| Author | Message | ||
     Kyryder |
Hey all!! I have owned a few different bikes but they have all been Japanese so this is my first bike with a Harley motor. So I know that you need to change the engine oil and primary oil separately. However what I cant find a solid answer to is what I need to use. Can I use the same type of oil that goes in the engine for the primary oil or does it need special transmission oil? Sorry if its a simple question I just want to know for sure before I start sticking liquids in my bike. Thanks! | ||
| Fast1075 |
You need fresh pressed unicorn horn oil.!! Just kidding!!! I used Amzoil and Syn3 in mine. | ||
| Crusty |
20w-50 in the engine and Formula+ in the primary. | ||
| Aesquire |
Syn3 works in the whole bike. There are two oil systems. The dry sump engine, and the wet clutch transmission and primary chain. So you can run any good synthetic in the engine. But only run synthetic, old school dinosaur oil will coke up in the heads, that run hot compared to modern cars and bikes. The transmission and clutch need synthetic oil with the right additives to make the clutch not slip or burn. Syn3 works well there. And in engine. Avoid Mobile One, which weirdly will dissolve the glue holding the magnets on the alternator. Oil choice can be a religious argument.  But I just run the Syn3. And in the Cyclone, use the Dyna filter, chrome or black. It's a little longer and you get a few ounces more oil onboard, & theoretically better cooling. Most importantly. !!!!! If you walk up to a cold bike left overnight, on the Cyclone and other tube frame bikes, don't believe the dip stick. It will read low. Oil has drained down in the system. If you fill it up cold using the dip stick as a guide, you are way over full. And after you start the oil cap/dip stick will pop off and oil will fountain all over the place. Bike, garage, you. Might hit the ceiling. Check oil when cold just to see if there is any at all. Put cap back on & reinstall seat. Start bike. AFTER BIKE IS WARM you can check oil with dip stick. It will have pumped up and filled the tank. Hilariously, the manual ( buy one ) is full of dire warnings. Lawyers. But the most common is the admonition to put the seat on properly & screwed on snug ( not German torque, but snug, it's a sheet metal screw thing ) or you could have the seat slip, leading to loss of control, death or serious injury. Since nearly every maintenance thing you do involves removing the seat, every maintenance section in the manual begins with dire death threats.  Don't panic. These beasts are easy to keep happy. Don't check oil cold & overfill. No fountains! !!! Use synthetic oil. Use one with proper clutch additives in transmission/primary. Keep seat on and fastened down when starting for the first time. ( seat holds oil cap down ) this is optional. There are other maintenance items worth knowing but the above will do for oil questions. | ||
| Aesquire |
Don't buy the organic free range unicorn oil. It's a scam. It's not really free range. | ||
| Damnut |
Do not use Mobil 1 in the primary!!!! It WILL burn out the stator. I use Amsoil 20-50 in both holes. | ||
| Fast1075 |
The oil that kills stators is GL-5 gear oil. Don't use it in anything that has copper or copper alloys. The problem is the sulfur in the oil. Or any oil with sulfur in it. Same advice applies to automobile or truck transmissions that have brass synchronizer rings. It will kill those also. On a Buell or Harley, you always check the oil a few minutes AFTER you get home from a ride, instead of before you ride. My XB never drained back into the crank case overnight, but my Blast would. If you check the oil cold and then fill it up, it will spew oil everywhere after it has run a bit. And pure squeezed unicorn horn oil is expensive. | ||
| Etennuly |
 these are always fun!!! Do NOT use the book torque spec on the oil plug! It is a pipe thread iron plug into an aluminum swing arm. Just tight enough. Back to the book..... The recommended oil is non synthetic HD of three different weights based on temperature. HD recommended a good quality diesel oil if HD spec oil is not available. Or too damn expensive. After exhaustive research by some of us we came around to using Shell Rotella 15/40. In hot summer months i use a half pint of STP or Lucas with it. HD calls for 60W for hot summer. So far i only have 64,000 on my '06 Uly. No smoke and still uses about a pint to an oil change at 2500 to 3000 miles, just like it did when new. If you are comfortable with the sound of marbles in a dryer the synthetic is a good choice. I tried it once. HD Formula + in primary. Only been in there to change a clutch cable o ring so far. | ||
| Etennuly |
It holds 2.5 quarts in the engine. Put that amount in and ride it about ten miles. Check the oil on the side stand. It should be at the second X from the bottom on the stick. That IS the correct amount! If you try to maintain the top X you will be pumping oil into the air box. Everyone has differing opinions on the oil program. I am the only one who is correct! Check the book!  | ||
| Hughlysses |
Do not use Mobil 1 in the primary!!!! It WILL burn out the stator. The oil that kills stators is GL-5 gear oil. Fast1075 is correct. Mobil 1 20W-50 V-twin motorcycle oil is fine in the engine or primary. Don't use Mobil 1 gear oil, or any other GL-5 gear oil in the primary or you'll fry the stator. DAMHIK | ||
| Ratbuell |
I run Syn3 in all my Buells, all holes. Easy when it's time to change or top off, no worries about "did I get the wrong bottle". 30k+ on the uly; nearly 40k on my S2; 10-12k each on the S1W and CR. All happy campers. Vern's right (did I just say that in public?) about the level. Every bike has it's personal "right" level. Change it, check it frequently - THE SAME WAY every time! (i.e. thirty seconds after a ride, 2 minutes after a ride, level ground, whatever - do not vary your check procedure!) - and you'll see "that" spot soon enough. As long as it's not dangerously low...let the bike run at that level, or you'll drive yourself mad. And spend lots of money on oil that your bike doesn't want. | ||
| Ebutch |
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| Glitch |
The oil that kills stators is GL-5 gear oil. Yep, the life time of the stator under normal-ish riding... OK, spirited riding will be about 20,000 miles that's how long both of mine lasted one was under warranty the other was on my dime ...then... I heard about the gear oil *doh!* | ||
| Glitch |
As for engine oil goes I believe that if you change it regularly You'll do well | ||
| Zane |
Kyryder, Don't listen to these clowns. The unicorn horn oil has to be extra virgin. I use Syn3 for everything. (Message edited by Zane on February 23, 2018) | ||
| Etennuly |
Unicorn oil.....huh! Rare stuff. The only kind that will work from what I have heard is from the virgin second year unicorn buck who's feet have only set down in the clouds. As I understand it, it is really tough to find anyone to fly in the clouds to milk one. I sticking to my choice of Rotella! | ||
| Sifo |
I've found my trans shifts a bit smoother with Formula+. YMMV. For the engine, select a good quality 20-50. Preferably a brand you can find on the road if you need to. In my area I can only get recycled unicorn horn oil. I hear they blend it with minotaur hoof oil. That stuff won't protect your rocker arms. | ||
| Kyryder |
Thanks for all the input everyone I really appreciate it! Just to be safe I will get some Syn3 and just use it! This is going to be so different from my Jap bikes that you just pour the oil in the crank and it lubes everything. Thanks a ton for the warm welcome and I am sure I will have more questions soon! | ||
| Hootowl |
Pay attention to the folks tellng you not to overfill the oil. Half way between the marks is the highest it should go. Remember that this is a dry sump engine. If the tank isn’t empty, you’ve got oil. Don’t worry about it not being completely full. | ||
| Shoggin |
100% what Hootowl said. Overfull can be just as catastrophic as not enough. The middle is fine. |
