![]() That familiar “clunk” sounded slightly quieter than with the Syn3 oil… but this might have been my own perception since the shifting felt smoother. Outdoor temps during the day have been a consistent 90+ degrees with quite a few days breaking the 100 mark during the testing.Īside from cooler operating temperatures the shifting dramatically improved using the heavier 75W-90 Synthetic gear oil. Temperature fluctuation seems to have flattened out as well with the oil temp staying between 225 and 230. This test using the Amsoil three-fluid system showed an average temperature reduction of 12 degrees from stock and 9 degrees less than Harley-Davidson’s Syn3. Using 3 different lubricant viscosities also happens to be a recommendation of the manufacturer, who calls this a “Three-fluid system”. Harley doesn’t openly publish the viscosity of their petrolium based gear oil (they just give a part number) but most agree it is in the range of 75W-90. Same goes for the transmission, where the originally equipped gear oil is closer to 75W-90 and 20W-50 seems like it would be too thin. This is probably just my own opinion but I believe 20W-50 is too heavy for the primary which requires more cooling than it does lubrication. ![]() While you can use the same 20W-50 for all 3 crankcase, primary, and transmission as with H-D Syn3 (the name Syn3 refers to use in all 3), I chose to use viscosity ranges that more closely matched those of the recommended petrolium based oils. I also used only genuine H-D oil filters for each test. I should note here that the synthetic oils were those specified for use in V-Twin motorycles and lacked the friction modifiers as rcommended for Harley engines. My third test was using Amsoil Synthetic 20W-50 oil in the crankcase, Amsoil synthetic 10W-40 oil in the primary chaincase, and Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube in the transmission. On the down side, the occurance of false neutrals (or false 1st gear) increased substancially! Coincidence? This led me to want to try another product line just to see if it was related to the Syn3 oil or an unrelated occurance. Also the all too familiar shifting “clunk” seemed like it had quieted down slightly. Temperature readings fluctuated about the same as the conventional oil. Once again I followed the same daily temperature testing and found the oil temperature dropped off an average of 2 degrees below that of the regular petrolium-based oil. Outdoor temps during this test period varied but were typically in the mid to upper 90′s. What I found was my oil temperature averaged approximately 240 degrees (Fahrenheit) at the conculsion of each commute and appeared to fluctuate approximately 7-10 degrees.įollowing this test (4+ weeks later) I changed oil to H-D’s Screamin’ Eagle® Syn3 20W-50 in the crankcase, primary, and transmission as recommended. I live in Southern California so the clutch and tranny get a good workout with plenty of time to heat up. All tests were performed during the summer months on a daily commute of 40 miles under a combination of traffic conditions. The bike was driven an additional 1500 miles and monitored daily for oil temperature after the first week. ![]() ![]() Following the initial break-in period, the recommended 1000 mile service was performed and lubricants were replaced with Harley brand petrolium based lubricants. #USED HARLEY TRANSMISSION FREE#Also worth reading is the Great Oil Debate article written for American Iron magazine regarding synthetic oils.įor my comparison I used a stock 2004 Heritage Twin Cam 88b with free breathing SE exhaust and K&N air cleaner. To read about wear test comparisons performed between Screamin’ Eagle® Synthetic (SYN3) and AMSOIL Synthetic Oil check out Amsoil vs. I’m not a chemist nor do I own a sophisticated test facility so my comparisons are based on personal observations and simple temperature readings. Performance is what counts so I set out to try several brands for myself to see if there really was a difference. Rather than writing about the merits of synthetic oil being a superior product over petrolium based products, I thought I’d simply share my own experiences and let you decide. I’m not about to fuel the fire about the motor companies about-face on the use of synthetics, conflicting research reports, or all the mechanics who swear that “only Harley oil is formulated for Harley engines”. Synthetic oil for Harley-Davidson motorcycle’s is probably one of the most debated subjects you will find on any message board or in any Harley magazine. ![]()
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