HDT Turning Heads with AMSOIL

In 2001 Hayes Diversified Technologies (HDT), located in Hesperia, California, began to produce diesel powered tactical military motorcycles for the U.S. armed services as well as the UK and EU NATO countries. Founded in 1961, the company originally manufactured electro-mechanical switches and relays to the military & aerospace industries.

The new HDT motorcycles are diesel machines combining both power and environmentally friendly performance efficiency. We’re talking about a bike that gets 100 miles to the gallon AND can do 100 mph.

The HDT team was out on the Bonneville Salt Flats earlier this month striving to establish new national and world records. Displaying the AMSOIL colors while going through the paces at Bonneville, they offered up quite a number of very strong endorsements with virtually no prompting. “We noticed an increase in horsepower right away when compared to Delvac 1,” said Fred Hayes, founder/CEO of HDT. “What was quite surprising was the condition of the engine after a 50-mile run-in and over 120 full-throttle dyno runs. The camshaft bearings, the small and large end rod bearings, didn’t even look like they had been run. During that series of dyno runs, we registered the highest horse-power and torque readings ever.”

Dave Anderson, AMSOIL Technical Product Manager, had flown to Bonneville to witness and participate in the pursuit of new land speed records. (See 4 and Sept. 6 Updates) Hayes said to Anderson, “Our testing proved that AMSOIL Series 3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil provided better cam bearing lubrication, better transmission operation and less blow-by than our previous oil. We picked up just over one horse power at the rear well.” This is a 3.7% increase and worth a 1 tooth higher gear ratio. “In addition, it appears that overall coolant temperature was down about five degrees.” That is roughly a 2.5% decrease in operating temperatures.

Very few bikers would be opposed to increased horsepower with lower operating temps, simply by switching over the lubricants.

“With over a year of testing, we have found that AMSOIL products continually outperform all other lubricants. AMSOIL provides improved performance, increased fuel economy, lower oil consumption, and significantly reduced engine wear in all operating conditions.”

Look for more on this unfolding story.

Rising Temps Put Stress On Engine Oils

When you think about it, we demand a lot from our motor oil. For example, we all want better fuel economy, so we’re using lighter oils. However, we also want engines to produce more power per cubic inch. To add power, we’re putting in turbochargers which raise the engine temperatures and put higher stress on our oil.

That’s not the only stress. We value cleaner air, so new devices that reduce exhaust emissions place more contamination in the oil and increase engine temperatures. We’ve also cut aerodynamic drag, a plus for vehicle owners, but brutal on oil. By minimizing the air flow over the engine and drivetrain, temperatures also rise.

In fact, the average under-the-hood temperature has increased from 175 degrees Fahrenheit in 1975 to 225 degrees in 2000. Our vehicles are increasingly complex and powerful machines. To keep them running smoothly, we’re demanding that our lubricants do more and last longer.

That is why synthetic motor oils and drivetrain fluids have been increasing in market receptivity over the past two decades. For more information about AMSOIL synthetic motor oils, visit the AMSOIL website at http://www.amsoil.com

If you like racing and have an interest in following our corporate racing activities, be sure to visit and bookmark http://www.amsoil.com/blog/index.aspx

Off-road racing, record chasing on the Bonneville Salt Flats and events like the Diesel Power Challenge can teach a lot about the performance limits of lubricants.