I've always buy a fsm. I've also serviced a few bikes for others who usually don't have one. How many people use it to change oil tho? I haven't picked one up for this bike yet but I realized after posting last night, the 2 different type plugs that have been used. One actually comes with teflon tape on it from the factory and could work loose from vibration. I'd be more inclined to use a teflon paste if it were the tapered pipe thread type plug tho. Have you ever seen some people trying to use teflon tape and wrapping it in the wrong direction, loose?
Then there's the sportster where there is no threaded plug but a hose with a piece of plastic hose clamped in the end that snaps on the frame on the bottom of the bike. Pay attention to the orientation of the plastic before tightening the hose clamp so it doesn't hang below the frame or you could end up with 3 quarts of oil on the ground pulling into a driveway. The primary plug was straight thread at least on my 05.

 

Long live Oil Threads ... :>)

 

Yup. I used to ride long distance on my Goldwings towing a trailer. I had 5 that all had at least 50k on them and now have been piling the miles up on two Harleys, one with a big bore and cams. and now a 96 with cams. Mobil one is all I have ever used and I used to test compression regularly.Never a drop in compression. I gave up on that as a waste of time. Also never a failure in any engine and when I pulled the stock cams and bearings in the Harleys they were always perfect. I buy mine in 5 quart jugs on sale at Walmart for less then 25 bucks. 15-50 Full Syn. None of my bikes has ever used a drop of oil since Mobil one came on the market with their claimed 10,000 mile interval. Change it once a year and forget it I am always amazed at folks who don't use it, cheap out and end up with cam and ring issues. It is used in all my pickups also including my 98 Dodge that had 328 thousand on it when it was totalled. Several others in the 150k plus range. I don't pay extra for Motorcycle oil. Just the regular mobil one in the jug. I just turned 64 and after 4 years in the C.G. and 33 yrs humping poles for Ma Bell in detroit I personally need a valve job and my old lady says I have a loud exhaust. My heart Dr should have transfused me over to Mobil One. The bottom line is if ya use it will at run reliably untill the nect guy buys it, or ya croak. PS when I drain it I pour and filter the old stuff through a big *** funnel with a wife beater tshirt over the top into an old jug marked "Used". Then I use it in my 30 yr old craftsman rider and my snow throwers and quad which I plow up my food plots with. They don't use oil either.

 

For those that get serious heartburn from reading/posting in this and a couple other threads, maybe you should just not go in there...