Graham - The fact is, all engines run cooler and use less fuel, with even the cheapest synthetic. Including motorcycles. Why? Less friction. This is what translates to better mileage. FYI Amsoil, always interested in maintaining the claim "First in synthetics," is always testing their oils against the competition. Independently. Certain of their motorcycle specific oils are without friction modifiers and there are several different oils specific to the criteria for certain bikes. They list the bikes for each application. They claim at least a 5% increase, up to 15%, in mileage, depending on the engine. Synthetic makes starting easier in cold climates, and all engines run cooler in hot climates. Also, synthetics, as I understand it, come from vegetable base stock, and so is part of the carbon cycle and does not add to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In case you didn't know it, tree growth accelerates where there is more carbon dioxide present or generated in the atmosphere, so this would seem to negate the idea that we are spewing tons of CO-O into the atmosphere and thus causing "global warming, " because there is nowhere for it to go. There is one other thing I would do besides water injection and synthetic oil to aid in an air cooled engine run cooler, and that is plazmacoating. I used it in my Beetles and it also helped the mileage. That is, basically, a coating on the metal of the engine parts, baked on, which insulates the surface from the heat of combustion. This increased the power of my better - than - stock Beetle engines so that they still got 31mpg, even with nearly 1.8 liter displacement and dual carbs. Usual displacement is 1.6l with a single Solex carb in the middle. I have never had to take a Nighthawk engine apart, so I don't know how much that mod (plazmacoating) would increase its mileage or power, but I am sure it would increase the mileage by about, maybe 5mpg? Due to the fact that they had no oil filter (another mod I learned how to incorporate into the engine), I changed the oil every 1,500 miles. And Kyle, I did have K&N filters on top of my two Weber carbs. I fiigured, changing every 1500 miles (only took 3 qts.), any dirt that made it through the gauze left with the oil when I changed it. I always change the oil hot in any machine I work on. It is particularly challenging on a 250 Nighthawk, what with the hot muffler and hot oil and the proximity of the drain plug, to not burn my fingers... Stanley
________________________________ From: Graham Rogers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, June 25, 2010 5:09:58 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Changing to synthetic... Very good Joey, do you think Amsoil would reducing engine temp in an air cooled m/cycle? I should say has anyone tested to see if it does reduce the engine temp? Graham On Jun 25, 2010, at 4:35 PM, Joey Kelley wrote: > Graham and All, > I am not a chemist - nor do I play one on TV - but - I do > live in one of the colder states in the US (by colder I mean that we > do get snow and that the winter temperatures often hover around or > below freezing) so I do have the occasion to see one of the major > benefits of Synthetic oil, cold weather starting. This doesn't apply > (I Hope!) to anyone on a motorcycle but it did prove the concept to > me. > First the background and financial benefits: > I used to have a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 3.1L V6. I > ran 3000 miles on conventional oil changes for many miles. I began > looking at the prices one day on a Mobil 1 Synthetic change and > discovered that the price was less than double what my conventional > changes were costing me. In other words if I ran 6,000 mile changes, I > would be ahead of the game. I went for it. I only did two changes with > Mobil 1 and a friend, and Amsoil dealer, mentioned Amsoil to me and > offered me a case at a good price. I ran my first oil change 10,000 > miles on Amsoil and the oil didn't appear to have broken down at all > on draining. I vowed to run that next change for 12,000 and wound up > trading the car in before I had to drain it again. I assume that the > oil would have been good as new. I determined that the Amsoil was > costing me approximately three times as much as a conventional name > brand oil - but I was running it four times longer. In effect, a 25% > savings. > Here was the difference in performance: > Operating temperature of engine: > Conventional - 210 degrees > Mobil 1 - 200 degrees > Amsoil - 190 > Gas mileage increase: > Conventional - 0 > Mobil 1 - 2 MPG average > Amsoil - 5 MPG average > > The real proof one day that the synthetic had superior > cold temperature performance was the day I went out to start the > Pontiac in -30 degrees F temperatures. I was running Severe Service > 0w30 Amsoil at the time and I put the key in the ignition and turned > it and the engine fired right up. Just like it was 50 degrees outside. > I left the engine idling for a few minutes and when I shifted the > automatic transmission (still conventional lube) into reverse it took > about 30 seconds to shift into gear. It hit hard when it did too. > I did have one experience a few years earlier with my > Dad's 1987 HD FLHTC. It had been modified with domed pistons and HI po > cams, valves, heads etc. (Stage II Screaming Eagle Kit) The starter on > the 87 Hogs was known to be weak and the bike would often have to be > jumped if it didn't fire right away. In an attempt to make it easier > to start, we put Mobil 1 V-Twin synthetic oil in to the old beast. Not > only did it improve the starting characteristics, we actually had to > drop the idle jet down by about 33 percent, proof that the reduced > friction was in fact working. > Just my thoughts and experiences - prices and such may > vary as all of this was at least three years ago. > -Joey > > On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 3:22 PM, Graham Rogers <[email protected]> wrote: >> I'd be interested in knowing more - like why Amsoil? >> >> On Jun 25, 2010, at 1:39 PM, Joey Kelley wrote: >> >>> Not to continue / start a big Oil War on the subject, but, All >>> Synthetics are not created equal. The two best ones on the market IN >>> MY OPINION are Mobil 1 and Amsoil. I was so impressed with the Amsoil >>> I had in my last Pontiac I became a dealer. I've since let my >>> dealership lapse (its a yearly renewal) but my opinion of the products >>> hasn't changed. >>> Just my opinion. >>> -Joey >>> > > --You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. > > --You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
