I've been running regular dino in my 2006 dyna since new. A couple discussions with the Harley service people went like this: To my request to bring in redline for the tranny and Mobile1 was answered with NO, your bike won't be covered by warranty and we only install HD oil. Because the tech, Joe Phillips, is good and has gone out of his way in the past I want to use him.
My questions are; are all three holes changed at the five thousand. And is my thought of putting regular dino oil in and changing, if needed, engine oil and filter at 2500-3000 mile intervales reasonable.

 

First of all using oils other than Harley oil will not void your warranty. Look up the Magnuson Moss Act on the internet and burn a copy. Take it with you to the dealer. The act states that as long as the oil meets the API spec in your owners manuel they can not void the warranty unless they can prove that the oil was the cause of the failure. HERE IS THE GOOD PART The act also states that if the tell you that unless you use Harley oil your warranty is void they have to provide the oil for FREE.

As for the change interval. Typically, with a good Synthetic, you can go twice the recommended service interval listed in your owners manuel. Trans and primary about every other oil change This is all a matter of choice. AMSOIL or MOBILE 1 V TWIN in the engine and primary and a good gear lube in the trans such as AMSOIL SVG 75W90 in the trans. Lots of folks run Redline also but it is formulated for automotive use more so than Motorcycle. The formulation is different. They are all good oils. My personal choice for my 03 Ultra is the AMSOIL products.

 

The HD maintenance schedule for a bagger calls for changing all three fluids (and filter) at 5000 miles. I suspect it's the same for the Dyna. You can go to HD's web site and see the recommended servicing by the mileage on the bike. I could rant about your dealers position on the use of non-HD products, but.... I am ever so glad that my dealer is a realist and acknowledges the use of other products. It is my understanding, that unless a failure is proven to be directly related to a non-HD item, the warranty is still good. I'm not a lawyer and won't go down this path.

With over $20K invested (so far), I figure the cost of fluid changes every 2500 miles is cheap insurance. I ran HD Syn3 in my 03 EG for the first 24K miles with absolutely no problems. I attribute this to changing every 2500 miles. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

The cost of HD oil every 2,5k vs Syn every 5k is about the same (I believe). It's YOUR choice.

 

Websterdan. In the old days remember riding through Enterprise between B'ham and Gulf Shores.

 

My thoughts on oils & fluid changes...

Engine oils, although filtered, get dirty from carbons and combustion. Primary oils get dirty from clutch wear particles. Trans oils get dirty from metal particles as the gears go through their initial "wear in". After that, the trans oil should only get dirty if you drop dirt into the fill port.

I change all three fluids at 1,000, 2,500, and then at 5,000 miles. After that I change the engine and primary at every 2,500 miles. By the 5,000 mile point the gears in the trans should be worn in and the metal fuzz should be very minimal. If so, I then extend my trans fluid changes to every 5,000 miles. At a change interval of only 2,500 miles the engine & primary oil will still have more than enough protection left in them, synthetic or dino. It will just be carrying more and more suspended gunk with every mile which is one of the big reasons to change the oil in the first place!

Another aspect of oil change intervals with some motorcycles is time not miles. If you don't ride enough to get the oils warmed up, or if you don't put many miles on your bike, you will need to change the oil at a lower mileage interval. You may even go to a calender oil change interval of every 6-8 months.

Oils all look dark and slippery to me. Until you have a sample burned you will be making an uneducated guess as to the actual condition. I personally would rather change my oil more frequently since I don't have easy & cheap access to a lab which can burn samples. It is more satisfying for me to turn on the tunes in the garage and enjoy the "glug, glug" sound of new Mobil1 20W50 synthetic pouring into the bike. Then I have peace of mind with regards to the condition of my oils...

Edmo

 

Fellows, Thanks. The way the time intevals and mileage now stands I believe I will let the dealer change oil at 5000 mile. Research indicates that before winter storeage an engiine and primary change is a good idea. I will probably have someone other then dealer do this.