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[BIGDOG]

This is a topic dear to my heart, and one that will certainly cause heated discussion. Synthetic oil has a lower friction coefficient than Dino oil so it lubricates better but the premise of not changing it as often is where you go wrong. Oil does not break down , the additives break down and the oil gets dirty , it does the same in synthetic. I can't speak to the noise factor but you still need to change fluids often. One thing I have learned being involved with the sales of lubricants is you can make a demonstration do anything you want it to.

[REGGAB]

This is a topic dear to my heart, and one that will certainly cause heated discussion. Synthetic oil has a lower friction coefficient than Dino oil so it lubricates better but the premise of not changing it as often is where you go wrong. Oil does not break down , the additives break down and the oil gets dirty , it does the same in synthetic. I can't speak to the noise factor but you still need to change fluids often. One thing I have learned being involved with the sales of lubricants is you can make a demonstration do anything you want it to.

Precisely, which is why I STILL change crank oil and filter every 2500 miles despite AMSOIL's claim that I can "double" that interval.  Even if the synthetic is more expensive, changing the oil every 2500 miles is cheap insurance.

[MUFFMAN]

I'll stick with Amsoil Synthetic. I had some head work and different cams done on my bike last year and the wrench put in standard issue oil in for the breakin period. I ran it for 2 weeks before switching back to Amsoil & the bike, although a little noisier ran cooler (the temp guage doesn't lie)& just seemed a little smoother with the Amsoil. I wouldn't go back to the fossil fuel.

[Twolanerider]

Synthetic.  Dino.  They both taste like hell.

[RedDevil]

Synthetic.  Dino.  They both taste like hell.

That's not what Wilma said about Dino!   

   

[Steve_G]

Oils do indeed break down.  This is the shear factor.  There have been so many tests done to prove the superiority of synthetic oils that this question shouldn't even arise.  Your engine will run cooler.  If you don't believe it, use a gauge.  It's easily measurable.  The other thing is that the synthetic will cling to your engine, virtually eliminating start up wear.  But, I hope everyone will quit using synthetic oil.  -With lower demand, I should be able to buy it cheaper! 

[REGGAB]

Oils do indeed break down.  This is the shear factor.  There have been so many tests done to prove the superiority of synthetic oils that this question shouldn't even arise.  Your engine will run cooler.  If you don't believe it, use a gauge.  It's easily measurable.  The other thing is that the synthetic will cling to your engine, virtually eliminating start up wear.  But, I hope everyone will quit using synthetic oil.  -With lower demand, I should be able to buy it cheaper! 

For awhile......at least until current stocks deplete or near depletion.....then the price will increase if you and I are the only ones buying.........that's some huge labor overhead for just two buyers!   

[Chief]

Oils are used for lubrication, not noise absorbtion. Changing from one brand of oil to another, or worse yet, one type of oil to another based on the fact that one is noisier than the other is just plain silly.

[Sean M Cary]

Howie,
Look at it this way, if you had broken the engine in with synthetic, the noise you hear now would have been normal and you wouldn't have been noticing it.  Synthetic, from what I've been told is, by nature, a "thinner" oil, but gives the same or superior lubricating properties, plus it doesn't break down as fast as dino oil (either through use or heat).  My take, and I could be totally wrong, is that dino oil is a bit thicker, so it masks some of the "normal" sounds.   Look at the tranny issues for 5th gear.  Running normal synthetic oil in the tranny and you can hear the 5th gear whine, but run the thicker tranny fluid in there and it quiets right down.  I've ran synthetic in all of my vehicles, and when I take the Street Glide in for it's 1K, it's getting shifted over to synthetic...(going to try the Redline route on that, Redline Syn Oil, Shockproof and MTL).  I'm a strong believer in synthetic oils...I ran syn in my wife's 94 Accord and she put over 160K on that before we got the new one, and it ran like the day we bought it, and never had any mechanical issues with the engine.   It boils down to whatever your comfortable with.  Some people prefer to continue using dino oil, just like some people prefer using a pen and paper over a computer.     I'm very comfortable with synthetic oil.   JMHO.

   

Just changed today to the Redline Primary Case oil, the Tranny Fluid and put Mobil 1 V-Twin in - the tranny is noticeably quieter and it shifts much better then the Mobil 1 in all three...

My dad worked in construction and hi-perf lubrication all of his adult life after leaving the Marine Corps, and when he couldn't get the oil from DA the company he worked at for 15 years, he ran Mobil 1.

I use Penzoil syn in my truck and Mobil 1 in my wifes van...swear by them.

Sean

[LRebel]

My first experience with syn oil was in a LS1 Corvette motor.  I had heard all about the benefits of the syn oil and switched.  The first thing I noticed was all the noise.  I was pretty concerned.

I talked with a mechanic; he told me that the syn oil does a much better job of lubricating the engine - everything moves easier, so therefore it only makes sense that you will hear more noise.  Kinda makes sense, I think   Anyway, the Vette motor ran cooler and never used a drop of oil during the 40K miles that I owned the car.

I have read all about the syn oil and going longer between oil changes......I don't really buy into that.  I still change oil in my bikes between 3K - 4K miles.

[charlie]

On my new road king I just had my 1000 mile service done they put in syn3 and said see you in 4000 miles and every 5000 after that. I guess my ? is why are you changing oil every 2500 if there manual and warranty say every 5000 I'm a carpenter not a mechanic so I'm just wondering. THANKS

[Hoist!]

I frankly don't think it's silly to notice the sound of your engine changed when you switched lubricants. Like was stated earlier, if I had never used the dino to break it in, I wouldn't have noticed anything. But after switching and finding the engine noisier, I brought it up. And most of you agree that the engine is noisier. Why, if the viscosity is the same, would synthetic be "thinner", and make an engine noisier? This was my concern and reason for the thread, not to be "just plain silly".

Ya'll bring up some good points. Noise to me indicates the start of problems, so I try to pay careful attention to all the different sounds of my bike. I actually enjoy listening to all the different sounds. So when it got noisier, I took notice. It sounds like you're saying the engine noise is a product of it's environment, and that includes the oil . Different properties, different sound. If that's the case, and the synthetic is thinner, wouldn't then engine build tolerances be different for the different properties of the oil film that provides the lubrication?

I'm trying to learn something about this here, not be silly. Had never given it a thought til I heard it myself. Want to know for sure it works better, not go by the hype. You guys provided some good facts to support it. But if your engine operates at proper temps, you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking down. And we're talking modern dino oil here with all the necessary additives, not running crude thru it.

I use M1 V-Twin because S&S has recommended it in their new motors. But I'm sure Mobil pays em a pretty penny to endorse 1 brand of oil. Now I've got something to think about. Some of you made a compelling argument. Great stuff gang!

Hoist!

[REGGAB]

On my new road king I just had my 1000 mile service done they put in syn3 and said see you in 4000 miles and every 5000 after that. I guess my ? is why are you changing oil every 2500 if there manual and warranty say every 5000 I'm a carpenter not a mechanic so I'm just wondering. THANKS

Well charlie, to answer your question, like I said earlier, it is cheap insurance.  After everything I have tied up in my motor, it doesn't bother me to spend a little extra on more frequent oil changes.  It is a personal choice, and I choose to keep fresh oil in my motorcycle.  Another reason is that the oil becomes a collector for all sorts of contaminates and byproducts of combustion, some of which are corrosive.  Over time, these can wreak havoc.  My main concerns are reliability and longevity of my motor.  Fresh oil helps.  Sure, chit happens, but if fresh oil increases my chances of of having a reliable, long lasting motor, then the oil will get changed every 2500 miles.

As for SYN III, charlie, I'm not so sure that's the best thing for your motor.  Look around here for other posts about SYN III.  You'll see what I mean.   

[charlie]

I will check it out thanks.

[RedDevil]

I frankly don't think it's silly to notice the sound of your engine changed when you switched lubricants. Like was stated earlier, if I had never used the dino to break it in, I wouldn't have noticed anything. But after switching and finding the engine noisier, I brought it up. And most of you agree that the engine is noisier. Why, if the viscosity is the same, would synthetic be "thinner", and make an engine noisier? This was my concern and reason for the thread, not to be "just plain silly".

Ya'll bring up some good points. Noise to me indicates the start of problems, so I try to pay careful attention to all the different sounds of my bike. I actually enjoy listening to all the different sounds. So when it got noisier, I took notice. It sounds like you're saying the engine noise is a product of it's environment, and that includes the oil . Different properties, different sound. If that's the case, and the synthetic is thinner, wouldn't then engine build tolerances be different for the different properties of the oil film that provides the lubrication?

I'm trying to learn something about this here, not be silly. Had never given it a thought til I heard it myself. Want to know for sure it works better, not go by the hype. You guys provided some good facts to support it. But if your engine operates at proper temps, you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking down. And we're talking modern dino oil here with all the necessary additives, not running crude thru it.

I use M1 V-Twin because S&S has recommended it in their new motors. But I'm sure Mobil pays em a pretty penny to endorse 1 brand of oil. Now I've got something to think about. Some of you made a compelling argument. Great stuff gang!

Hoist!

Howie,
I don't think you're being silly at all.  You expressed a legitimate concern about hearing something you hadn't heard before.  I listen all the sounds my vehicles make too.  There's nothing better then what your ears tell you if something is out of place.   I'm just a die-hard synthetic man and will always use that over dino oils.   I get stuck in DC stop and go traffic alot, and during the summer when the temps go up into the 90's, I've seen my bike get up to 275.  Syn oil doesn't start getting affected until over 300 degrees, so I personally feel better having syn in the crankcase, and like I said, at the 1K on the street glide the dino oil goes away and gets replaced with synthetic.  I'll probably hear more noises, but I'll just have to get used to them as the new norm...not trying to tell you what to do Bro.  Ya got to do what you feel comfortable with.