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THE GREAT OIL DEBATE:
AMSOIL
by Ed Newman
AMSOIL
Marketing and Advertising Coordinator
Appeared in the February 2001 Issue of American Iron Magazine
This article was written in late 2000, before Harley-Davidson accepted
the fact that synthetic oils were better for their bikes, and long
before Harley came out with their own Screaming Eagle line. Since that
time, AMSOIL has introduced two new premium motorcycle oil formulations
with GL-1 ratings, as well as a line of Absolute Efficiency Motorcycle
Oil Filters that no longer require changing in the middle of an extended
drain interval. To download a detailed 28-page report on how AMSOIL
motorcycle oils compare to the competition,
A Study comparison of Motorcycle
Oils (2MB
PDF).
AMSOIL:
Manufacturer of the first API rated synthetic motor oil offers experience and
insights
INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS...
The cover of the most recent Forbes ASAP exclaims in large red
letters, "What Is True?" The magazine chooses a theme for each issue and in an
age of information, misinformation and disinformation, it comes as no small
surprise that people are confused about almost everything. Contradictions and
competing viewpoints abound. No question about it, it's not easy being a
consumer sometimes.
Nowhere is this more of a problem than in the area of
motorcycle lubrication. On the one hand bikers are told by equipment
manufacturers that automobile oils are not capable of protecting their bikes. On
the other hand, a synthetic motor oil company like
AMSOIL
has been providing
motorcycles with superb performance and protection for nearly three decades.
What's a motorcyclist to believe?
This spring Donny Petersen defended, even recommended, the use
of synthetic motor oils. In November Harley-Davidson responded, taking Donny to
task and challenging many of his assertions. A rebuttal by Chuck Goldmann (ExxonMobil)
provided readers with an excellent overview of synthetic motor oils and their
advantages over petroleum.
I'd like to commend American Iron for creating this
opportunity for the exchange of ideas regarding the care and feeding of our
machines, and to Donny's courage in putting his convictions down in black and
white as a starting point. It's always easier to say nothing than to go on
record and get fired at from every angle. The likelihood of getting shot is
significantly reduced when you avoid the front lines.
This article is a response to all three of the abovementioned
articles.
AMSOIL
synthetic motor oils were the first API rated synthetic motor
oils in the world when introduced in 1972. With nearly three decades of
experience, and documentation,
AMSOIL
can make a contribution to this "Great Oil
Debate." Our tech services staff has been answering questions by concerned
Harley riders for ages anyways. We might as well attempt to present publicly
what we have been saying all along.
My premise is this: Everyone knows synthetic oil is better
than refined petroleum. Why not use it?
SYNTHETICS OFFER SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND PROTECTION
The advantages of synthetic motor oils are well known and have
been written about for decades. I have SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers,
Inc.) papers in my files that repeatedly endorsed the various benefits of
synthetics. Whether extended service life, improved fuel economy, increased
power, reduced friction and wear, resistance to breakdown, better low and high
temperature protection, you name it, the documentation is out there. The studies
have been done.
All of this leads one to ask a couple fundamental questions.
Is the Harley V-Twin engine different from all other engines in the world? Is
there something so unique with a Harley engine that all of the lubrication rules
that apply to all other four stroke engines must be thrown out the window?
Yes, theirs is air-cooled and can run hot. For this reason
alone one would think it even more important to have a premium synthetic motor
oil.
One of Donny's comments that bears repeating came near the
conclusion of his April column. "The Motor Company didn't reinvent the
air-cooled engine and, therefore, its engines don't require specially
formulated, Harley-only fluids." This summary remark stands at the crux of the
debate.
DUAL QUALIFIED OILS
There were two topics which the previous writers waded into
with great detail which I would like to re-visit briefly here: dual qualified
motor oils and additive chemistry.
Historically, one of the biggest problems
AMSOIL
has faced
when selling motor oils to the motorcycle market has to do with this notion that
automobile oils can't be used in motorcycles. Chuck Goldmann did an excellent
job of explaining how some motor oils might not be suited for both applications,
but that some motor oils most certainly are. (I won't fault him for mentioning
that he personally uses a Mobil product. As you would expect, we use
AMSOIL
products, which Chuck knows are very good.)
There are actually two issues here. The first is that the
motor oil be capable of meeting both passenger car and diesel performance
requirements. The second issue has to do with the use of friction modifiers. The
truth is that friction modifiers have never been a real performance issue. OEMs
(bike manufacturers), however, created such a strong public perception against
them that in 1998
AMSOIL
re-formulated its two leading oils for the motorcycle
market. Later, because of the continued misinformation that an automobile oil
cannot be used as a motorcycle oil,
AMSOIL
took the last step of producing two
grades of
AMSOIL
synthetic motorcycle oil.
Public perceptions and fears can drive consumer behavior,
whether true or not. Last year's Millennial Day Meltdown fear resulted in
tremendous sales of generators and packaged dried foods. The fear driving this
debate revolves around the question of whether it is acceptable or safe to use
anything but Factory oil.
CHEMISTRY CLASS
All of the articles presented chemistry lessons. I'm not sure
how important many of these details are for riders, but it is fascinating for
those of us who are so inclined.
Do we really need a chemistry degree in order to choose a
motor oil? No. But it's good to remember that all motor oils are not created
equal.
It is unlikely that any major motor oil company today is going
to produce a really bad product. But is "adequate" what riders really want? If
you are going to change it frequently, if you are going to be a kind, tame rider
who never gets on the throttle, well, Harley-Davidson Oil is just fine, as most
motorcycle oils probably are. But if you're the kind of rider who puts your
machine through its paces, who makes modifications that bump your horsepower to
the next level, if you're cranking it up and you want to know your engine has
the protection it needs, or simply want the best, a premium synthetic motorcycle
oil is the lubricant of choice.
Here's how I see it. Additive chemistries are just that:
additives. They are chemicals that have been added to the base stock. These
chemicals have various functions. But the final product can only be as good as
the foundation you build on. Quite honestly, there would be no synthetic motor
oil market if the only thing you needed to do to get premium performance from
crude oil was put some chemicals in it. The fact is, petroleum has its
limitations. All oils are not created equal.
A premium product does not end with the base stock. Additive
selection makes a difference. Chuck Goldmann notes that not only is selection
important, the process of assembling the motor oil is also important. In short,
you want an experienced manufacturer who understands the interrelationship of
the various components of the lubricants being produced. It is not simply a
matter of putting ingredients together.
Harley-Davidson noted, correctly, that "you cannot distinguish
between a good motor oil and a better motor oil by additive metals analysis
alone." Remember, though, that this is not the same as saying additive metals
don't make a difference. The truth is a manufacturer can skimp on certain
chemicals to keep costs down and consumers will not notice anything, even though
there are consequences. I would like to use an example from a different industry
that readers may understand.
In the realm of house paint, not all paints are created equal.
If you take a really cheap white paint, you may need three coats of paint to
cover a medium colored surface. If you take a very high end professional paint,
you can cover that surface with one coat. I once painted a black door white with
a single coat of premium high quality paint. All of these paints look white
inside the pail. But the high quality paint has a higher additive content. By
increasing the amount of titanium white, an additive, you can get better
coverage. This additive is expensive, however, and people often do not wish to
pay the price, so paint manufacturers produce low end products to satisfy the
consumer who wants to buy on price. Savvy consumers who value their time are
willing to pay more to get the better, one-coat coverage.
When it comes to additives,
AMSOIL
spends more so that the oil
exceeds, not simply meets, the demands of a long life lubricant. High TBN, and
sufficient zinc and phosphorous, helps reduce engine corrosion and wear,
increases oil service life and reduces maintenance costs.
REAL BENEFITS FOR RIDERS
What does all this mean for readers? There are two very real
and noticeable benefits for bikers who use a premium synthetic motorcycle oil
like
AMSOIL.
First, the engine runs cooler. Reduced friction results in cooler operating
temps. If you are riding hard out on the desert or stuck in city traffic in
L.A., you can definitely feel the heat from your hog. What can you do? You can't
install air conditioning. You can use a premium synthetic and run perceptibly
cooler.
The second benefit, extended drain intervals and longer
service life, is appreciated by many
AMSOIL
users. Instead of having to change
the oil midway through the season, you simply change the filter. The oil's
additive package is beefy enough so that the oil is good to go for up to two
times the equipment manufacturer’s recommendation or 6 months, whichever comes
first. If you are uncomfortable with extended drains you can still change at
normal intervals and needn't have fear if inconveniences cause you to go beyond
your normal oil change interval.
Another, less noticeable but very real benefit of a beefy
additive package in a synthetic is this: at the end of the year, bikers in
northern tier states also appreciate knowing that the anticorrosive
characteristics of a premium synthetic are better than their petrol
counterparts. There is less likelihood of rust and pitting on parts inside the
engine as it sits idle through the winter.
WARRANTY ISSUES
A major concern many riders have had pertains to the warranty
issue. Harley Davidson has created the impression that if you are a rider who
uses any oil besides Harley-Davidson oil, you will void your warranty. Many
motorcycle shops believe this to be the case, although the writer of the
November Harley-Davidson article indicates that "in a pinch Harley-Davidson
recommends that a rider use one of the API C category oils as a substitute for
Harley-Davidson 360." Nevertheless, the impression is out there that the
warranty will be voided if you use another product, and since the bike has cost
a good chunk of change, no one really wants to gamble with that much money on
the table. Fortunately, there is a law called the Magnusson-Moss Act that says,
in layman’s terms, an OEM cannot require a consumer to use an OEM part or fluid
in order to maintain warranty coverage unless that part or fluid is provided
free of charge.
I can't speak for other oil companies, but I can say that
AMSOIL
warrants its oil against lubrication related failure. We have 28 years
experience and wouldn’t be in business today if engine failures were a problem.
We have more experience with synthetics and extended drain intervals than anyone
in the industry.
MARKETING
Don, in his April column, wrote: "There is nothing wrong with
Harley oil, and it is a good fossil oil to run in your bike. It is just that
modern marketing can be very skillful in making the consumer paranoid about
using anything but the manufacturer's suggested oil. There are better oils out
there. Period." Right on, Donny. I can't agree more.
It would appear that Harley-Davidson has not made it a goal to
empower riders to make choices. They have made a marketing decision, forced
reliance on Harley-Davidson. Is this what riders want? Do riders really want to
be stuck with no options regarding motor oil selection? Do riders want to be
forced to use inferior oil when they know other products can provide better
protection, reduce heat, increase horsepower?
They say it is not a marketing issue, however, Harley-Davidson
has chosen not to help their customers use other products. There are no factual
reasons for this. Their oil does not offer the benefits of a synthetic, and it
is clearly a marketing move.
A lot of riders change ignitions and make other modifications
to run their Harleys at higher RPM, modifying their bikes to get more
horsepower. This puts more stress on the engine, creates more heat. These
modifications may also present warranty problems as well. Perhaps even a
majority of riders modify their bikes to increase performance, and most really
ought to be using a higher performance motor oil. It would appear that
Harley-Davidson is not interested in helping these riders.
With more heat generated, oil breakdown does occur. The graph
on oxidation performance in the December issue shows a shocking difference
between HD 360 and Mobil 1 V Twin oil. This chart and many other tests for
benchmarking performance prove emphatically the superior capabilities of
synthetic motor oils. Why, then, has Harley-Davidson refused to promote the
performance benefits synthetics offer? It might be that being affiliated with
one oil supplier for so long has slowed Harley-Davidson’s adoption of
advancements in lubrication technology.
IN SUMMARY
Synthetic motor oils offer numerous performance advantages
over conventional petroleum based products. For this reason, in nearly every
other market – from trucks to cars to heavy duty equipment to sport vehicles –
synthetics have been greeted with increasing enthusiasm. The technology is
proven. The benefits are many. There seems to be no good reason why motorcycle
owners should be discouraged from embracing this trend.
T's Advanced Synthetics
Greg and Marcy Thurman
Your Nationwide
AMSOIL
Authorized Independent
Dealer
Nationwide US Warehouses,
Canada and Palm Harbor, FL
727-798-8552
E-Mail:
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
If you
experience problems or have questions or comments about
our website please email us at
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
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