First time posting here. Im tired of going to the Steal-lership and giving my money to them for a oil change. My bike has sat for 8 months, aside from changing the oil what else should i change? I'm planning to change transmission and Primary oil as well. Can I use the same oil (full synthetic is what I'm using) for all three? Thanks for any feedback.

Z

 

Well, you should also change the oil filter- assume you will but you didn't spell it out. There are tons of threads on this forum regarding what fluid to use in what hole, but yeah, many people run the same oil in the engine, primary and transmission. Others use product made for the specific purpose. You don't say what bike you have but not sure if it really matters.
My own preference is to use M/C oil in the engine, primary specific lube in the primary, and transmission specific for the transmission- in my case all Red Line. There are infinite other options, you'll likely get a lot of different opinions, pick one and go.

 

The majority of people will say I am wrong but the dealer service includes more than just changing the fluids.

 

Exactly. And for those of us who don't have the tools, lifts and all of that, it's worth it to me to take it there. Stealer-ship...

 

This. I do my own services, but it DOES take me an entire 8-9 hours to do it. In addition to changing the oil and filter I also:


Clean tappet oil screen (mine's an Evo).
Drain and change fork oil.
Disassemble, clean and grease clutch lever, brake lever, throttle.
Lubricate clutch cable and throttle cable.
Inspect condition of brake fluid, flush (replace) fluid annually.
Inspect brake pads, lubricate brake caliper sliding pins.
Grease steering head bearings.
Remove and clean carburetor float bowl, inspect/clean air filter.
Inspect/adjust primary chain and clutch.
Lubricate shift and rear brake linkage.
Replace spark plugs (every 10K or 2nd service).
Change primary oil.
Change transmission oil.
Inspect all fasteners, including spokes (I run laced wheels), tighten as necessary. Inspect wheels for trueness.


This is what the factory service manual says to do at every service (as much as I can remember at the moment). The dealer SHOULD be doing this as well. If I could trust the dealer to do all of this as thoroughly as I do, I'd be more inclined to pay them to do it.

 

Thanks everybody for the information. As I was typing this out last night I was doing in a rush and I apologize for not giving all the information. I ride a 2007 Harley Davidson street bobber (FXDB). Its got a 96 cubic inch engine with a 6 Speed. I'm looking to do more of the lighter maintenance myself. But I have your stuff I think I will still rely on the dealership. I read some reviews on here with people saying that regular engine oil in the transmission case will make shifting a lot smoother. Is this just personal preference or is there some validity to this?

 

No way to know that but to try it. It's very subjective.
When I did the 1000 mile service I put Redline with Shockproof in the transmission, and really didn't notice much if any difference in how the bike shifter vs what Harley put in at the factory.

Changing the transmission oil is very simple (at least on my bike), and it'd be no big deal (other than the money you spend) to switch back if you try something and don't like it.

 

I use syn3 in the engine and Formula+ in trans and primary.

I do my own oil but bigger things that require a lift or jack are done by a shop.

 

What are you using the lube the clutch cable?


carl

 

Not sure what he uses, but I've used dri-slide on my bicycles, dirt bikes, and street bikes for years and it works very well.