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[chrisgriffin]

Does anyone know if you can run straight 20-50w oil in a 2015 CVO?

[grc]

Does anyone know if you can run straight 20-50w oil in a 2015 CVO?

There is no such thing as "straight 20-50".  A straight grade oil would be just 50 weight for instance.  I assume you meant can you run a non-synthetic oil, often referred to as "dino" oil, in your 2015 Harley engine.  If that's the case, yes you can and many people do.  Just curious, but why would you want to switch from synthetic to dino oil?

Jerry

[laylonlor]

20/50 lucas

[Wander]

I believe you are referring to straight as in mineral based oil v/s synthetic oils. The synthetic oils are very slippery and have been reported to cause bearing scuffing and premature wear over time. The synthetic oil can drain off parts needing lubrication especially on starting the engine after sitting for a few days or weeks causing what is referred to as a dry start, where as mineral based products remain on these parts longer protecting the parts. Synthetic Oil is especially effective on engines where fluids are changed frequently as they do reduce friction for better performance, especially on race applications when the oil is changed sometimes as much as after each run.
It is a consumers choice what to run in his or her bike not a warranty issue, and if you do your own fluid changes it would be wise to record all changes with mileage and receipts of products purchased.
Run what you want either is acceptable

[CVODON]

I believe you are referring to straight as in mineral based oil v/s synthetic oils. The synthetic oils are very slippery and have been reported to cause bearing scuffing and premature wear over time. The synthetic oil can drain off parts needing lubrication especially on starting the engine after sitting for a few days or weeks causing what is referred to as a dry start, where as mineral based products remain on these parts longer protecting the parts. Synthetic Oil is especially effective on engines where fluids are changed frequently as they do reduce friction for better performance, especially on race applications when the oil is changed sometimes as much as after each run.

Although you probably don't care what I think, I do disagree with almost everything you said. The oil being "Too Slick" was never an issue. I worked several years in a lab over 40 years ago when Mobil 1 was being developed and brought to market, this was a rumor that started and grew legs but was just wrong. You cannot believe the hours and money spent to confirm this was not an issue. Tests were published, examples were given but for some reason people think this.
Just wrong. And the part about syn based oil being effective on engines that have frequent oil changes... Well it is even better on engines don't have frequent maintenance, It will "pickup" contaminates, carry them and then "drop them" (ie: transfer to a filter) better than any Dino oil can, just do to it's molecular structure. I have watched this happen under controlled situation, not just believing hype.
Only reason for my reply is if folks can say stuff that I know is wrong, Other people can make a response.

[fastfreddy]

i will add this....oil related engine failures is ALMOST always due to lack of oil and or service  use what you want   

[hrdtail78]

I have run straight 50 weight, fully synthetic, redline oil in my TC before.  I really couldn't tell a difference between the 20/50 RL I usually run or even the 20/60 I have ran in the summer.
 

[North Star]

CVO Don, what about the theory that since synthetic oil molecules are all the same size vs dino oil, that a less than perfect engine might burn/use oil because of this?

[VaEagle]

Everything I have read says the major advantage to using synthetic oil is the higher breakdown temperature and that is more important in our air cooled v-twins compared to a car/truck engine.
I remember the old rumors of synthetic oils not being used during break-in periods because it was too slippery but it was later debunked. I also remember when H-D didn't endorse synthetics being used in their motors until they came out with their own version........

[Para Bellum]

CVO Don, what about the theory that since synthetic oil molecules are all the same size vs dino oil, that a less than perfect engine might burn/use oil because of this?

Another old wives' tale, right up there with "too slippery."  My 45 years of chemical engineering + heavy industrial plant maintenance confirmed that those are myths.  Oil usage is due to increased clearances between engine parts.  If molecule size was a factor, then all molecules below the "critical size" would leak out, making natural oil more likely to leak.

Synthetic has several advantages, but its major advantage is that it is far more pure than natural--so it doesn't have molecules that break down at lower temperatures (the primary reason synthetic is superior to natural in air-cooled engines), don't maintain the correct film thickness, or interfere with the additive package functions.

About the "too slippery" aspect: oil will naturally coat and cling to metal parts, but the contaminants in natural oil (that can't be removed by the distillation process, BTW) can decrease the oil's ability to cling, and also interfere with the additives that help maintain the oil film between moving parts.  There has never been an engine, brand new or otherwise, using correct type of synthetic, that has blown up or worn out sooner than it would with natural oil.  Not trying to throw shade at anyone, but those problems with engines were due to incorrect assembly or bad parts or lack of assembly lube, etc, etc.---not b/c of synthetic oil.

[ACfixer]

Oh boy, an oil thread! Can I play? 

I'm with CVODON, I can't believe in 2016 we're still even talking about this.

[ptnlinda]

Oh boy, an oil thread! Can I play? 

I'm with CVODON, I can't believe in 2016 we're still even talking about this.

Got to agree this has been done to death on just about every car/bike forum there is.

[110tHunDer]

Not to mention lawn mower, snow blower and chain saw forums!  That's why I was staying out, but there's always someone to take the bait! 

[Twolanerider]

Not to mention lawn mower, snow blower and chain saw forums!  That's why I was staying out, but there's always someone to take the bait! 

Wonder if there's a thread for naked stripper wrestling that has not beaten down the "too slippery or not" debate?   

[grc]

Just shows to go ya that no matter how many decades go by, we will always get uninformed people bringing up crap that's been shown to be BS multitudes of times previously.

Syn oil will cause leaks, syn oil is too slippery and will cause bearings to skid, syn oil will give you hemorrhoids, ad nauseam.  How about if we all just agree that people should use whatever it is they think they should without starting any more threads asking what the rest of us think, shut the hell up about it, and move on.  Obviously attempting to educate people on this subject has been a dismal failure, and it's time to give up.  In the future I don't care if people want to use Kaopectate  in their engines, it's fine by me.

Jerry