| Author | Message | ||
     Javahed |
Ahrgh! I tried reading all these posts but the headache prevented it  . I have a 2000X1, my question is this - what do you recommend for use, and what would you avoid? This is a general question. I am really open - and while on the subject, any filter recomendations? I'm using Redline oil - 20w50 and Harley filters. I'm looking to use Redline's V-twin 20w50 and a K&N filter. Opinions please - and laymen's terms, I'm a simple kind of guy. A simple oil X is great and oil Y will kill your engine. Thanks a bunch ya'll! Dan BTW - Happy Holidays  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Mobil 1 15w-50 is probably great and cheap. Mobil 1 Vtwin (20w-50) is also probably great, In fact, it might be better, but probably not, and costs twice as much. Any other full synthetic around the same 15w50 or 20w50 weight is probably great too. The Harley oil (semi-synthetic) is great also, but will bake and break down faster then the full synthetics, and is also expensive. I would not use something other then a semi or full synthetic. The operating temperature of a Buell engine on a hot day stopped in traffic is WAY to close to the breakdown temp for non-synthetic oil. | ||
| Schemky |
Reepicheep, A hardy Hi-Hoe, Amen, and a big ole' fat 10-4 on your oil post. Just tore down my 99 M2 to install a bunch of stuff; have run Mobil 15w50 since breakin and after 12,000 pretty d_mn hard miles, everything inside looks excellent. No varnish or sludge, NONE, hone marks are clearly visible in the cylinders. Summer temps in my area hover between 94 to 100 F. Anybody that says Mobil 1 doesn't work in a Buell is a dufuss. PERIOD. | ||
| Javahed |
Just changed the oil to Castrol GPS 20W50 see link Castrol GPS info Seems thicker than Redline of the same weight. Ran it for about 15 min to warm up and confirm the level - the oil had a bunch of bubles in it - not frothy, but disconcerting. Anyone had this happen before? Did I make a poor oil selection? Have a great New Year!!! Dan | ||
| Blake |
Javahed: If it's thicker, uh, it's a higher viscosity. Oil return to oil tank is a scavenging system. It will usually contain air bubbles. Air bubbles are not a problem; they disipate after quicklyfloating to the surface; foam would be a problem. | ||
| Javahed |
Uh - got it, but the oils were both 20W50, labeled as the same viscosity - same temp, but visually a different pour and flow rate when compared side to side. Bubbles went away after extended running - must not have warmed up the engine enough - bubble free after a couple hours of riding  Have fun! Dan | ||
| Schemky |
Javahed I used Castrol exclusively for years and years. Then one day a cam bearing in the head of my Suzuki GS750 burned/galled. This was at 31,000 miles. Most oil changes were at 1,000 to 1,500 miles. I was obviously at the time, draining off good oil at these low mileage figures. I suspected a bad batch of oil, merely a guess on my part, however, I switched oils, Mobil, and have had no problems since. I don't think anyone makes a "bad" oil, Castrol is a good product. I think Mobil is better. My 2 cents worth. | ||
| Ptown |
Greetings to all. Can anyone give me advice on shell Rotella oils which is more for diesel motors for use in my X1. My bike has only got 3000 km on the clock and at some stage I would like to change over to another oil. In 2 years time I will be returing to South Africa where other oil products will be much cheaper than the genuine harley oils. I have been using Rotella in my old kawasaki and 4x4 pickup for many years. Altough the motor in the kawasaki has done a lot of miles and its a 1975 models it still runs O K besides using some. How will this Rotella oil grade 40 behave In the Buell as temperatures in South Africa is normaly high. Tks Eugene (Berlin) Germany | ||
| Blake |
Purpose built heavy duty diesel engine oils include additives that gasoline engines do not require. You will be better served sticking to an engine oil formulated for use in a gasoline engine. | ||
| Javahed |
Schemky, Thanks for the insite I think next change I'll stick to an oil that has proven itself (Mobil or Redline) rather than try to save a buck or two per quart. Dan | ||
| F16hd |
02 M2 burning oil: I babyed my M2 for the first 500 miles and was still very easy up to 1000 (as the dealer/manual recommends). Now with 1300 miles it is continuing a pattern of using about 1/2 quart for every 3 tanks of gas. My riding pal says I exit a puff of oil smoke when I grab a hand full of throttle after a short "throttle off" corner entry.... every time. It leaks "no" oil. Is this normal??.... is there something else I should be doing?? Will it subside at more miles pass?? Thanks in advance, Harry in AZ | ||
| Kevinhern |
F16hd, I have 2002 M2 as well. Mine also used oil like that during the first 2000 miles. The bike has about 3500 on it now and the oil consumption has slowed to about a 1/4 of a quart per thousand which I think should be quite normal for an air cooled engine that is run pretty hard. Others have said that there oil consumption dropped to almost zero after about 5000 miles. I use Mobil 1 V-twin 20-50. Synthetic oil is supposed to lower oil consumption a little. I switched my to synthetic right after the break in. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Does it go down and keep going? If I try and keep my 2k m2 at the middle of the dipstick, it drinks lots of oil. But if I leave it so it is barely leaving a mark at the bottom of the dipstick (slightly under the low oil mark) it will sit there and drink next to nothing for nearly the full change interval. I check it level and warm with engine freshly shut off. Bill | ||
| Kevinhern |
I agree with Reepicheep. I keep my oil level between the botom of the stick and about a quarter. The oil level just seems to be happy there. | ||
| Evomx |
M2 Oil burning: My '98 M2 will burn down to halfway on the stick then stay there. What a weird phenomenon, interesting to hear others see it too. I use Mobil 1 V-twin and change every 2-3000. | ||
| Racinswifty |
Blake: where do you get this Mobil One v-twin oil?? Need to change oil very soon, been looking for it. No luck. Please help. Don't like service tech changing my oil since they make a mess and paid 150 bucks for a 500 mile check up. I'm at 2700 miles and low on the stick. Thanks for the input. Racinswifty | ||
| Blake |
Some auto parts stores sell it. Mobil's web site lists vendors I think. I use the regular Mobil-1 15W50 that you can get at Walmart. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Autozone near me has it at the store and in stock, though it is not out front on the shelf, you have to ask for it. Its pricey though... Bill | ||
| Petey |
can anyone recommend a good oil cooler? I'm thinking of buying the spurgin, it looks like a very good unit, but unsure of the idea of the thermostat in it, I'd like to have the oil cooling all the time here in Fla, where it can get a LITTLE hot sometimes....Also like some ideas on mounting one on an X1, would like it more in the front of the bike, as opposed to the LH side frame rail, under the seat. | ||
| Blake |
Petey: The thermostat on an oil cooler is essential. Without it, the oil can accumulate lots of water. It's virtually as important for your oil to be hot enough as it is for it to be not too hot. Huh? You know what I mean though right? | ||
| Petey |
Water in the oil? These coolers must work pretty damn good if they keep the oil cool enough to not burn off the water it accumulates, without the help of a thermostat. Thanks for explaining that....the oil coolers I work with don't have these, and if water was in the oil you'd have more problems than a thermostat... Petey | ||
| Pilk |
My local Wally World has Mobil-1 V-twin oil. Also has Mobil-1 gear oil, both at more reasonable prices than AutoZone. Pilk | ||
| Steveshakeshaft |
I see you mention "Mobil 1 gear oil". This is OK for Buell/Sporty tranny's then? I see HD/B doesn't give us a spec for the tranny oil. Regards Steve steve@ukbeg.com http://ukbeg.com | ||
| Pilk |
I use Mobil-1 gear oil in my X-1, have had zero problems, and it shifts much smoother. I've not had any trouble with clutch slipage. I can't say it's safe for certain, but it works for me. Pilk | ||
| Racinswifty |
Found it! well it was 8 bucks a quart! Mobil 1 v twin oil. What is wrong with Harley oil?? It sells for 3.25 a quart. I change my oil already with the harley oil and filter....cost me 20 bucks with 4 quarts...I like to have extra oil for future use. But why spend so much money when it is sooo easy to change oil in a Buell? Explain why you guys swear on this stuff. I race hard and ride hard. Not one lick of problems! | ||
| Ara |
Pilk - Where do you get your Mobil 1 gear oil and what do you pay for it? Racinswifty - Blake is the expert, but synthetic oil provides more consistent lubrication over its life. Doubt that you'll see any difference in the short run. The long run is what people have in mind when they buy synthetic oil. BTW my perception is that a lot of owners here use the Mobil 1 15w-50 synthetic oil that is most often used in automobiles - it's roughly half as expensive as the Mobil 1 V-Twin oil and it's still fully synthetic. Russ | ||
| Reepicheep |
Racinwifty... the Harley oil is fine, but it is a semisynthetic. The Mobil 1 (either VTwin 20w50 or 15w50) is full synthetic. The reason I go full synthetic is high temperature breakdown. Non synthetic breaks down at just a little bit above the normal operating temperatures of our engines, and I worry that I could be pushed over the edge on a really hot day stuck in traffic with the wrong gas when I run a little lean... Synthetic won't break down at any temperature that my engine could see and still be running. Blake can (and probably will) do the math, and I could be completely off base here. Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but this is my current understanding. I used the Mobil 1 VTwin in my last change, but I think I will go back to the Mobil 1 15w50 from now on. It is about the same price (or cheaper) as the Harley oil, is likely better, and is easier to find. But the Harley oil is good oil. Its semisynthetic, so even if you bake the oil it will keep doing something. IMHO of course. | ||
| Evomx |
So does anyone know if there is any real difference between Mobil 1 V-Twin @ around $8 a quart and "regular" Mobil 1 made for cars? On my Japanese bikes, where the tranny shares the motor oil, I always use a motocycle specific oil since the gears and clutch are also running in the same oil as the crank, piston, etc. Buell doesn't need this so I wonder what could make the V-Twin oil "better"? | ||
| Jonnyz |
$8 a quart for Mobil 1 V-twin oil? I just bought some at Wal-mart and it was only $5 a quart. I thought that was expensive, but I do like Mobil's products. Now I don't feel so bad. Jon | ||
| Evomx |
That would be cool if Wal-mart is carrying the motorcycle specific Mobil 1. When I decided to use it the only place I could find it was Autozone, and even then you had to ask them to get it from the back half the time. I'll have to check my local Walmart and see. |
