Question has probably been beat to death but couldn't find it searching.
Have a 23 FatBoy w/3k miles. 3-hole oil change by dealer a 900m and every 1k miles by me (retired master mechanic). Used the HD Syn kit.
At 950-miles the top end was replaced (pistons, cylinders, heads) under warranty.
Now the motor is burning oil at a rate of a quart every 1k miles (just burned a 1/2 on a 200-mile ride. I did smell oil burning on the trip, smelled like a worn out 60's small block chevy.
Is this normal or should I have the dealer address the issue. Thank you for any suggestions

 

Not normal. Take it back to the dealer, their work should be warrantied.

 

when I found my oil below the dipstick the dealership told me that HD allows for 1qt every 1500 miles

 

That is technically in HD’s spec on M-8’s, but not in mine.

I was using 2 quarts between 5k oil changes, and could not figure out where it was going at 17,000 miles. Plugs good. Not spitting it through the breathers I installed. So I conveniently sold it to the knot-head dealership I bought it from.

 

Every 1k?

 

To help us understand, could you please elaborate on this? For it certainly isn’t typical.

 

Here is my latest thinking on this - I drained about 3.5 quarts and had to put a full 5 quarts in. My guess is that that tech doing the 1K service saw in the service manual to "add an initial 4 quarts" and stopped there. I may have burnt off a little less that half quart - but I really doubt that it was 1.5. My bike runs great (no sumping that I can tell) and I find it hard to believe that it chewed through 1.5 quarts so I am going with my suspicion that the lowly tech assigned to oil changes screwed this up - and reaffirms why I do as much of the work myself as I can.

 

This is abdolutely unacceptable. No new or rebuilt engine should burn oil. Someone said its in H.D. spec.s to burn a quart in 1,500 miles? To me, that's crazy. I frankly don't believe it. If it is true, you need to swear off Harleys, and go to someone who can manufacture a tight engine - I think your overhaul was faulty. There's no way any overhaul I ever performed would pass muster, if it consumed oil at that rate! In fact, if it happened more than once, I would be fired.

 

The OP has beaten this issue to death here on this forum.

Take a look at his post history.

Maybe Harley will have mercy on us and give him his money back.

 

There was a very bad noise from the motor and the dealers oldest-chief mechanic took it for a 30-mile ride and heard the noise.
He found out of round pistons and a bad rocker shaft.
And yes, I over-maintain all my vehicles. I did a 3-hole oil change at 500-miles and re-adjusted after the dealers expensive 3-hole service.
Oil is cheap and having the best is my thoughts.
I did a test, confirmed the oil level was at 75% on the stick and did a 200-mile ride and it burned 1/2 a quart. Also smelled oil burning from the exhaust.
Maybe all that hate don't understand that I'm a retired master mechanic and just a recent Harley owner. I've raced both dirt and track for over 40-years and maintained and built the bikes.
I could rebuild this motor blind folded but what is the use of the warranty if I have to do the work? My Father and uncles have had
Harley since WW2, I'm not a dumb yuppie newbie to Harleys. Just thought a few would give a normal oil consumption rates. But I was wrong and nothing but hate here. Put on your leather vest and pretend
to be an outlaw biker, my uncle was a president of the club you think you're trying to imitate