I once did all three holes, that's what she recommended, but that was a long time ago and I never saw her again. All natural nothing synthetic. Don't know how many miles she had but it wasn't that many.

As far as bikes go 3 different synthetics - all different colors, so I can identify any leakage, when & if. I have non-leakers and leakers.

Engine 5000 - Tranny and Primary 10,000.

 

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DITTO!!!

I change all 3 (motor oil & filter/trans/prim) every 4k miles or 1x yrly,which ever comes 1st.

Also clean the airfilter when i change motor oil too because it only takes 10 mins to do .

Thats cheap insurance esp with all the compensator & bearing failures i see posted here and you staying on top of oil maint like you do could very well be why you havent had any comp or bearing issues .

When theres always clean oil with little to no contamination /dirt etc in it all 3 places on your HD that equates to considerably less wear .

There is no way i'd go 10k miles primary and or 20k miles on the trans oil as per HD's rec because over time/miles that asking for trouble IMHO especially when they dont hold much oil so relatively cheap & its so easy to change trans & primary oil along with motor oil at the same time.

For the big buck these bikes/HD's cost new and or used i dont understand why some guys dont do more frequent oil maint on their HD's as better preventative maint .

I would not be surprised if doing so from day 1 when the bike is brand new by changing all 3 oils at 1k miles miles then 1x yrly or 4k miles max would significanlty reduce IPB- trans-cam bearing failures,lifter issues & or failures,cam & prim chain adjuster failures ,maybe even reduce compensator failures too.

Cleaner oil results in less wear ,end of story!

Aand when HD is obviously using somewhat inferior bearings that are failing often in primary/on cams /in trans why push your luck running oil 10-20k miles in the trans & primary and motor oil to 5k miles where i change it at 4k miles.

BTW, yami rec max of 4k mile oil & filter change on the 06 R* i had in the past with a 1700cc/102ci air cooled v-twin that had flat tappet cams & lifters (not roller lifters like the HD) even with syn oil.

Scott

 

For what it's worth
I change all 3 every year ( average about 7-8Kmi a year) with Mobil 1 Vtwin oil. I know I may be throwing out perfectly good oil, but it's what I do and have owned HD's as long as 14 yrs with no oil-related issues. It's just my yearly start up after winter routine.

Again, just my .02

 

Back in 2006 (?) Harley went to 20,000 for the tranny with the advent of the 6 speeds. Previously we always changed all three every 5,000 miles. I do engine and primary at 5,000 and tranny at 10,000 and still use no engine oil between changes, still run the original clutch plates and have had no issues with the tranny to date (she's now at 150,000 miles.)

(I'll let ya'll know when something blows up!)

 

"For the big buck these bikes/HD's cost new and or used i dont understand why some guys dont do more frequent oil maint on their HD's as better preventative maint ."....because for many 4K will come three or more times in a year.

 

Sounds like somebody's afraid of the "Dirty Oil Boogeyman"! Do you sleep with the night light on haha! JK