How often do you change oil? Better read this!!
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,922
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From: Running with the gators
How often do you change oil? Better read this!!
So I thought I'd stir up the snake's nest once again. So how often do you change your oil in your beloved Harley engine? Well there are thousands of Harley Davidson owner's out there and guess how many different answer's there will be. Harley says that you can run their conventional oil for up to 5,000 miles in the engine. But what about synthetic oil? Can you run it further than 5,000 miles? Hummmm. So here is where I'm going to get things heated. How many of you have ever flown on a commercial airliner? How often do they change their oil in the jet engines? Anyone? Most of them do not ever change the oil. They just top off and change filters. So, who all out there are scared now? Who all out there are saying wow! If they can do it I can at least run my a little longer than 2,500 miles or even 5,000 miles. I know I run Mobile 1 Extended performance in my 97 Saturn with 172,000 miles and only change it once a year regardless of how many miles I run. In my 2008 Sportster I only changed the oil once a year also, of course you can imagine I did not run as many miles as I did my car. I would recommend you do lot's of research on oils and learn what an oil actually does before wasting your money on needles oil changes conventional or synthetic. The advancements made to oil's in the last few years has really left the old 3,000 miles changes in your cars a thing of the past.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 152
Likes: 1
From: brockton ma
I try to change the oil on my bike every 5000 miles, But I was procrastinating and let it slip to 8000 before I changed it. I know oil today is better than oil of the past but it is cheap insurance to change it and make sure its not contaminated.
General aviation airplanes used for commercial use have the oil changed every 100 hours.
General aviation airplanes used for commercial use have the oil changed every 100 hours.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 20
From: Kafar Hanusi
Change around 10,000 KM with 100% synthetic 20-50 in both holes.
Other issues are like mixing oil and water, jets are different than air cooled bikes, same for the cars, synthetics are great after break'in as there is virtually no wear.
Other issues are like mixing oil and water, jets are different than air cooled bikes, same for the cars, synthetics are great after break'in as there is virtually no wear.
Last edited by DavidStiebel; May 15, 2013 at 01:00 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 203
Likes: 1
From: Sacramento Delta
Just because you only change your oil once a year, doesn't mean it doesn't need to be changed more often. Because of the number of variables involved, the best way to determine if your oil is still good is to send a sample to the lab and have it checked to see what's in it. AAA offers this to their member for $25. A lot of new car manufacturers that require synthetic oil usually have high oil change intervals, 15,000-20,000 mile range.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 785
Likes: 2
From: SE TN
Beyond submitting your oil for UOAs at regular intervals, any interval you choose is a shot in the dark on whether or not it's the right time to change the oil. I'd rather just stick with the suggested intervals in the service manual.
Comparing maintenance on a commercial airliner to an air-cooled Harley is like comparing spoons to oak trees.
Comparing maintenance on a commercial airliner to an air-cooled Harley is like comparing spoons to oak trees.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 669
Likes: 21
From: Riverside, CA
Every 5k and Syn3
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: b.c.
Oil is relatively cheap, so 5k for me. If you really want to know how long you can run it, you'd need to have a lab do a regular oil analysis like they do on OTR trucks and in the Marine industry....a bit of a PITA for a motorcycle, though.
Dave
Dave
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Advanced
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 77
Likes: 1
From: N Ft. Myers, Fla
It's too cheap and easy to gamble. Here in the north east, we are lucky if we can get 6-8000 miles riding Ina year. That equals 2 o/c's plus one when you first chip the ice and snow off. 3 total. I think when I finally move south, ill do it no later than 3 k. Just bc. It's not just an of, it's also an opportunity to check other things, and decide on the next mod. 
