change is far more important.

asphaltgambler · 04-09-2017, 08:23 AM

I recommend Redline or Mobil 1 Synthetic. Make sure it is rated / spec'd for air cooled applications. 20-50W. The air cooled spec is usually on the front label in bold.

Jeff Higgins · 04-09-2017, 02:06 PM

It would be all too easy to get into another internet oil debate - it seems the universal favorite topic of gearheads of all stripes. So I won't go there. I'll just tell you why I like plain old H-D brand dino juice.

It's widely available.
It's relatively cheap.
It's entirely adequate for the application.
My motors will never run at a temperature wherein dino starts to break down.
I have personally run a couple of bikes into the 100,000 + mile range on this oil with no issues.
It's made by Sunoco, a very reputable manufacturer.
As a touring rider finding myself in need of an oil change far from home, it's nice to not feel like I need to look for one of the oddballs.

Opinions vary, of course. This is just what I have run ever since it replaced the old H-D "Heavy", "Light Heavy", and other such oils (which I ran before the new 20W-50 and 10W-40 came out). I have enjoyed several hundred thousand miles of riding with this oil in the bike without a single oil related issue. What's not to like?

Don Ro · 04-09-2017, 06:36 PM

Oil that's in virtually every store on the planet - Castrol (Dino) 20-50.
The End.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Valvoline VR-1 racing 20/50w Dinosaur oil.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Synthetic oil has certain advantages over Dino oil, none of which come into play in this application.

Jeff Higgins · 04-09-2017, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

Synthetic oil has certain advantages over Dino oil, none of which come into play in this application.

I couldn't agree more. I guess a guy could always spend more on "protection" his motor does not need, if he really wants to.

So, Don and Joe - what kinds of Harleys do you ride, and how many miles have you put on them?

The use of standard Castrol 20W-50 in any air-cooled motorcycle is the worst advice given on this thread, and the only I will directly address as "bull sheet". It is common knowledge, backed up with real world testing and experience, in all air-cooled circles - from HD to VW to Porsche - that that this is among the very worst oils one can possibly use. Even the old muscle car, pushrod V-8 set knows to stay away from this stuff - it kills their flat tappet cams in short order.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Sold it after my move back to So CA. Bat****zle crazy drivers down here.

Don Ro · 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I couldn't agree more. I guess a guy could always spend more on "protection" his motor does not need, if he really wants to.

So, Don and Joe - what kinds of Harleys do you ride, and how many miles have you put on them?

The use of standard Castrol 20W-50 in any air-cooled motorcycle is the worst advice given on this thread, and the only I will directly address as "bull sheet". It is common knowledge, backed up with real world testing and experience, in all air-cooled circles - from HD to VW to Porsche - that that this is among the very worst oils one can possibly use. Even the old muscle car, pushrod V-8 set knows to stay away from this stuff - it kills their flat tappet cams in short order.

News to me. Used Castrol 20-50 in many vehicles...4 VW's...well over 300k in all of them, combined. Also my BMW R1100S moto. Ner'r an issue.
Also ran it in my company's equipment for 34 years...mostly Honda powered.

scottmandue · 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

It would be all too easy to get into another internet oil debate - it seems the universal favorite topic of gearheads of all stripes.

Good idea, lets talk about spark plugs then!

But seriously, the only downside I have heard about synthetic is that it is so slippery it can leak past some oil seals... at least that is what I was told back when I had my 944...

And yeah any talk of oil, (or tires, or spark plugs, etc.) on a motor head form will turn into a multi-page with possibly some flaming.

(I used the Castrol 20-50 in the 944 and my motorcycles but Mobil 1 in my modern cars).

YMMV

Jeff Higgins · 05-02-2017, 08:48 AM

I, too, used to run the venerable Castrol 20W-50 in everything I owned. Hell, I think I probably brushed my teeth with it...

Then, one day in the late '90's or early '00's, I managed to severely score the front piston and cylinder in my old Ironhead Sportster while being chased by a buddy on his bike. When I brought the ruined piston and cylinder to my friendly local motorcycle shop, the first thing the proprietor asked me was "whadaya runnin', car oil?", to which I answered "yeah, Castrol 20W-50". I thought he was going to crack my skull with my own cylinder...

That was about the time this whole ZDDP issue began to raise its ugly head. He was the first to explain it to me, and why it rendered standard "car oils" unsuitable for many applications, not the least of which were H-D motors.

Even H-D recommends against "car oils" in their owners' manuals, and has done so for years. They recommend their own (Sunoco) oils, of course, but allow as to how any "V-Twin" oil is safe. They say in an emergency, in the absence of a suitable "V-Twin" oil, to use oil meant for diesel engines for their higher ZDDP contents.

Take all of that for what it is worth and make your own choices. I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on various H-D's over the last 40 years, and I know what works for me. Beware the guy who sold his only Harley with less than 10,000 miles on it claiming that he never had any trouble with Castrol 20W-50, or anything at all like that.