New Indian Motorcycle Oil query

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The Victory oil change kit (4.5 quarts) which includes an OEM oil filter, goes for about $59.00 at local dealers here in PA.

The per quart cost of the Castrol oil is 1/2 what the Vic oil costs, so the savings would be substantial if it performed as good as the Vic oil. The per quart cost of the Castrol is $5.71 (delivered) and for the Vic oil it's about $11.

My concern is one of convenience / performance. I can get the Vic oil at two different dealers that are close to where I live--very convenient. I also already know that the Vic oil performs well in the bike (per the UOA I had done). I also get to support a marque / local dealer that I like and would like to see remain in business.

I doubt that the Castrol will fare better than the Vic oil in terms of shearing. . .every bike oil shears out of grade (in a shared sump) and I believe the OEMs take that into consideration when spec'ing their oils. The Vic oil was out of grade, but not by much especially in consideration of the miles of the OCI. The wear numbers from the UOA would suggest that the shearing isn't a serious detractor from the Vic oil.

The Vic oil is more expensive than some other options, but I know it works well in this application. I operate a $22,000 motorcycle. . .I don't mind paying a little extra for oil I know works--that extra cost spread over a 5000 mile OCI is miniscule.

The Castrol may work just as well. . .and I may try it some day--If I do, I'll do a UOA. --Rob
 
Yeah that is a predicament. On one hand you can pay half the cost on an oil that you don't know how it'll perform in your bike and help out Castrol, or pay double and know it functions properly and help out a local business. Good luck with the decision, we'll look forward to a UOA down the road from either one regardless!
 
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Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Don't all the '13's and '14's have cats in the header pipes?. Seems funny that nowadays they wouldn't recommend full synthetic oil instead of semi.,,

What does one have to do with the other? There's millions of cars with cats that run dino oil.
 
They usually recommend synthetic or semi syn as it handles heat better than plain old Group 1 or 2 refined from crude oil...but of course your group 3 synthetics are still refined from crude, but can be sold in the USA as "synthetic".
 
Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Don't all the '13's and '14's have cats in the header pipes?. Seems funny that nowadays they wouldn't recommend full synthetic oil instead of semi.,,

What does one have to do with the other? There's millions of cars with cats that run dino oil.
Maybe nothing, but I've never seen a motorcycle specific oil with a API symbol on the bottle.But Indian says to use oil with a SM rating.Do they have the symbol on their oil bottle?, or do they just say it meets SM specs?.,,
 
vic oil is decent but overpriced. they use a 20-40 to get a better oil cheaply! 20 can be too heavy in colder temps slowly getting circulated + the 40 is not enough in hot weather, especially setting in traffic! Amsoil can be purchased from our victory forum sponsor at a similar price + $7 for a wix filter without the victory logo. due to Vics shared oil supply shearing is a problem hence the 20-40, changing at 2500 miles is best but $$$$ amsoil + redline real synthetics are shear stable + can go 5,000 miles easily providing cooler running + more protection, there simply is NO COMPARISON IMO
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
I'm betting they want you to use SM oil so as not to contaminate the cats. Otherwise any brand or wt oil would work just as well.,,


I'm going with this also.

Rotella 15W-40 is SM and the Quicksilver oils are SM, both @Walmart.
 
Originally Posted By: FastGame
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
I'm betting they want you to use SM oil so as not to contaminate the cats. Otherwise any brand or wt oil would work just as well.,,


I'm going with this also.

Rotella 15W-40 is SM and the Quicksilver oils are SM, both @Walmart.


Scrap the SM for cats thought. In the Amsoil motorcycle oil test the Victory oil was at the higher end for AW additives of all the oils. The Victory oil did really well in that test beating some real high end synthetics, it's real good oil.
 
I run Redline 20w-50 motorcycle oil in my 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour for the full 5,000 mile oil change intervals and the Blackstone lab reports come back showing that the Redline does not break down and it maintains its viscosity.

My shifting is just as good at the 5,000 mile mark as it is at the 1 mile mark on fresh oil.

So far every report I have seen on the Victory/Indian brand 20w-40 oil the viscosity has fallen out of grade. I do not believe that Victory designed these big air/oil cooled V-Twin engines to compensate for the oil falling out of grade. I think that is just an excuse by those who use the Victory/Indian brand oil to try and justify their paying the higher cost for the Victory/Indian brand semi-synthetic oil.

No one knows the real story on the Victory/Indian brand 20w-40 oil like how much synthetic is added into it. We all know that it can't be more than 30% because a semi-synthetic oil can only have up to 30% synthetic in the blend to be called a semi-synthetic. I am of the opinion that Victory/Indian falls far short of that 30% number due to the way it falls out of grade with the viscosity.

Where I live we get summer time temps as high as 107 degrees and the Redline 20w-50 survives this without falling out of grade maintaining its viscosity.

Air cooled V-Twins have to be built with larger tolerances due to the nature of the beast. Lloydz Motor Workz is very clear on his start up recommendations that you need to let these engines warm up before getting on them due to the different expansion rates of the different parts.

One thing I am sure of by using the Redline 20w-50 motorcycle oil is the oil stays in grade and protects the engine at the rating it was designed at while the Victory/Indian 20w-40 oil does not provide that protection due to the multiple lab reports showing it falling out of grade for the viscosity level.
 
I wouldn't run anything less than an 15W50 in a shared sump bike. Gear shear will chew it down to a 40 before the end of the interval. Chew a XXW40 down to a 30 --> too thin!
 
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
I wouldn't run anything less than an 15W50 in a shared sump bike. Gear shear will chew it down to a 40 before the end of the interval. Chew a XXW40 down to a 30 --> too thin!


My wife's calls for 10w-40 in a shared sump, and that's a hot-running, high-winding (11,000RPM), air-cooled screamer.
 
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