Makes me wonder why I still have an HD....then I ride it and grin 😀 😎

Charge 10s of thousands of dollars for a bike and not stand behind your product... dealerships are trash. I do my own work. Thank God for KZfaq and graybeards

The service manager and part owner of my local HD dealer actually read this to me. We both looked at each other and wondered who the hell wrote this. He shows me it came straight from HD.

I have a 2013 FLTRU Road Glide with the 103 c.i. motor and man did that sucker puke oil. I mean a lot of oil... from day one!!! I would have to replace the air filter and clean the entire filter assembly each oil change which I would do every 3000 miles and I would still get oil down the side of my bike as it dripped out of the air cleaner. I would buy 5 quarts of oil every time I would change the oil. Three for the oil change and the rest to keep the oil tank topped off. The dealer said, "yeah, that happens. Put a quart less oil in it." But wait! Isn't it an oil cooled motor? What a terrible bit of advice because oil level didn't matter, it would puke oil no matter what the oil level in the tank was until it completely ran out, as I soon discovered while testing various theories. Yes, on a long trip, running a quart less of oil soon had my bike making clattering noises as the pickup starved for oil and the oil gauge would rise in pressure and then drop to zero cyclically. Amsoil prevented permanent damage on that dumb suggestion, and it also meant that I was not over filling it. I had a real problem. I purchased a catch can kit can as a potential solution, but that was a Band-Aid on a severed jugular vein. I would have to empty the catch can every 1000 miles or that would start puking oil down the bike so I looked for other solutions. I did the oil drain test with the oil fill opening capped. The oil barely gurgled out. Opened the filler cap and it gushed out, so the umbrella valves were fine, but I replaced them anyway. No joy. Still puked oil. Then I started thinking about how much oil my poor engine had probably ingested before I put a catch can on. I took off the intake manifold and both runners into the intake port were completely covered in jellied oil. I removed the heads and the pistons were coked with wet, oily thick carbon. You could barely see the valve reliefs cuts in the piston and the combustion chambers had so much oil soaked carbon deposits, it was amazing the compression relief valve was working because you almost couldn't see it in the head anymore. I had watched a video about how cam support plates are made: Cast Aluminum. Which means there are variations in each and every cam plate with regards to the oil galleries. Some are fine but others are not, and Harley doesn't test every one of them to make sure they are working correctly. I didn't know how it was doing it but I theorized that my cam support plate was allowing excess oil to pool in the upper head and that every time I decelerated, pooled oil was getting pushed out of the upper head when the umbrella valves opened and would cause the oil to both gush into the intake and puke down the side of the bike. I ceremoniously chucked the stock cam plate and oil pump with a billet aluminum version from a reputable company that assured me that each oil journal/gallery was tested to make sure it flowed to spec. During replacement, I checked the crank runout and I replaced several other items while I was in there that you should, such as upgraded bearings and chain tensioners, and while I wasn't sure that my expensive theory would work, I still figured it would be a worthy upgrade for the engine anyway. I also scraped the pistons with a brass scraper and cleaned the chambers with a Dremel. The pistons, after cleaning, had pock marks which were sure signs of detonation, likely from the loss of chamber volume and increased compression but they were otherwise still in good shape. After reassembly and buttoning it up I realized my solution worked. No more puking oil! No more overflowing catch can. No more oil down the side of my bike and no more oiled carbon buildup on the combustion chambers. It also seemed like it had more power, I am assuming due to the computer previously retarding timing to deal with detonation problems it had obviously been dealing with. Now when I check the catch can after an oil change, the media I have in it might be damp with oil, but there is no oil to dump out of the container itself. So this time, my theory and solution were spot on. So if you have looked into everything else and you still have a problem with oil puking down the side of your bike, and no other solution has worked, you might have a malfunctioning cam support plate that never worked right from the factory to begin with. I just turned 70,000 miles on the bike this last week and I thought about how much I loved it and how well it was running. I also had zero help from the dealer's service department. I only trust them to provide whatever service parts I request.

I have a '21 114 Road Glide Special with 9000 miles on it. Rode it relatively easy the first 500 miles, didn't burn a drop of oil. Changed out the oil at 500 miles and put 4500 more miles on it without losing any oil. After 9000 total miles my oil level doesn't move unless I change it. I ride in SoCal pretty aggressively through the windy mountain roads with lots of elevation change and hot temps. The only thing done to the engine is slipon mufflers and an ultracool oil cooler.

Y'all videos helped me out a few times and I want to say thank you. I REALLY appreciate the technical and opinions on stuff that's shared. It keeps my A.D.D. in check. :)

called dk custom for tech support. to my surprise, I had the pleasure of speaking to dwayne. thank you so much for answering all my concerns. and your recommendations. love you guys videos. keep the video coming and ill. keep watching.

Love the consistent info. Keep it up.

I work off a Road King. I have to add a quart of oil every 1000-1500 miles. Most of the guys I work with have to do the same even though they often don't. It's not unusual for them to pull their oil dipsticks and find no oil touching the stick because they've failed to check it. My current bike was 2 quarts low at my first 5k service when I was issued the bike from another coworker. I don't recommend that. We run them WOT over and over again and get them super hot with cone drills and whatnot. I suspect our oil consumption is for those reasons and not really because of any manufacturing defect. They are tough machines for how used and abused they get. I just make sure to check the oil regularly so that it has full capacity for cooling and lubricating. Fortunately, I don't have to foot the bill for every quart of oil. Maintain your bikes. I've done that with my issued bike and have had way less issues than my coworkers. Most of our issues are electrical related due to the equipment we carry on the bikes so I wouldn't expect civilian variants to have the same. But others have been from pure neglect. My bike pulls super hard and even harder on cool days. I use Syn3 in all three holes and prefer it, Mobil 1 or any comparable oil for all three holes. What you put in your primary and transmission greatly affects how the bike feels when clutching and shifting. I don't like Formula+. We (my coworkers and I) should probably perform fluid changes more often than we do just based on how hot we get the bikes but I suppose that's not as necessary when we consume as much oil as we do. I think we just get the bikes super hot, it thins the oil out which causes it to burn off easier. That's pure conjecture on my part though. Our intakes are a little oily from the breather bolts but nothing crazy. If you're bike is still running good and pulling hard, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Great job guys. From what you have said keeping your engine cool is the most important thing you can do. I plan on adding the oil filter relocation and another cooler to my 21 Tri glide. After that I plan on the fans for the heads. I have already done a few things that you have suggested. Only have had it 6 months and 3000 miles and everything fine so far but I want it to stay that way. Thanks guys for the info.

Wow! I wouldn't own a bike that used a quart every 1500 miles. That's ridiculous, and Harley should be ashamed!

Very useful information as usual. Thank you.

My '02 88ci FLHRCI never used a drop of oil between oil changes, irrespective of ambient temps, running full-synth 20W50 with ambient temps -7 (Celsius) in winter to 46 in summer. I run between 8 and 10k kilometers annually. Bought her in 2020 with 18k and almost 40k on the clock now. Now having 100ci S&S big bore build done. My firm belief is that MoCo is throwing its customers to the wolves, selling bikes with substandard engineering, without necessary ancillary cooling equipment. Love your channel, guys.

I appreciate your videos. I learn something from each and every one. Thanks

I concur with your comments. None of my Sportys,Evo,Twin Cams,or M8 use oil. A big factor is also changing oil on time.👍

Thanks guys! Just picked up my first HD, an 07 Dyna low. Motor wise it’s stock, just slip ons. Got your 606 intake and FP3 coming. Bike had 70,000 on it when I picked it up two weeks ago, now pushing 71. Seems like it’s running good, no noise, smoke, etc. This winter it will be gone through, more worried about the bottom end than the top. Just hoping the crank is still usable without having it worked on. Learned a lot y’all already and I appreciate it.

Have always run 1/2 a quart low and never consumed oil or had it purging from breathers making a mess, I just bought an FLHT m8 new and will be installing your external breather system!!

I ride a BMW R1200GS and took a 6800 mile trip. Didn’t burn a drop of oil.

If I had a , $30,000 Harley-Davidson that used 3/4 of a quart every 1500 miles I would be looking for another bike

Thanks for covering this slippery issue.

I have a 2016 heritage Softail with 52,000 miles trouble-free doesn't use no oil whatsoever between oil changes every 3000 miles.

Good points. Thank you for the vid

I have a 2018 FLTRU with 75,000kms on it...bought it new and change all 3 holes every 8,000 kms or less. Mine has never been down more than 1/4 of a liter at the 8,000kms mark. Have a stage 2 with power cam and I ride it hard but don't abuse it. Have always used syn 3 in all holes. Great vid was surprised we see this in the M8's

I’m riding from Va to Az in May… I’ll keep an out for consumption. 2018 ultra limited. Thanks for the knowledge. I have noticed a slight decrease around 5,000 miles

That’s absolutely insane! I’m irritated my Subaru burns a quart every 3,000-4,000!

Good info!

Well , none of my Harelys have used any oil between changes , my 07 electraglide has 90,000kms on it , it doesnt use oil or leak oil, I use motul synthetic oil and have no problems .Im not sure that Harley are going in the right direction with the newer bikes at all , I certainly would not swap my old glide for a new one , I have modified my bike a bit for more grunt and cooler running pretty much as your videos recomend and all you info has worked pretty well , keep it up guys .

Great info. 👍

Thank you for the videos! I have about 600 miles on my 22 RG limited and the right side is getting super supet hot even on cooler days. Any ideas why it's worse than 103's? Thank you again for the videos and I am receiving my new Bitubos Twin Shocks from you all today and I cannot wait put them on and ride ride ride!!

Here's an easy way to know if you have weak piston rings, or excessive blow by. Ok, so you change your oil n filter, n your level is right on, and your ready to go. If your oil after, say a coupla weeks, a few hundred miles or so, looks dirty, that could be a sign of bad or weak rings. The blowby getting past the rings is getting the oil dirty. If you have good ring sealing, the oil should not start getting dirty for a few months or 2-3000 miles. It should still look clean, and that transparent honey color that we like to see. The spark plugs won't always get oily because it igniites the fuel mixture n the combustion that takes place is "pushing down" on the piston, and also around the Piston crown past the rings. Another issue is the breather bolts on the heads. They have small holes, drill them out as big as you can. You want the engine to breathe easy. High rpms will build up pressures and cause leaks. Also the oil level is important. There has to be some air on top of the oil in the tank. Crankcase pressure is what moves the oil. Too much oil, n you'll have oil puking out the air cleaner. In the older Evo's n Shovels, too much oil would blow out the dipstick!!! If these engines sat too long, oil would collect in the crankcase, so you would think the oil level is low n you would top it off! Wrong! The engine would blow the dip stick cap three feet up, puke all over, n also puke from the crankcase breather. It would make a big f**king mess! These are dry sump systems, not wet sumps. They do have their own peculiarities. You have to know how the engine works. And no, they don't work like automobile engines. That's people's first mistake. They think all motors work the same. Then why do we have automobile mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, and aircraft mechanics??? Because they are Not the same!!

My 2007 Fatboy 96 twincam engine has had synthetic engine oil all it's life. I started out replacing the oil every 5K miles, at 20K I started changing the engine oil at 3K miles, or yearly. I run Lucas 20W50 synthetic motorcycle oil year round (I live in east central Mississippi) and use a K&P cleanable oil filter. My Harley used about 3 to 4 oz. of oil between oil changes, now that I change the engine oil at 3K miles, it uses 1 to 2 oz. of engine oil. This is with 46K+ miles on the odometer. I believe most of the oil use is thru the breather system, especially when running highway speeds, 70 to 80 mph. This past week I added one of your DK Customs Oil Catch Cans to my Fatboy, so I can measure how much oil is lost thru the breathers. I also did an inspection of the hydraulic cam chain tensioners, they look new, with zero wear on the pads. Keep the informational videos coming, I watch every one you load up on KZfaq.

Im at the bottom of the HD learning curve but Im fairly logical when it comes to quality and cheap parts...So heres my take on this and several other things Im seeing and reading about HD The Company, HD need to walk the damn walk, they promote American made and are selling weak parts and hiding engineering issues, Man up HD!!! Great video guys, easy to understand and straight to the point!!

It’s been my experience that fat girls on the back cause excessive oil and gasoline use.

I have a ‘21 Road Glide Limited (114) with over 16,000 miles. I ran conventional oil in it until it was at about 12,250 miles, and then switched it to 20W-50 synthetic at that point because I was taking it on a long trip (about 3000 miles). Prior to this, it would hold oil level pretty steady. I noticed that the level was going down each time I checked it during that trip, so I topped it off about halfway back from my trip. Took half a quart. No leaks that I could see. Funny thing is, it never went down after that. Oil change done when I got back (still on synthetic) and it’s been steady since. That trip was Colorado to Los Angeles and back. This past summer I rode Colorado to Virginia and back and oil level was steady, though, I had an oil change done while I was out in Virginia.

I have a 2012 Road King Classic, 103 twin cam. My bike doesn't use ANY oil between oil changes, and I only change oil every 5,000 miles. I run AMSOIL, and my bike has 119,000 miles on it, and the motor has never been touched. The bike still runs very strong, doesn't puff a bit of smoke even with cold starts, and I check the oil level every time I ride. The level never moves.

I have a 1980 Harley f l t Shovelhead. Seems to be really hard to find information on the oiling system. Every time my Shovelhead sits for awhile I started up it puke it out and makes a mess. The motor is supposed to of had a fresh rebuild but it still has smoke coming out of the tailpipe as well. Very frustrating because the bikes looks amazing just like it did when it came from the factory. I need to find a really good video on where all the oil lines are supposed to go. It also has an enclosed chain so there is a line that goes there to oil the chain

I am wondering if I have an abnormal problem with my bike. It has 173 thou miles and does not consume any oil between changes. It's a GOLD WING.

I have an external breather on my trike, but 1 quart every 1500mls would have a carbon build up issue very quickly. What is your opinion on running fuel additives like fuel injector cleaner and so on every 10,000 miles or so to reduce carbon piston build up

I own three Harleys, with over 30,000 mi on each, no oil usage on any of them. I live in Fl. They get hot. I use Mobil 1 V twin20 50

I had a twin cam 103 high output on a 2014 Ultra and it never lost a drop of oil ever. Almost 30k miles with zero oil consumption. Just traded up to a M8 114 on a 2020 Ultra so we'll see how this one goes.

Thanks for posting already man here but love all bikes my cousin I ride together he has newest Honda he laughed at some of these all consumptions

My 74 ironhead doesn't use that much, without valve stem seals. My 98 Softail was going through it pretty good with no smoke or fouled plugs. Found where it was going when I serviced the primary. Quart gone from the oil bag but what is this, primary is a Q overfull. New sprocket shaft seal fixed that.

Improper ring seating when new. And another topic that doesn't get talked about is not having negative crank case pressure. When you go to external oil breathers you take care of a portion of the problem but create another . You now no longer have the vacuum that was created to remove positive crank case psi.

2022 Milwaukee 8 107 electraglide standard first 500 miles lost 1/2 a quart through breather down the side of the bike got 1/4 inch hose gonna re route to oil pan cover.

The only time my 103 TC used oil is after 80k miles and at 110k I replaced the motor with a factory 103.. I have installed an Ultra Cool twin fan oil cooler, DK reusable oil filter, 1" DK tank lift, LeNale cylinder fan,DK ext breather

Hey Kevin, if you haven't already done it on your Twin Cam, drill the oil return holes (two located under the breather assembly), in the rocker support plate, larger. I drilled Reaper's to 1/8", and a LOT less oil comes out of the breather bolts, now. Cheers!

I've had a 128 build by Moonshine Harley Davidson in Franklin, TN and she burned a quart of oil every 4/500 miles and broke an S & S lifter. Probably because I let the oil get too low cause it was bururning so much. They rebuilt it, installed new rings and stuff and still burns that much oil???

I bought my bike off the floor of a dealership and I rode it home approximately 30 miles,for her home and checked the oil and not an inkling of a drop of oil was found,I was so pissed ,called my salesman back and told him and he says,” The bike was fully serviced before I took her home,so I dropped a quart of synthetic oil in her and she drank it all up,meaning of this message? “ Don’t trust the dealership “!!!

Just curious, I come from the automotive world as a 45 year master tech. Does Harley use low tension piston rings? in the auto world overheat it one time with them and the engine can be an oil burner.

I have a ‘21 Low Rider S with just under 4K miles on it. I have once put a half quart in it at about 2k and just put 3/4 quart yesterday at 4K. I put a EBS on it just after 500 miles. I figured it’s coming out there but I wonder?

Another very informative video... been following you for years now, Thanks! Question, I have a 17 M8 with 40k miles and harley upgraded my oil pump when I busted a rocker arm. I'm using about 1/2qt every 4k miles or so, so it sounds like I'm ok in that area. HOWEVER after seeing your video I'm wondering if it would be better for my engine if I used the 60w oil here in the Texas summer time. It's a Freewheeler and I run it pretty hard and long. If so, what should I use in the trans & primary, same thing? Thanks again and ride safe. Ron

Having leaking ball checks in the oil pump can allow the reservoir of oil to leak back into the crank case over a period of time.

My 2019 Street Glide has 4900 miles on it I just did a 3 hole oil change with Amsoil but it hasn't used any oil nor has it had the blow by issues I've heard about. I did the Trask crank case vent and Harley also vented the trans under warranty to prevent oil transfer. I feel like this may be a riding style issue as well. If you ride your Harley like its a crotch rocket you may cause your bike to use oil.

It's not a service bulletin....it's a Tech Tip(TT)...

I have a 18 streetbob with the stock 107 and when I do oil changes I buy the oil change kits from Harley Davidson and they don’t give me enough oil I always end up having to get one more court for some reason Harley likes the oil level right at the end of the dipstick. When it was still under warranty and I had to take it to the dealership to get oil changes I will always have to argue with them to put another half quart or sometimes full quart in my bike. It seems like Harley is run by lawyers and not people who actually ride motorcycles their companies all about covering their ass.

I have a 2019 RG 107 M8 with minor mods like 465 cam, pump, plate and full Rinehart exhaust, vented dipstick. Took a trip in August last year in 90 plus degree heat from Chicago to Savannah GA and back checking oil levels every other tank fill and did NOT burn one drop of oil ! I was actually shocked as I expected to use “maybe” a half quart. Not one drop of oil burned ! I was averaging 75 miles per hour at 3000 rpm also. No sumping and no consumption. It is NOT normal to burn even a half quart in 2000 miles as my bike is living proof. Harley just don’t want to admit faults in their products. I was ready to rebuild my motor if I used any oil but I’m glad to say I have a good one.

Hi guys, if my Hog used any oil it would be back in the workshop. I don't like any oil leaks or loss of any oil.

Does the weight and operational climate factored in? I personally use sae 60w from harley the m8 sounds quieter than with syn3

Most other vehicle manufacturers have a similar oil consumption guideline. If I remember correctly, Ford and GM have one quart per thousand miles as an acceptable level. I thought at one time Harley Davidson had the same specifications. 1500 miles is better than 1000 miles but I don’t believe 1 quart Lost under either of those specifications is acceptable.

The more of these videos i watch i just love my 02 twincam more and more haha. 75k miles, 40k on 95kit, cams etc. Ive never had to add a drop of oule between oil changes. Sure it doesnt make m8 power but being lighter then the newer ones and me only weighing 135 pounds it keeps up with the newer ones just fine.

I thought mine was burning oil until I popped off the clutch cover and oil came spilling out. Found that the main crank seal leaked into the primary.

Guy I work with has a newer Dyna that uses oil and no matter what upgrades he does still death wobbles…. I’ll keep my Honda

30,000 miles so far on my 2011 ultra 96 and have used nothing that I can see on the dipstick. Change the oil every 5k. Have never had to add any anywhere.

lat year i only got to put 2000 miles on my 07 wide glide with a 96 twin cam and i didnt use any oil at all.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since we keep getting bigger jugs isn't there a greater propensity to use more oil???

Heat Heat Heat! Here in Florida we have had 15 straight days of 90 + degrees Temps. I own 3 HD motor. A2016 RDKG with 37,000 miles, a 2021 pan am. 4,000 miles, and a 2023 Lowrider st @ 1,000 miles. Some bike have that annoying rear cylinder shutoff that people will turn off when sitting in traffic. Not a good idea. It's on there for purpose. My Pan am is water cooler so Temps rarely get to 230 degrees. When a twin cam or M8 gets that hot say goodbye to some of your oil. It's just the nature of the beast. I tell others to monitor your fuel usage cause if your using excessive amounts of fuel your probably using oil too. My twin cam is about 1 quart per 5,000 miles which is acceptable. I get some oil drip out the big chucker air intake when I ride it hard. My Pan am hasn't used a drop! I did notice that my M8 used a little oil in the first 400 miles but since then it stopped. Another thing is everyone's riding habits and Temps are different. Just like when I warm up before riding I will let my bike idle for a couple minutes before I put it away and shut it down. I have a diesel truck that takes 3 gallons and 20 ozs. Every oil change. Over 200,000 miles and she don't use no oil! It's all in how you take care of things!

Maybe what Harley means is, said Oil goes thru the intake, or blow-by. You pretty well can eliminate both situations with second party upgrades.

I have a 16 103 and I don't use enough to add between oil changes. Just FYI

And Lastly ... the synthetic oil isn't doing anyone any favors UNLESS the viscosity is way up there and I NEVER run it in the primary ( causes slight clutch slippage on a stock bike and that builds heat ) the M8 only needs about 4.4 quarts of oil in the motor to be really happy ... The earlier M8s are more susceptible to these issues as there were oiling issues and scavenging issues and Valve seat issues ( see Tmans Valve Seat videos... funny and informative ) most of which were taken care of in 2020... I suspect that much like of the twin-cam in 2016 Harley-Davidson will perfect the milwaukee-eight and right at the Pinnacle of its success replace it with something else just like the 2016 2017 twin cams LOL LOL

2016 streetglide only use amsoil 20-50 full synthetic ,67000 miles now 6000 between oil change doesnt use a drop Vegas to Pueblo 920 miles 12hrs 15 min door to door 96 degrees out never missed a beat

Also part of the problem at times, is the way people are breaking in their engine, you have people literally running the pi** out of brand new bikes, not using common sense. I'm not saying that's always the case. but I believe people don't treat a brand new bike correctly and crying the blues when moco will not foot the bill. I worked for years for a major automotive company dealer and we use to have people trying pull crap to get warrantee claims. one time a guy had a new just a few thousand miles high end pickup and had it towed in saying the bearings were shot and was demanding engine replacement, when the working mechanic dug into it the dude had water in the engine oil. He submerged the truck 4 wheeling. Then when we busted him he said it should have been able to take it. Let's face it people are sure a lot more crazy, trying to out do someone else and leads to a whole lot of busted new Bikes and automobiles. Anyway nice video full of good Info. Thanks guys.

To be honest most manufacturers print some sort of oil consumption paper to Tech's, I worked for Jaguar back in the 90's and they said a quart every 700 miles even though it never burned any after 3000 miles.

It could be that when manufactured, a set of rings of the wrong size (i.e. -0.020, -0.030, -0.040 under the bore diameter were installed. This would result in a ring end gap that after the break in period (ring seat) is nearly or actually at the threshold value of actual replacement. Production lines don't usually cease when a mistake like that is discovered if only a few builds or a certain amount of manufacturer specified builds has not been exceeded. You can almost bet that something of that nature has taken place in the production environment. Something of this nature can also occur from supply line disruptions or shortages. It may be simple ring substitutions that would limit damage to the engine while allowing a working model to continue to be produced. With excessive heat build up that always leads to metallic expansion, allowable ring end gap can be the difference between an engine that burns a little oil, and a catastrophic, possibly fatal event.

I have a 2016 triglide what should my oil pressure be at 80 miles a hour and idling bike has 10.000 miles on it

I am on my second M8 114 bike... both engines consumed oil. I broke both engines in as recommended by HD. My current bike, which is a 2020 Freewheeler, consumes roughly 3.55 ounces (1 dot on dipstick) every 500 miles, which equates to roughly one quart every 5,000 miles. I ride roughly 3000 miles a year and use Amsoil 20/50. I change my oil annually. My local HD dezlership told me to run the oil level half way down the dipstick to alleviate excessive crankcase pressure. I still fill it up to one dot below full. Fueling recommends running regular dino oil and stay away from synthetic. I have not followed their recommendation. I have owned Japanese v twins that also consumed oil. I have owned automobiles that also consumed oil. Most of my riding is in the summer time with temperatures in the 90s. I run Love Jugs, fueling vented dipstick and your external breather system. My engine is not a spitter. When I inspect the catch can every 500 miles, there is very little snot. My bike runs absolutely fantastic. As I have mentioned before, as soon as HD makes a trike with the water cooled engine, I am buying it. I ride with several friends who also ride HDs, and they all consume oil. I am not concerned about it. My oil consumption is consistent and not excessive based on my experiences. I would be concerned if my engine consumed one quart every 1000-1500 miles.

What about transmission oil? Do newer Harleys burn transmission oil as much?

I have a 2020 RGS 114 M8 with 20000 miles. After the the 20k service the motor started using a quart of oil every 320 miles. What is going on?

It should be noted that synthetic oils have a tenancy inhibits piston rings from seating. That is why a non-synthetic oil should be used for the brake-in period.

Harley syn 3 to me based on specs and performance I found on it, Its a poor grade of oil. I have tried several manufacturers of oil for my 2019 RG and so far the best 3 I have used is Torco, Mobil 1, Motul , and I'm sure there are several other brands out there that perform great to, But using the Harley syn 3 your bike will probably use oil and wear out faster.

I’ve never owned a new Harley, two old Sportsters (93&94) and an 01 Heritage and have a 93 Heritage now (Evo) none of them ever used oil.

50k miles on my Road King and it burns about 1qt between services and I usually change all three holes between 4 and 5k miles and spark plugs every service. My buddy has a 2008 that he's put 160k on it and hasn't cracked the case open yet. Fingers crossed I'm so lucky.

If I have to add a quart every 1500 miles, no need to ever do a full oil change. Just change the filter every 5000 miles. 2002flhrci, original owner, 80K miles, I might add maybe a 1/2 quart every 5000 miles just to keep level at the 'full' mark. Could easily not bother adding any oil between 5,000 mile oil changes.

Viscosity is a measurement of a fluids resistance of flow. Not a fluids thickness because their are thinner fluids with greater resistance to flow.

That explains it. I have an M8 114 with Stage 2 (475 cam). I’ve done the breather blow by mod which keeps it out of my intake but I still get some oil out of the filter pod used for that mod. It’s not as bad as it was before the breather mod but it’s still present. That said I just added a quart (after riding about 2700 miles) and barely got on the dipstick. This is my first HD and I’m not used a bike that burns that much oil. At this rate, I won’t have to pay for an oil change (joking).

All depends on what someone does in the interim.. Starts, stops. Some idiots will start their bikes every week in the winter thinking they are doing the engine a favor....A good bunch of that oil is water after all of that foolishness. Go for a long ride and yikes! level drops. Gotta have a standard to judge.

One quart every 1500 miles. Holy Smokes. I might use 1/2 quart between oil changes on my twin cam. Now my old shovelhead was a different story. It didn't leak oil it marked its territory. Lol Dealerships are a joke. My 2012 twin cam I bought in 2019 hasn't been to a dealer since I got it. If I can't do it myself I take it to a reputable independent shop.

I have a 2021 Road Glide Special with 6,000 miles. The 114 ci engine is losing a quart every 1,500. I'm working with the dealership. They said drive for 500 miles and come back. I did that today and they did some tests and said they will be contacting HD Monday.

3000 mile trip. I had installed breather bypass but no catch can yet and had oil all down side of my bike and all over my pants. T Pre bypass that oil would have been gone straight into my throttle body.

TT461 Service Bulletin Number. For reference.

My twin cam is solid . I carry extra oil on the m8 now ..seems weird.

I recently put one of your reusable oil filters on my bike. 2010 fatboy lo 96ci. I have to take extra oil oil of reservoir from that last few rides. Short rides 40 minute round trips. But I’ve had oil level on dipstick at full even after its cooled way down. I’m assuming the oil pressure is better and the oil pump is scavenging better now ? Seem weird the Harley filter would drop pressure in oil so motor would sump oil ? Either way odd. What’s your thoughts Guys ?

In Harley Speak those are not Technical Service Bulletins .... Those are internal Tech Tips ( TT) meant for Diagnosing Technicians and service writers ... from my years in Harley Davidson Service departments the number 1 reason why TRUE oil consumption IS..............the way the customer broke in the Motorcycle in .... The easiest way to instantly be 1/2 to 3/4 quart low with an M8 is to start the bike on the Jiffy stand.... the design of the OE pump causes about that amount of oil to be pumped into the bellies and not given time to scavenge out . Being on the inside I followed Every tiny detail of the break in procedure and I have Zero smoke on start up .... use about 2 oz or so between oil changes . I follow the temp chart religiously ... I follow the service procedures religiously ... I also use everything available to cool it down using your products with great success... and one last thought ...ITS NOT PARADE MODE FOLKS LOL ... Engine Idle Temp Management is meant Soley for rider and passenger comfort ... Harley Expressly states that the feature is not meant to be an Engine saver in heat ... just for brief periods of stoppage where ones foot and inner thigh may get toasty ...lol Thanks for the open forum Kevin ... love all you cats do!

How about fuel passing the rings and getting in the oil?

Only a quart? That's doing good, the ones I've had have always been more than that...my Hondas don't use a drop...never had a Harley that didn't leak...one thing about my Road King as opposed to my Hondas is that the Road King demands a pre-ride inspection to make sure the fluid levels are topped off...with my Hondas, I can just put the key in & go...dare not do that with the Road King, I'll wind up burning it up...

My 2014 Yamaha Raider with 30 thousand miles on doesn’t use a drop between old changes

I was told synthetic oil has too much lubpricity..the roller bearing cannot spin properly which causes it to overheat and eventually failing ... Anyone else know about this ..??

Great topic thanks men HD sure has learned how to cover their butts

I'm still trying to determine my 2021 107, only lightly modified SG, oil consumption rate, but it appears to be a very low amount, if any. However, I think it's wise to vent the crankcase and I made my own, and interfaced it into the Trans/crankcase cover similar to the over-priced.. under-designed Trask M8 unit.. Harley should be drugg into class action court for statements that up to one quart of oil in 1500 miles is acceptable, and 25% leak down is acceptable for low mileage bikes.. I don't know anyone, who is a mechanic will agree that would or should be acceptable and just because a manufacture claims it's acceptable doesn't make it acceptable to any buyer/owner of the bikes. My 107 might never see past a stage 1, or two at the most while I own it as I never side by side, race my bike.. its got enough power to get along the highway.. the power/displacement wars are for others to throw money at...lol

Wow really. I have an old 78 ironhead an it doesn’t use an oil . My 2019 ultra limited has 21.000 miles on an the only time I have to add oil is when I do my service at 5000.miles if it’s using oil majority of times it’s coming past the rings . Or excessive oil going through the breather to the intake . Nuff said.

Tried breather ,top end rebuild,different oil,eventually got a re bore and fitted an oil cooler,bingo doesn’t use any oil.