Oil Change at 500 Miles

[planohog]

If you have the time and the dollars, and your doing it yourself ; change every 500..
When you go to the dealer for the 1000 Check MAKE SURE THEY DONT PUT
THE SAME OIL IN ALL THREE HOLES.. They did this to me, I rode it home and dumped $16 dollars of hd syn3 out and dropped in lucas 75W90 or use your favorite transmission oil. I was very unhappy that the MOCO thinks this is a good idea. I did not even get a choice.. SoapBox = OFF.. Regards --Chino

 

[Jack Klarich]

I change oil every 1000 miles I know this sounds like a wate but oil is still cheap and remember we are riding air and oil cooled v twins also the air the engines breathe breaks down the oil so keep the air intake clean I use K N always on all my bikes

 

[oldgeezer]

I change oil every 1000 miles I know this sounds like a wate but oil is still cheap and remember we are riding air and oil cooled v twins also the air the engines breathe breaks down the oil so keep the air intake clean I use K N always on all my bikes

Wow. Smitty once stated that once a week he takes his spark plugs out and swaps holes with then so they will wear evenly. My bike must really feel abused. I go all the way to 2500 miles before I change mine. If I was on a long trip I would even push that and go to 5000 miles on that oil change.

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

As Smitty says, you ride...you decide. 500 miles is a bit close, but then again you are just breaking in your baby and it won't hurt...just burns through money...! MOCO has done the longevity research and basically states standard and rough service schedule...if you feel you are rough on your bike (lots short trips and/or lots of stop and go with dusty or high humidity environs, you qualify for rough service schedule. Beyond that is up to you...I change my 100% Synthetic Engine oil every 3,000 miles, the Tranny Oil every other time...due to the fact I use bike daily for short commute (about 5 miles) and SoCal climate is mild.

 

[smith1j]

I change oil every 1000 miles I know this sounds like a wate but oil is still cheap and remember we are riding air and oil cooled v twins also the air the engines breathe breaks down the oil so keep the air intake clean I use K N always on all my bikes

I change mine at Harley's recommended intervals. After all, they designed and built the engine. They should know what's a safe interval to change the fluids. If I changed my oil every 1000 miles I would be changing it every three to four weeks. As long as I change it at the recommended intervals I'd rather be riding than changing oil.

 

[Lancer]

I change mine at Harley's recommended intervals. After all, they designed and built the engine. They should know what's a safe interval to change the fluids. If I changed my oil every 1000 miles I would be changing it every three to four weeks. As long as I change it at the recommended intervals I'd rather be riding than changing oil.

I agree, quality fluids at the interval specified by the manufacturer. I too would be changing fluid every month at 1k intervals.

 

[jerrybombard]

I’m prepared for the flack on this:
I agree totally with Smitty and others. I change all my oils at the recommended intervals, anything more is a waste of time, money and resources.
As an engineer, I know we tend to over-design things. And we always add in a “safety factor”. A 2-to 1 safety factor is common. Meaning if it’s supposed to hold 200 pounds, we make sure it will hold 400, then tell everyone it’s good for 200 pounds.
That said, the following is a direct quote from the Mobil 1 website about motorcycle oil. I would tend to think it would be safe to even go to 7500 miles (just BECAUSE it’s a synthetic) or more between changes, but I’ll stick the 5K.


The owner's manual says I should change the oil every 5,000 miles or once a year. I change my oil every 2,500 miles or twice a year. So why do I need that kind of protection?


For peace of mind and added protection. You pay a lot for a bike these days, so why risk running your engine in ordinary oil? Just like Mobil 1 synthetic oil for cars, Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle oil helps keep your engine clean – free from varnish and deposits – and smooth running mile after mile, no matter what conditions you ride in.

Mobil 1 benefits engine life and performance. In fact, the lubrication capability of Mobil 1 motorcycle oil helps maintain peak horsepower and acceleration throughout the life of your engine. And with Mobil 1 you can go the full 5,000 miles between oil changes.
So, if you want to ride your bike long and hard and not be concerned about the oil, choose Mobil 1 motorcycle oil.