Oil Suggestions For Harleys
- Thread starter glider
- Start date
Thanks for that info.
No problem Mr. Data. Anything that will help others get the right products for their bikes.
The question I have is why such the miles varience on the Spectro 6 speed trans lube. On the site it states should be changed out every 5K but yet HD states trans changes are recommended at 20K. Mr. Data seems to be a strong believer in these products so maybe he can respond. I have just purchased these products but now wonder why such differences in service miles and did I do the right thing.
The difference is they want to sell you a new bike when it wears out and I want to keep it running like new
The trans can go more miles than I run it but being it only takes one quart of lube, it's cheap insurance to change it and always have the best in there. I do a service usually at 2500 and do all three oils.
The trans can go more miles than I run it but being it only takes one quart of lube, it's cheap insurance to change it and always have the best in there. I do a service usually at 2500 and do all three oils.
I don't see anyone mentioning Bel-Ray. I've used Amsoil, Red Line, and Bel Ray. My personal preference was the Bel-Ray. However, I stopped using it and went to Red Line when I found out that their V Twin motor oil was really their regular motor oil in a different can. When I ran out of my supply of Red Line I went to Amsoil because I had a few gallons hanging around the garage. But I will probably go back to Red Line. The tests are solid and the testimonials are unbelievable. It seems all the racers are using Red Line.
JD
Oh, and a PS: I've used the Red Line Shockproof Heavy in my trans, but I got better results (better = noticeable; softer clunking) using Bel-Ray's V Twin Tranny fluid, which is NOT a synthetic but worked great. I actually felt and heard the difference.
JD
Oh, and a PS: I've used the Red Line Shockproof Heavy in my trans, but I got better results (better = noticeable; softer clunking) using Bel-Ray's V Twin Tranny fluid, which is NOT a synthetic but worked great. I actually felt and heard the difference.
FXDFCharlie
Member
I want to order Spectro oil online. I have found that the prices are cheaper at Bob's than at Spectro. The above image on the left is what I found at Spectroshop.com and is the same as what this thread recommends (exactly what I want). The image on the right is what is on the website at Bobscycle.com. It says golden american full synthetic on the bottle but the description under the photo says SPECTRO PLATINUM HEAVY DUTY V-TWIN FULL SYNTHETIC OIL 20W50 (same as at spectro.com). Is the photo wrong? Have they changed the bottle? I would like to order from Bob's since it is a few dollars per quart cheaper but I am afraid of receiving the wrong product. Any insight you guys may have would be appreciated. I might wait until Monday and just call Bob's. The price difference for changing all three holes 2x is about $45 (significant imo). Thanks
RibEye
Senior Member
I just got my '03 RK in mid-September. It had just shy of 11k miles on it, and I wanted a good startup foundation, from which to do my own wrenching, so, I had the Hundred Dollar store do a full 10K service, and put new tires on front an rear, as well as brake pads on the rear. That was some serious green, on top of what I paid for the scooter in the first place. Anyway, I told them I wanted synthetic in the engine and tranny and dino in the primary. They went ahead and put syn3 in all 3 holes :newsmile055:
The tranny really felt tangibly under-lubed. When shifting up, it would only mesh properly at certain rev/speed combinations, and clunked badly. When shifting while getting on it, I had to be pretty authoritative to make sure I got good meshing. Down-shifting, I had to be below a certain speed, for each gear, or it would clunk like mad.
I just did my 1st 3K service, on my own, for this scooter. Syn3 is history! I stuck with the HD filter, put Mobil 1 V-Twin 20-50 in the engine, Formula+ in the primary, and Spectrol Platinum GL1 in the tranny. The Spectrol made a night and day difference in the tranny. No more meshing issues, and shifting clunk is greatly reduced, down to what I have been used to on my previous scoot.
One good thing about the Syn3...there was nothing on either magnetic drain plug. Frankly, I expected 1/2 the gear tips to be present as filings.
I am a bit concerned about oil capacity. The service manual says 4 qts for the engine. I put in 3.5, then took a 10 mi run, and did the hot check. She took the rest of the 4th quart, and still only reads midway between the add and full marks on the stock dipstick. I am using the HD LCD oil temp/level dipstick and it says full. Which do I trust?
Enjoy,
Rich P
The tranny really felt tangibly under-lubed. When shifting up, it would only mesh properly at certain rev/speed combinations, and clunked badly. When shifting while getting on it, I had to be pretty authoritative to make sure I got good meshing. Down-shifting, I had to be below a certain speed, for each gear, or it would clunk like mad.
I just did my 1st 3K service, on my own, for this scooter. Syn3 is history! I stuck with the HD filter, put Mobil 1 V-Twin 20-50 in the engine, Formula+ in the primary, and Spectrol Platinum GL1 in the tranny. The Spectrol made a night and day difference in the tranny. No more meshing issues, and shifting clunk is greatly reduced, down to what I have been used to on my previous scoot.
One good thing about the Syn3...there was nothing on either magnetic drain plug. Frankly, I expected 1/2 the gear tips to be present as filings.
I am a bit concerned about oil capacity. The service manual says 4 qts for the engine. I put in 3.5, then took a 10 mi run, and did the hot check. She took the rest of the 4th quart, and still only reads midway between the add and full marks on the stock dipstick. I am using the HD LCD oil temp/level dipstick and it says full. Which do I trust?
Enjoy,
Rich P
I took the bikes back to the dealer for the 1600km service because I was new to Harley's and it was thrown in free when we bought the bikes. They put Syn3 in all 3 holes. After reading this thread I took Gliders advice and changed the oils in my bike to Mobil1 20-50 VTwin in the engine, Spectro 75-140 6speed in the tranny and Spectro Primary oil in the primary. The engine oil pressure went up 3-4 lbs and 20 degrees cooler. The tranny shifted a lot smoother, was a lot quieter and I could finally find neutral almost right away. Got better the more I rode. My wife's bike gets a lot less miles but when I changed the fluids in her bike at the end of November I found the same results after a short run of 10 to 15 miles. Thanks for the great advice Mr. Data.