motorcycle products at Discovery Oil

AMSOIL Synthetic 20W-50
and 10W-40 OILS
Superior Wear Protection for Motorcycles

What's a motorcyclist to believe? On one hand, cyclists are told by equipment manufacturers that automotive motor oils are not capable of protecting their bikes. On the other, AMSOIL synthetic motor oils have offered unparalleled protection and performance to motorcycles for 25 years.

AMSOIL synthetic 10W-40 and 20W-50 motor oils have always given motorcyclists what they need: superior wear protection for high-stress motorcycle engines and transmissions and clutches that stay clean and deposit-free.

Now AMSOIL is giving motorcyclists what they want: AMSOIL High Performance Oils, new high-stress 10W-40 and 20W-50 formulations. AMSOIL High Performance Synthetic 10W-40 Motor Oil and AMSOIL High Performance Synthetic 20W-50 Motor Oil have beefier anti-wear and detergent/dispersant packages than ever, and no friction modifiers.

Motorcycle manufacturer rhetoric against the use of automotive oils in motorcycles has become very strong. "Harley recently issued a statement indicating [API] SJ-rated oil should not be used in their bikes. How come?" asks Cruising Rider (July/August 1998).

"The reason is," continues Cruising Rider, "up until recently, refineries used zinc and phosphorus additives to help reduce wear, especially under high-pressure conditions, such that exist on cam lobes. These additives are more important to most cycle engines, which typically have steep cam slopes, creating high pressure between the parts. The additives were greatly reduced in the SJ formulation because they degrade catalytic converters and oxygen sensors over time."

Harley-Davidson Service Bulleting M-1065 states that API SJ oils are formulated for water-cooled engines typically operating with oil temperatures lower than 200ºF (93ºC). Harley-Davidson motorcycle engines, on the other hand, are air-cooled and typically operate with engine temperatures greater than 200ºF. It also states that the additive package in genuine Harley-Davidson Motor Oil was not formulated to meet API SJ requirements and "will continue to be formulated with the additive package that has protected Harley-Davidson AIR-COOLED [emphasis theirs] engines during rigorous testing by Harley-Davidson and years of operation by H-D owners."

Finally, motorcycle manufacturers claim friction modified oils cause engine start failures, rough running feel, increased fuel consumption due t higher engine stall speeds and other problems.

Cruising Rider missed some important points. First, phosphorus limits do not apply to 10W-40 and 20W-50 oils, the viscosity grades most often recommended for motorcycles. Second, all motor oils of all viscosity grades contain zinc and phosphorus for their anti-wear value, and some contain as much now as they did before phosphorus limits went into effect.

Harley-Davidson failed to point out that its 20W-50 grade does not have to meet the phosphorus limits applied to API SJ oils. API SJ phosphorus limits do not apply to 20W-50 grade oils.

How do other motorcycle oils compare to AMSOIL High Performance motor oils in wear protection.

AMSOIL submitted four popular motorcycle oils to spectrographic analysis and Four-Ball Wear (ASTM D 4172) testing and compared the results to those of AMSOIL High Performance Synthetic 20W-50 Motor Oil and AMSOIL High Performance Synthetic 10W-40 Motor Oil.

None of the popular motorcycle oils, including Harley-Davidson 20W-50, compared favorably to the AMSOIL products in wear additive content or wear protection (see Spectrographic Analysis chart and Wear Protection graph, below).

For example, Harley-Davidson 20W-50 oil contained 829 parts per million (ppm) zinc and 616 ppm phosphorus to AMSOIL 20W-50's and AMSOIL and AMSOIL 10W-40's 1270 ppm zinc and 1150 ppm phosphorus. In the Four-Ball Wear Test, Harley-Davidson 20W-50's average wear scar was 0.60 mm -- 35 percent larger than the AMSOIL 20W-50 scar (0.39 mm). AMSOIL 10W-40 produced a 0.40 mm wear scar -- 33 percent smaller than that left by Harley-Davidson's 20W-50.

What about oil temperature and wear? AMSOIL conducted the Four-Ball Wear Test at 302ºF/150ºC, a significantly higher temperature than the 200ºF/93ºC Harley claims as typical motorcycle oil operating temperature. AMSOIL products protect better in higher temperatures than any of the tested motorcycle oils do.

Some motorcycle transmissions and engines share a common oil sump, so the engine oil must also provide wear protection to the transmission gears, which, according to Motorcycle Consumer News (August 1998) are subject to high gear surface pressures and gear rotation speeds. The superior performance of the AMSOIL products in the Four-Ball Wear Test applies here, too.

Motorcycle and other high performance engine users will find no better oils than AMSOIL High Performance Oils.

AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Racing Oil
Reduces Heat, Friction and Wear...

AMSOIL Series 2000 Synthetic 2-Cycle Racing Oil provides the ultimate protection for the hardest working, hottest running two-cycle engines. when two-cycle engines run hot, pistons expand and the piston to cylinder wall clearance is reduced. This increases friction and the likelihood of piston scuffing, reduced power and ultimately engine seizure. AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Oil reduces friction and prevents thermal runaway. AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Oil virtually eliminates piston scuffing and ensures peak performance in two-cycle engines.

Tests prove AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Racing Oil retains 17.6% more torque in extreme operating conditions.

Burns Clean...
Because two-cycle motors burn oil, it is important the oil burn clean to prevent carbon build-up. Carbon build-up in the ring areas causes ring sticking, and on the spark plug causes plug fouling.

AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Racing Oil is specially formulated to burn clean, ensuring optimal engine performance. AMSOIL's synthetic base oils are combined with specialized detergents to keep two-cycle components clean.



AMSOIL Series 2000 2-Cycle Racing Oil	Bel Ray MC-1 Synthetic Racing Lubricant	Golden Spectro Synthetic Blend	Maxima Tundra R Synthetic Blend