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Maintenance - How often?

38K views 35 replies 27 participants last post by  Bad Sporty 
#1 ·
So how often do you go and get the maintenance done on your bike? The dealer is telling me I have to come back every 2500 miles.. :(
 
#2 ·
I do the maintenance myself,Have since the 500 miles checkup.that was ten years and 95,000 miles ago.

Get yourself a service manual and save the bucks.There really isn't much to it,and you'll know everything is right that way.
 
#28 ·
Has been for years, but unfortunsately the "has beens" still think it needs to be done more often....

As to maintenance I flush new bikes within first 100 miles to remove any machine metal chips left over from manufacturing the motor. Then again at 1,000 miles.
Oh yeah, and I kept my cool explaining to the service manager at Harley why he might want to keep his mechanics from killing the next customer. I swear I was actually pretty calm, considering. I figure they don't give a damn anyway for obvious reasons... so why get all excited?
Rleedeuce ; you said it all to a T, can't add to that
Dude, are you serious?

Lets see....changes his oil at ...what 100 miles to get the metal chips out? Dang, I thought my oil FILTER would get those pesky things out.....

I'm not even going to touch the rest of it....:hystria:
 
#5 ·
It depends on the oil you use if you use you can run longer between services if your running a full syn oil such as Amsoil or Mobil 1 or Redline etc.
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys. I'll have to look at the service manual to see how hard it is. I really don't want to pay the amount that the dealership is telling me I have to pay every 2500 miles, and that is with synthetic oil. HA
 
#8 · (Edited)
I bought an extended warranty on my '03 Ultra and the manual states the scoot should be serviced by the dealer every 2,500 miles.

In '04 they increased the service intervals to 5,000 miles w/ synthetic oil and the dealer told me it was OK for my '03 also.

Well, the dealership got sold and the new owner refused to repair my scoot cuz they hadn't serviced it every 2,500 miles.

I ended up taking the new owner to small claims court and recouped my money, (2,700$ plus all the other repairs that had been done under the warranty) but it was a long drawn out process which involved me going to the courthouse 8 times.

9 months later, the dealership folded.

Good luck with your decision.
 
#7 ·
Synthetic or not, I don't like to take a stab in the dark. Maybe 5000 is too much or too little. IDK. However, if you are done breaking in and want to stretch out the OCI, I would take the oil out the first time at the specified OCI and send it to Blackstone Labs for a test. They will tell you how much more you can or cannot stretch it out an might even give you some info on upcoming problems.
 
#11 ·
I have an 08 xl1200c. My manual tells me that the first service is at 1,000 miles. Each service thereafter is every 5,000 miles. It does not specify real oil or manmade oil. BTW, I'm satisfied with real oil as it is a by product of the stuff used to make gasoline and I would much rather use real gasoline than manmade gas (ethanol).
Service is MUCH MORE than an oil change. Read you manual.
 
#12 ·
As already mentioned, get the service manual and do it yourself. The dealer did my 1000 mile service and have not touched it since except for tire changes. Last night I did oil and filter change, transmission lube change, primary lube change, and spark plug change. Total bill from the dealer for parts, $63.00. I also went over everything else. I keep a very detailed record of every part and service I have ever done to the bike. I spend more time on it at 10,000 mile intervals. If you can use simple hand tools, you can do most of the maintenance yourself, plus it gives you a chance to look over/inspect things while you are doing it.
 
#15 ·
A Harley is probably the easiest bike to do basic maintenance on. The 883 manual and 1200 both say 5,000 miles for an oil change but oil is the blood of the motor and you should change it more frequently to protect the engine. Make sure you do the filter and primary oil as well and you could consider slick 50 ing the motor after its done a few thousand miles but not all people agree with doing this, but I've done it on a 883 and 1200. I use Harley Oil and Harley parts. The oil change is really easy, the primary oil is a bit more tricky and the oil filter just screws off on (put oil in the new one before putting on the bike) I have done my own servicing for 22years and both the Harley dealers I have bought from have gone bust so warranty issues for me are non existent. Do buy a Manual, factory and hayes is good.
 
#16 ·
Don't bother with Slick 50, Z-Max or the host of other 'miracle' additives. They provide nothing beyond separating you from your money and most have been tested and documented to prove just that. The only additive I would ever recommend would be Marvel Mystery Oil or the like and even then only recommend it for older vehicles. Modern oils and engine designs don't require additives and in some cases can actually cause increased wear or clogging of oil passages.

Stick with regular oil changes using a quality dino or synthetic oil and you'll be fine.
 
#17 ·
I've got almost 100,000 miles on my 92 fxr. I have had it serviced at the dealer just about every 2,500 miles since it was new. It rides today like the day I bought it (even better actually due to some minor mods). I attribute this to a lot of preventative maintenance. I am confident enough about the bike that next week I will take it on a 3,000 mile road trip.

So treat your bike like your life depends on it (it does) and either do the maintenance yourself or have it done by someone who knows what they are doing.
 
#18 ·
Since your bike is a 2012 see if the dealer will still do an extended service plan. My buddy stole one for $1,200 on his 09 Ultra Glide Electra Classic. He has over 66k on the bike so at 2,500 mile service he raped the dealer. To boot they wash his bike every service.

Myself, with an 01 Road King I run Amsoil and feel comfortable changing the oil at 6k. Still runs like a top and have no plans to ever get rid of it even should I get another bike. Just have too much into this bike.
 
#19 ·
To boot they wash his bike every service.
My dealer tries to wash every bike that comes through the shop for whatever reason. Not a detailing job, but enough to get it looking good. When you leave, you may be feeling bad about how much money you just spent, but you are happy being on a clean motorcycle. It makes a difference that is nice.
 
#20 ·
Know your bike, learn preventative maintenance

Learning to do your own maintienance has some advantages over just riding your bike and depending on the dealer to care of it.

First, you get to keep a whole lot of cash. I, like some of the other guys out here, took my bike to the dealer for the 1000 mile and they have never seen it again for maintenance. That was 45k miles ago and the bike runs great.
Second, you get to know your machine and you know earlier when things aren't quite right and that can save your butt.
Third, if you can handle everyday hand tools you can do your own service as often as you feel neccessary. I sometimes will change the oil at 1500-2000 miles if I have been stuck in traffic a lot during the summer. An air cooled engine will break down its lubricants much faster in the extreme heat. Then everything gets dumped in the fall before winter put up so it is fresh in the Spring.

Get the service manual and the parts manual. Subscribe to some V-twin mags like "American Iron" and they will show you how to service your bike. Learn from other riders like this web site. DO it yourself or take it to the dealer and hand them your wallet but don't come back here and bitch about how the dealer is taking all your cash. :beatdh:
 
#21 ·
never..I do it myself ...and its usually once a year for a full oil change. Every time I ride it - I look it over, check levels,etc. Yeah , the dealer will tell you to come back every 2500 miles, if you dont they dont make any money. They have to keep those mechanics in the back busy .And while youre there waiting, you'll maybe buy another $35 t-shirt.
 
#22 ·
Maintenance

I have an 01 Road King. I use Harley SYN 3 and change the oil including Primary, Transmission, every 3,000 miles. A little pricy (about $80 a change) but in my opinion, oil changing is the single biggest thing you can do as a preventative measure. Other than this, I have a manual and really haven't had to do much. Everything looks pretty straight forward in the manual. I have had the bike for about a year.
 
#23 ·
My two cents

I do everything including engine rebuilds. Have for almost 50 years. I have just about completely lost my faith that "professional" mechanics can find their ass with two hands. There have to be some real hard working great guys out there somewhere but it never fails, all of the help I get is worse than hopeless. So I do it my way, nice and slow but PERFECT...

With current Deuce, first time in seven years I let the Harley dealer break free and change rear tire 'cos it needed a power tire bead popper. They promptly gave it back to me after stealing my new included tire valve stem and putting on an old shop reject stem that was missing the proper nut (metric instead of US!). The valve fell out of the tire right after I did a 100mph test run and the tire went flat.

That is why my brothers, I NEVER let ANYONE touch my freakin scoot...

As to maintenance I flush new bikes within first 100 miles to remove any machine metal chips left over from manufacturing the motor. Then again at 1,000 miles.

After that minimum once a year (I have five vehicles and average maybe 3,000 miles/year each on different bikes.) If I have been on long trips maybe two changes that year.

I NEVER run the motor during the winter while it is in deep storage. Running a motor in the garage while it is ice cold will pump water vapor into your oil and contaminate the crap out of it---it makes grey"sludge." This will ruin a motor so I advise just let the bike sit all winter on the charger with stabil in it off its tires and in the Spring immediately go for a five hour ride to wake it back up...

Same basic routine goes for the tranny and primary. An early first flush to get out metal chips. Then religious following of all recommended intervals. Cables, nut torque, keep constantly fooling with everything and you never have to spend a week tearing the whole bike apart...

The result is more about knowing my bike is tight than it is about saving money. Actually that is probably a lie as I would probably faint if I had to pay the Stealer for all the time I spend keeping it perfect. And bikes are like airplanes. If they break you fall out of the sky and die. If you get my drift.

Oh yeah, and I kept my cool explaining to the service manager at Harley why he might want to keep his mechanics from killing the next customer. I swear I was actually pretty calm, considering. I figure they don't give a damn anyway for obvious reasons... so why get all excited?
 
#25 ·
the only HD that has a 2500 mile maintenance is a springer.to insure a true front end..the oil is changed on race bikes after 120 hard miles. so 2500 miles can't hurt if you have the loot to do it..it is said the worst thing to do is start the bike in the cold weather a only run a few miles .this causes water to condense in the primary.it is recomended to run at least 25 30 miles in freezing weather to avoid small amount of water mixing in the oil
 
#26 ·
These days the owner's manual gives you a 5000 miles interval regardless of the type of oil used and the oil writeup that examined actual oil issues came to the conclusion that shorter oil change intervals were actually worse for your engine. There is a reason they get referred to as the stealership. Around here they want over $200 for that 2500 mile oil change. Get real.
 
#31 ·
Too Many Jerks and I popped



No. I can honestly say I was away and on that "other" site for a couple years...

But I am retired and now able to look at my fellow Americans and have discovered the thought process of many has become rather addled and smart-a**ed in recent years.

A friend of mine who is a clinical psychiatrist says "it is an epidemic" whereby EVERYBODY has to be number ONE and must put down others to show that THEY ARE NUMBER ONE.

It is like "they must think it is a race AND THEY HAVE TO BE FIRST."

In the case of my helpful suggestion based on the fact that oil is cheap and motors cost real money---then somebody HAS to come along and BLOVIATE that I AM AN IDIOT because it is STUPID to do what I suggest---and change your oil real early and often during break-in...

I already KNOW that I am an idiot.

But would someone please tell me why there is an epidemic of smart mouthed folks that have to put down everybody lately?

Why do people rush to get in front of your car or bike, then slam on the brakes and then hang a right turn and leave the highway---after almost causing an accident? Why do people now tailgate within inches of the guy in front of them?

Why it is simple... TODAY EVERY BODY IS A WINNER AND SUPER HIGH SELF ESTEEM RAGES LIKE SOME SORT OF VIRUS IN THIS COUNTRY.

Or: They must think everything is a RACE and they HAVE to be first.

And I for one am simply sick of all the jerks. There are a LOT of them.
 
#33 · (Edited)
rleeduece, I've been wondering a lot of the same things myself lately. People blame it on the wheezing economy, whatever squirrel and his batch o'nuts are in the house on Penn Ave., hangover of the "Me" generation, their father &/or mother didn't give 'em enough attention while growing up, too much dairy, and a million other asinine things.

IMHO simply, it has a lot to do with upbringing...my loving grandfolks instilled respect and manners into me for which I'm grateful.

Was gone myself for a minute...2012-14...for a lot of the same reasons. Kinda ruined on riding for a grip, too. Realized things are better than I'd imagined they were, and revisited some old friends.

Prolly the wrong place to rant, not enough people to see this, so I'll let the rest go and listen to something classic, like Rush or Pink Floyd...always eases my psyche.
 
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