Just wondering if Harley's are known for oil consumption. This is my first bike and everything I've read says to check the oil level before each ride? I haven't actually had the chance to ride yet, as there is 2 feet of snow here. Do they burn that much oil? ...or is it just a smart preventative thing to do?

 

Some burn more than others but..no you do not have to put oil in before each ride.

But to each his own.

R. Todd

 

You will lose more air in your tires than oil in your crankcase!!!

 

If you're burning enough oil that you need to add between rides you have a problem and would know it by the trail of blue smoke you would be putting out the back. Yes its a good idea to pull the dipstick to to make sure oil is present because you just never know.

 

Newer engines, without tens of thousands of miles on them, should not burn or leak much oil at all. I'm on my second new H-D in the past six months and I may check the oil every six rides or 250 miles. My rides probably average 40 miles each. If you are losing oil you should see it in burnt/waste form (smoke) out of the exhaust or in liquid form on the garage floor. Just two common examples.

 

Thanks guys that all makes perfect sense to me, I was just curious. I mean its not like I check the oil in my truck every day. I guess I will check regularly for the first few rides and get a feel for what she's using and go from there.

 

Once you get into the Zen mode with your bike, you'll observe and know how often to check. Just do it a bit more often than you figure is right.

My present one goes each 5K service without needing any oil in between. But gets checked pretty often anyway.

 

I've now got 25,000 miles on my 07 and it doesn't use oil between the 5,000 mile changes. Just checked it friday before my 941 mile ride, checked it halfway throgh the ride and checked it when I pulled in the driveway. It doesn't use oil but I check it anyway.

 

Unless you have a leak, you shouldn't be using any. Check the floor for leaks and you should be good. As you rack up the miles and make regular checks, you'll know your bike and how it reacts. As for me, I quit checking mine and just change it at 5,000 miles. Same with the tranny.

 

I agree with those that suggested checking it regularly until you see how it does. I bought my '05 last summer with 8K on it, the guy who did the delivery on it told me the same thing. I know guys that hardly ever check it.
I check it when I fill up each time and found it was using a little. I read on a thread in here that some of the '05 s use some oil because of the valve stem seals used that year. Mine uses a little (a quart in 2K) and doesn't smoke unless I climb all over it and then it's hardly noticeable. The way I see it, it isn't hurting anything right now and I just keep an eye on it. Make sure to check it under the same conditions each time. You most definitely don't want to over fill it.