Any with Harley's should try swapping their oil with Motorcraft's 15w40 Heavy Duty Diesel Motor oil.

I've got a 2003 Sportster 883R with about 7k on it, and I've been having a hard time getting it warmed up enough to take the choke off, and if I'm out running errands, and say I go into the Post Office, then come back out I'd need to use my choke a little to get the bike to stay running. Always bothered me a little. After running for a 5 minutes or less, I could push the choke back in and all is well. Just annoying. Harley tech said it's normal, and some are just cold-blooded beasts. But never mentioned anything about oils.

Anyhow, it was time for an oil change. I change my oil on my Harley every 3k miles. Just because it was already black, and my own virtue, I don't like leaving oil in past 3k, even though HD says 5k. That's just a lot of miles. I got thinking... what if I change my oil down a grade? Being that the lifters are hydraulic, it might make starting the engine a tad easier. HD manual says diesel oil is fine, as long as it meets CE, CF, CF-4, and CG-4 specs. Which pretty much any diesel oil exceeds, and I know Motorcraft exceeds very well in it. But I know I've had real good luck with Motorcraft oils. So I went to Wally World and picked myself up a jug of it. Noted that it was the most expensive 15w40 too, which was kind of odd. But there must be a reason.

So I changed the oil and filter (I used a HD filter, but plan on getting some K&N filters) and purged the air from the oil line. Started the bike and let it run for a minute to get the oil filter soaked. Then waited about 15 minutes for it to soak in the oil filter. I do this with every engine that has a filter.

I then started it back up and went for a ride. I was on the bike for about 2 minutes, not even, and I was able to turn the choke completely off without the bike stalling, AND it was about 62F out. I then got it up to operating temperatures and then stopped in my local convenience store, got a couple things, came back out. About 10 minutes. Started it up without the choke and ran just fine. In fact it runs much smoother, there is less valve train noise.

So in my case, screw HD 20W50 dino oil, and go with something better such as Motorcraft's 15W40 Diesel Motor Oil...

 

you should be ok running that..... http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...&Number=919069

but as stated in the thread yer flying blind if ya don't do a UOA after yer next oil change....

 

Almost sounds like you have a valve starting to burn up. Does it make any slight hissing noises?

 

My sister's ex uses Amsoil 20w50 in his V-rod. Excellent stuff.

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produc...?code=MCVQT-EA

 

good stuff....

 

I might do a UOA, after another oil change with the diesel motor oil.

No, there are no slight hissing noises. I've had Harley techs fiddle with it, and there is nothing wrong.

Yeah, Amsoil is good too.

Second day on the oil, rode about 75 miles and it just rides a hell of a lot better. Seems much less choppy at lower rpms. The problem is I don't ride mine hard. Lots of places I go don't let me get up much past 40 mph. Ive had days where my oil temp does even reach 140F. Which I think is half my problem, and I live in a cool climate as it is. I also am using a better grade oil for cold weather starting and performance. The bike had never been past 3500 rpms and is mostly ridden below the 3000 rpm range, mostly 2000-2600 rpms.

Oil is oil in my books... But the grade oil matters and switching down a little ways on the grade can adjust the way engine parts perform, in my case in a good way. It's just like running synthetic vs dino.

 

A 20w50 synthetic flows better at low temps than a 15w40 dino.

 

nope you don't ride yours hard at all....to put it simply mine is blueprinted and balanced for up to 9k....it sees at least 8k at the track....

 

It's "more" expensive because the Motorcraft 15w40 comes in a 5 quart jug, the other diesel brands are all 4 quart jugs.

 

I use Amsoil 20w-50 V-Twin in my 2012 FLHX! Thank god for modern fuel injection on these bikes no chokes to screw with! LOL