2014 Harley Davidson 103B - 1541 miles, 36 months - M1 V-Twin PC/TAN/TBN

Joined
Oct 20, 2005
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Scruffy City
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Obviously the bike has been sitting a lot...
 
Sitting a lot is an understatement. I've been going the same direction, not to that extent but going to give it one more year and make a decision whether to sell mine. Im at 30,000 but only rode 1,500 miles this year. We still made it to the mountains though. Granted it was the worst/most rainy summer since moving here 15 years ago. I left my sprinklers off for a good 10 weeks in the middle of the summer, that is unheard of water bill was $100+ less each month this summer, some background = niceest lawn in the community that everyone compliments *L*

Next year will be my first non working summer, now retired (unless I decide to work very limited part time), looking forward to seeing if I can find a purpose for the bike, *L* maybe a lot of bike to the beach, dont know.
Another unlikely possibility is something a tad different like a tourer (concours 14) or even that new HD sport tourer or nothing at all.
 
I like the M1 VTwin 20w50 a lot, have run it in my shared sump ZRX1200 for 5,000 mile OCI's. Great additive package, not just the zinc and phosphorus but the boron and moly along with the wear numbers makes it a hard oil to overlook. As has been said here over the years, it does end up at the higher end of the viscosity range for a 20w50 in non-shared sump engines, however was right in the middle of grade in my bike after 5,000 miles.
 
I like the M1 VTwin 20w50 a lot, have run it in my shared sump ZRX1200 for 5,000 mile OCI's. Great additive package, not just the zinc and phosphorus but the boron and moly along with the wear numbers makes it a hard oil to overlook. As has been said here over the years, it does end up at the higher end of the viscosity range for a 20w50 in non-shared sump engines, however was right in the middle of grade in my bike after 5,000 miles.
Its not the higher end, it goes out of its viscosity grade. Feel the need to mention that because we all pick on oils that go out of grade in roughly 3000 miles like so many other oils.. Just because it goes up from a 50 to 60 grade in roughly 3000 miles or less and happens to be M1 doesn't excuse it. :)
 
I agree with you on that. With that said, three of the four samples above were still in grade on the high-end, only one above grade was the 4000+ mile OCI.

Looking at your tets on Mystic 15w50, it falls out a grade on the low end in each OCI I have seen posted, and I know you are very happy with the oil.
 
I agree with you on that. With that said, three of the four samples above were still in grade on the high-end, only one above grade was the 4000+ mile OCI.

Looking at your tets on Mystic 15w50, it falls out a grade on the low end in each OCI I have seen posted, and I know you are very happy with the oil.

M1 gets a free pass or excused when it's out of grade after 2000 miles, lets be real, hanging on by a thread in one of these samples at 1,500 miles for a premium brand expensive oil.
I don't know but you mention that, and all of a sudden oil tests results come up from other threads and other brand oils with general sweeping comments from those who defend Mobil for some reason. I guess because its so expensive there must be a reason for it to go out of grade, possibly oxidizing... not one seems to know but its ok, because its Mobil 1.
Im just calling it as it is, as the tests show.

Then to bring up the "low end" of another brand oil, with up to twice the mileage, different riding conditions and a DIFFERENT engine to justify Mobil 1 fail to out of viscosity in nearly 1,500 miles.
Hey, Im just calling it as it is, not sure how a another brand oil comes into play other than to defend the current.
 
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I have, if that question is to us?
2100 and 1500 miles less then a year.
Then double that mileage for 2 years.
All good, not knocking choice if oil only known facts of M1 in non shared dumps, even in motorcycle magazines some years ago. Amsoil 20/50 too. They even mentioned and I agree doesn’t seem to do any harm.
Lots of Harley riders love the oil but no denying it thickens and I think even in 6 months it would act the same in my bike as a few years and 4500 miles because it does that in other non shared Harleys.
I really cool the oil in my bike at times as you might know, however not an everyday occurrence… beach days, depends on weather and traffic 🙃
 
According to my VOA it starts out at over 98 so relatively it is not thickening up a ton and is in the CST range.

Several of these are suspect, and I probably should have had them rerun, the 4000 mile sample in particular I believe it was has quite a bit more Zinc than the VOA.

At any rate none of that really matters to me...

The more interesting point to me is that none of that hand wringing over oil magically going bad in a year appears to have come to fruition...
 
Yeah, I remember you did the VOA and I was curious what it started out, I dont need a link I believe you @98 *LOL*.

Actually did a search quickly in DDG and Google not much being picked up, your UOAs were. I didnt search too hard. No, not thickening up in a bad way at all, but granted the mileage on most of the UOAs are low. I would think at some point, just like when most oils lose viscosity there comes a point that the loss stops. I suspect it must be the same thing with oils that gain. Most likely 1 grade up like other oils that lose, 1 grade down. It is unique, last I knew only to Amsoil and Mobil 1 ( I was looking for that old magazine comparison in my search, couldn't find that one either, if I do Ill post it)

The sample with the high Zinc was the 2,165.
Yeah, your the poster child on low mileage long usage with UOA to back it up. I couldn't bring myself to do it but Im on and off the bike more I think, all times of year. I was even a little leary of Mystik that I had new in the garage. Many years ago they sent me a double order of 2 - 2 gallon jugs, for a total of 8 gallons by mistake. I just got through them over a period of years. I finally have some new stock, I was able to get rid of some doing 2 oil changes on our new to use boat in the last two years, and why the sudden decrease in riding time, grrrr, not to great summer weather too.
Still made it to the mountains this year in the middle of July, kept it aa bit closer in Maggie Valley, Asheville and Waynesville (?) this year as I knew we would be dodging storms form the very first day/morning when we left on i26 while still in SC. Im honestly not sure how much longer Ill keep riding, need to find new things to do on it or s new bike, like a little lighter adventure (HD) but wont happen. I never checked to see if it was a chain which I would never do.
 
I have, if that question is to us?
2100 and 1500 miles less then a year.
Then double that mileage for 2 years.
All good, not knocking choice if oil only known facts of M1 in non shared dumps, even in motorcycle magazines some years ago. Amsoil 20/50 too. They even mentioned and I agree doesn’t seem to do any harm.
Lots of Harley riders love the oil but no denying it thickens and I think even in 6 months it would act the same in my bike as a few years and 4500 miles because it does that in other non shared Harleys.
I really cool the oil in my bike at times as you might know, however not an everyday occurrence… beach days, depends on weather and traffic 🙃
That's really what it comes down to. The oil works and engines are not having any issues. (y)
 
Harley9805.jpg


Obviously the bike has been sitting a lot...
This report would look the same if you had 5k miles on it. I've tested Mobil 1 and Valvoline and quit doing it as reports were so boring at 5k miles. These two oils do their job well. Mine is a 14 as well.
 
M1 gets a free pass or excused when it's out of grade after 2000 miles, lets be real, hanging on by a thread in one of these samples at 1,500 miles for a premium brand expensive oil.
I don't know but you mention that, and all of a sudden oil tests results come up from other threads and other brand oils with general sweeping comments from those who defend Mobil for some reason. I guess because its so expensive there must be a reason for it to go out of grade, possibly oxidizing... not one seems to know but its ok, because its Mobil 1.
Im just calling it as it is, as the tests show.

Then to bring up the "low end" of another brand oil, with up to twice the mileage, different riding conditions and a DIFFERENT engine to justify Mobil 1 fail to out of viscosity in nearly 1,500 miles.
Hey, Im just calling it as it is, not sure how a another brand oil comes into play other than to defend the current.
Mobil 1, in terms of powersports oils, is not expensive. It’s considerably cheaper than options from Maxima, Bel-Ray, Motorex, Spectro, Motul, etc.
 
What oil filter were you running? Maybe I'm incorrect, but that particle count seems high for a high efficiency oil filter.
 
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