Is Oil...oil???

[TLRam1]

On synthetics....it is generally understood you can double your change intervals using synthetics.

Amsoil has a "Service Bulletin" noting chg intervals pertaining to Harley's on the 2nd page, 10,000 miles or 1 year. Same with Mobil's 15000 mile chg intervals. I think in Mobil's FAQ this oil should be able to at least be able to get this much before a change and oil filters Do Not need to be changed more often.

There are many good oils to choose from and I am not pushing Mobil. They are just the ones who back it up with a guarantee for the ones stepping into this subject for the first time.

Each of us has to make our own decision what we do. Less maintenance and more riding or couch time is good to me.  

[Greg Cothern]

I have NEVER been a fan of chaning oil without changing the filter.  I mean heck it not much more work or $ so why not.
Like the old commercial used to say, "Pay me a little now, or a whole lot more later!"

[TLRam1]

Forgot the Amsoil info.

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/harley_davidson_TSB.pdf


Yes, when oil is changed.... filter also.

[dc112675]

On two of the the different websites they both recommend Rottella.  I chose to use it b/c it is easy to get (I'm not just a cheapskate).  Living in a small town there isn't much to choose from.  But again, it is recommended so I don't worry about it too much.

While I believe (mostly) in the theory "you get what you pay for" I also am not so naive to think that someone won't claim most anything to earn an extra buck.  And seemingly few groups are more aware of this than the auto industry.  

It's been quite a while back (20 years?) when Consumer Reports did a test using NY Taxi Cabs to determine engine wear based on oil maintenance.  Seems like they took 12 taxis, and over the course of several years and 100,000 miles conducted a test.  On 6 taxis they changed the oil at 3,000 miles (which was recommended by the auto industry) and the other 6 changed the oil at 7,500 miles.  At the end of the test they yanked out the engines, disassembled them, and went over them with a microscope.  Turns out there was no difference at all between the two sets.  

In addition, about 5 years ago my dad bought a new car and was asked if he wanted to purchase a maintenance agreement (they change the oil for you).  After reading the fine print, he noticed something interesting.  While the car manufacturer recommended changing the oil at 3,000 miles, the maintenance agreement would only allow for an oil change every 6,000 miles.  When they (car manufacturer) was footing the bill, all of the sudden 6,000 mile intervals was just fine!

I say all of that to say I think people will tell you anything to make the sell.  My favorite commercial is where they drain the oil out of two trucks and then run them until one burns up.  If you are dumb enough to drive around town with no oil, then your engine should blow up on you!   Sure, you might get another 2 minutes of protection out of your engine with their oil, but the bottom line is that no vehicle is made to be driven without oil.

If the auto industry made paper-clips, I'm sure someone would market copper-plated ones, claiming that they would be rust resistant, longer lasting, and have less wear and tear on the paper.  Then they would have a commercial where a reg paper clip and a copper plated paper clip sat out in the rain.  Using a time lapse video they would show that after 6 weeks, their CPPC (copper plated paper clip) was more durable then the old style.  Then they would say that your paper deserves only the best, and would sell the CPPC's for $8 per dozen.  

Anyway, that's just my once cent.  Sorry, wish I had the other penny to throw in there but I guess I don't have enough sense to find another one.  I'm now officially off my soap box.  dc

[Curtis_Valk]

So.............where can I get some of these fancy paper clips?  At that price they MUST be good!  How can I in good concience use my old steel paper clips after hearing about these new CPPCs?      
Do you have a link to the time lapse video, after all seeing is believing, right? ha ha ha ha!!!!

Curtis

[TLRam1]

DC, you make good points.

Nothing wrong with Rotella. I currently have it in my 74 Suzuki GT750. It is a good Heavy Duty oil which will give you extended service also with better protection during use and at somewhere around 10 dollars for 4-5 QTS the price is right!

But you did bring up the Consumer Reports test. I take CR and read that article you are referring to. I also happen to have a link to it. You have a good memory and were correct on the points made. CR also did a 12k test and I think showed no difference. Of course not many will go out on a limb and state something different than the Manufactor but Mobil and Amsoil has.

I have many of these articles and read them all. Some good info, some not so good that's why we were all given a noggin to make up our own mind to determine the difference.

http://smokeriders.com/surprising_truth.htm