[Paladin1]

I suspect this is a naive question, but the owner's manual on my new 02 King says use ONLY HD brand oil. To emphasize this it then suggests using Diesel oil if in a pinch, implying normal automotive oils are out of the question. Is this bullshit or should I use only the HD brand (bike is about a quart low with 850 miles and am planning a 500 mile trip this weekend (b4 the"1000" mile service, which dealer said was OK). I have several other bikes and haven't seen this issue b4.

thx, greg

 

[rickpoco]

why you have opened up a whole can of worms, you will get all kinds of advice on oil, I am no expert on oil. but I have always used the manufactures oil I don't care if it was Mercury, Ski doo, Honda , Harley etc, you get my drift, and I have never had any engine problems, I also change my oil and filter on a bike every 2-3 k. I used to go on a Honda site where some people where praising synthetic oil, it turns out it was making peoples clutch slip, the honda used the same oil in the clutch as the engine, I asked my Harley service manager about synthetic and he said no. I don't see why a manufacturer would recommend an oil unless they did some reasearch on it , thats my two cents, I am sure there are people who know a lot more about oil than I do.

 

[hdxlr8r]

I am assuming that you mean is HD brand oil required to keep from voiding the warranty and the answer is no, Fed law says the only way they can require you to use a specific brand of oil or parts is if they supply them at no charge. Everybody has their own opinion on the best oil, my advise is to use the best available and change it often. I change at 2500 and sometimes sooner if the oil gets moisture (white foam) or gas (smell)
or looks dirty. Dave

 

[HIPPO]

Is this bullshit or should I use only the HD brand (bike is about a quart low with 850 miles and am planning a 500 mile trip this weekend (b4 the"1000" mile service, which dealer said was OK).

I use what I want from day one, but in this specific situation adding anything else then a quart of HD oil is not one of the better ideas.
If you intend to change the oil and filter it's a different thing.

 

[JimmyK]

I was not going to say anything bur then I opened that damn bootle of Tequila. <~~~~~ That dont look right, I thing I need a spell chick.


Y'all lost a quart of oil in 850 miles??? WTF is up with that?

 

[pasadenajim]

Yes, you must use ONLY H/D oil. You must use only "official H/D" products on your bike. Everyone knows that "official H/D" products are the best. <snicker...> How else does H/D stock stay high?

Being a bit sarcastic. 'sorry. The issue of what oil to use has been discussed a number of times.

gbenner, are you certain you are a quart low? Was the engine warm when you check your oil?

 

[wyodude]

I also change my oil and filter on a bike every 2-3 k.

This is the crux of the biscuit. Whatever you use, change it (and the filter) regularly.

Five stars for you rickpoco

Regards,

wyo

 

[harleyhog]

Whhat vis, coscotiiie wa the oil???

WATER????????

 

[FLHT]

What ever oil you use make sure its fo air cooled engines so that it can take the heat and not breakdown. Diesel's run hotter than gas engines, thats why you can use it in a pinch.

 

[Larry Burger]

Oil

I'm by far no expert on this subject, But I was told to use genuine H-D oil for the first year till you are out of warranty. If there is a major failure they say that there is an additive they use to tell if it's there oil. & can deny warranty repairs. Just what I have been told. What the hell it's only a year. Larry

 

[pasadenajim]

Tried to post a response about an hour ago but the site seemed to be down. Hmmm.

Larry, I could have been very kind and not responded to your post. However, I believe I'm actually being kinder in the long run by addressing your post.

Let me be delicate, since you are such a trusting fellow, I've got this bridge you might be interested in. If the bridge doesn't fit your needs, I've got this ocean front property in Arizona that'll be great for the family!!!

Larry, someone (could it be your DEALER?) is not telling you the truth!!!!!!!!!! I use H/D oil. Other members use synthetic. IMHO, if you change your fluids regularly, it doesn't matter what kind of oil you use. It's a personal preference. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This one does that and the other one does this. Who cares! Just change your oil frequently and don't abuse your bike. Now about that statement that the Dealer can check out whether you've used synthetic oil so they can void your warranty, HOG (tm) wash.

'sorry, I was such a smart ass. This site is good for information. Go back and pull up some of the threads about oil and warranties. Very good info in those.

 

[Texxen]

"I was told"....."You can ONLY use"..........

Now I know why car salesmen make good money.......

If you ever investigate oil quality you'll find out how good Harley oil isn't......

 

[Sidewalk]

As far as adding oil, add what you already have. If you want to add another quart, add H-D because that is what is already in there. When you go to change it, put what you want in there. I like to run the fancy expernsive synthetic stuff. Will my engine go any farther? Who knows, but the piece of mind is there. I like my cars to live by the same motto as me "Eat well, stay in shape, die anyway". Why put in cheap stuff because it does the job when you could use the good stuff and feel good

When it comes to what is best, search any mechanical related forum on the net and run a search. You will find that everyone argues about it all the time.

 

[JFScheck]

For my two cents worth....

For now, add some HD brand oil to the bike, as you don't want to mix up oils, but for that first oil change, I would go with the new Mobile-One V-Twin oil.

Just my honest opinon on what I would do....

 

[Larry Burger]

Oil

Any of you guys ever hear of oil analisys, Engine shops do it regularly to make sure they have a valid warranty claim, when someone turns in a engine for bearing failure or whatever may have gone wrong. So there's your Hog wash.
Larry

 

[FLHT]

To help clear this up some.
I work for a Mack truck dealer, the only way that HD can make you use only their oil is if they supply it to you for FREE and you can bet they aren't going to do that.
As long as you are useing oil that meets their specs there isn't a thing they can do about it. It's the law, anything they say is just smoke
Mack has their own oil and we don't even use it unless someone asks for it. We use Delo and some Rotela and it meets their specs and warranty is still good. The question of what brand of oil doesn't even come up.
And now you know the rest of the story.

 

[Kampnnut]

I want to use synthetic in my bike, but a service manager told me not to. His reasoning was HD uses roller bearing on all its rotating surfaces except on one of the cam supports. He said of you use synthetic, the rollers tend not to roll because of the synthetic being so slick and over time a flat spot can occur. He also said roller bearings need some friction for them to roll that is why you need a petroleum base produce. Synthetics are very good and the engine will probably last a long time, but if you ever went back to petroleum base, the flat spotting will give you problems. It cost more for synthetic and you need to change the oil at the same interval. So why use synthetic.

This is what I was told. I am taking that with a grain of salt. I want to us synthetic to keep the bike cooler. Amsoil puts out an oil and filter. In their information booklet, they say of you use both their oil and filter; you can double your mileage before changes. I run synthetic in everything I have and change oil in my car every 10 to 12 thousand miles. I haven’t had a bit of trouble with it. More food for thought.

 

[pasadenajim]

I want to use synthetic in my bike, but a service manager told me not to. His reasoning was HD uses roller bearing on all its rotating surfaces except on one of the cam supports. He said of you use synthetic, the rollers tend not to roll because of the synthetic being so slick and over time a flat spot can occur. He also said roller bearings need some friction for them to roll that is why you need a petroleum base produce. Synthetics are very good and the engine will probably last a long time, but if you ever went back to petroleum base, the flat spotting will give you problems. It cost more for synthetic and you need to change the oil at the same interval. So why use synthetic.

.<snip> QUOTE]

Let's start by saying I use H/D dino oil. That is my choice. The "flat spot" rumor has been around for years. It's like the rumor that synthetics are too slick. Also false. You are getting misinformation from the service manager. IMHO, why go to someone who is [intentionally] giving you misinformation? What else is he giving you misinformation about?

 

[hdxlr8r]

You don't void your warranty by using synthetic oil but you could void it if you don't do the proper maintenance and that includes changing the oil and filter at the recomended intervals. Dave

 

[Sidewalk]

Pretty much the only bad thing about a synthetic is that, if you leak oil now, you will leak more with synthetic. If you do not have a leak, you may just get one. Other then that, nothing is wrong. I have also heard that it can damage seals, won't conduct heat, all kinds of things. I have synthetic in my VW, my truck, and my bike.

But like just mentioned, you will void your warranty if you do not continue changing your oil at regular intervals.