My first new vehicle - first oil change

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As some of you may know, I bought a 2017 Harley Street Rod brand new. So it was sitting on the dealer lot for at least 2 years. And it now has 300 miles on it. The first scheduled check up is at 500 miles. That will include an oil and filter change. I am debating if I should change the oil before zipping it up for winter storage. I have a jug of Amsoil 20W50 ready to be swapped in, but don't know if I should do it. My thoughts are whether the dealer will be upset that I put on non-Harley motor oil, which the owner's manual says to only use Harley oil. Secondly, is it too soon to use a synthetic oil while an engine is breaking in? I have never owned a new vehicle and therefore have no idea what the politics are at a dealership or how to best manage a new engine. I am just thinking putting in the new oil will keep the motorcycle in better shape while it's in storage. Let me know. Thanks.
 
I would change the oil. Even though it is low miles I'm sure it is 2 year old factory oil. I would dump the Amsoil in with no hesitation. There are no warranty issues using non harley oil they just like to push their own. I would not worry about a break in, many harley bikes come from the factory with synthetic oil. I have run Valvoline vr1 racing synthetic since new with no worries.
 
Dont change the oil. Its fine. It sits in jugs for years before people use it. 2 year old oil is fine. Park it for the winter, do you 500 mile change next year.
 
The Owner's Manual for a 2017 Harley Street XG750 (if I have your model correctly identified?)
says
"If necessary and H-D 360 is not available, add oil certified for diesel engines. Acceptable designations include: CH-4, CI-4 and CJ-4. The preferred viscosities, in descending order are: 20W50, 15W40 and 10W40."

Sure they try to steer you to use their own oil. By law you don't have to use their brand of oil (or else they have to provide it for free, which they don't). Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

If you drive in a slightly colder environment, seek out the 10w-40 type of {CH-4 or CI-4 or CJ-4} diesel engine oil like they say you should be using.
If you only start the thing in above freezing weather (above 32F) then 20w50 or 15w40 is fine.

Then your engine warranty is protected.
 
Might add, after your manual was printed, there is the newer CK-4 oil you could use these days.
The Amsoil you have, for some strange reason, only qualifies to the older CG-4 level, not officially part of what they say you can use. Shouldn't be an issue though if Harley ever had a warranty claim on them though, since they know and trust Amsoil, one would think (?).
 
Kinda strange: Mobil 1â„¢ 20w50 V-Twin motorcycle oil, where Mobil says its good for "CF service", technically does not meet the requrements in the Owner's Manual.
Thats the most popular stuff to use, possibly.
Amsoil 20w50 has a similar old-spec problem too.
As long as the oil has CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, or CK-4, any one of those, printed on it, then its OK with Harley, and thats a bunch of diesel oils at walmart.
 
Originally Posted by paoester
Kinda strange: Mobil 1â„¢ 20w50 V-Twin motorcycle oil, where Mobil says its good for "CF service", technically does not meet the requrements in the Owner's Manual.
Thats the most popular stuff to use, possibly.
Amsoil 20w50 has a similar old-spec problem too.
As long as the oil has CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, or CK-4, any one of those, printed on it, then its OK with Harley, and thats a bunch of diesel oils at walmart.


This is the Amsoil ratings, so it meets the requirements.

API SL, SJ, SH, SG
API CI-4+, CI-4, CH-4, CF, CF-2
https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...m-protection-20w-50-synthetic-motor-oil/
 
Originally Posted by Kurtatron
I bought a 2017 Harley Street Rod brand new. So it was sitting on the dealer lot for at least 2 years.


Wow......................... times have sure changed.

I have been hearing more and more that Harley riders are getting too old, etc... not much interest from the younger guys.
 
Originally Posted by bubbatime
Dont change the oil. Its fine. It sits in jugs for years before people use it. 2 year old oil is fine. Park it for the winter, do you 500 mile change next year.


I agree with this. Oil doesn't "get old from unuse" like some people like to think it does.
 
Originally Posted by paoester
The Owner's Manual for a 2017 Harley Street XG750 (if I have your model correctly identified?)
says
"If necessary and H-D 360 is not available, add oil certified for diesel engines. Acceptable designations include: CH-4, CI-4 and CJ-4. The preferred viscosities, in descending order are: 20W50, 15W40 and 10W40."

Sure they try to steer you to use their own oil. By law you don't have to use their brand of oil (or else they have to provide it for free, which they don't). Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

If you drive in a slightly colder environment, seek out the 10w-40 type of {CH-4 or CI-4 or CJ-4} diesel engine oil like they say you should be using.
If you only start the thing in above freezing weather (above 32F) then 20w50 or 15w40 is fine.

Then your engine warranty is protected.





A Street Rod is a sporty version of an XG750 and I seriously doubt that it has a specific owners manual, so you likely have that part right.

I would be careful about hanging your hat on M-M, for one thing the federal government in their own settlement requires Harley to violate it, secondly you'll be broke and too old to ride by the time it gets through court.

Frankly at 300 miles I would not change it, but if I did, I would just go grab some HD360, there's absolutely nothing wrong with HD360 except the price. (option b is cruise through the parts department and see what they sell, if they sell Amsoil, it is unlikely they are going to give you any crud about it.) I seriously doubt you they will even ask you about what's in it or if its been changed, unless they notice the drain plug (s) have been out.

That reminds me, I wonder how old the oil in my 103B is...
confused2.gif
confused.gif
 
The Amsoil bottle doesn't have any of the specs you guys mention. It says JASO MA/MA-2 , API SG, SL/CF/CG-4; ISO-L-EMA2. So should I still use it? I decided not the change the oil. Not worth the time and effort for me honestly.
 
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Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Originally Posted by paoester
Kinda strange: Mobil 1â„¢ 20w50 V-Twin motorcycle oil, where Mobil says its good for "CF service", technically does not meet the requrements in the Owner's Manual.
Thats the most popular stuff to use, possibly.
Amsoil 20w50 has a similar old-spec problem too.
As long as the oil has CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, or CK-4, any one of those, printed on it, then its OK with Harley, and thats a bunch of diesel oils at walmart.


This is the Amsoil ratings, so it meets the requirements.

API SL, SJ, SH, SG
API CI-4+, CI-4, CH-4, CF, CF-2
https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...m-protection-20w-50-synthetic-motor-oil/


I might be tempted to change the oil but maybe not. The recommended C rated semi synthetic oil I use only cost me something like less then $15 for a gallon, so I change often.
If you do, there is no such thing as changing it too soon.

I agree with rubber chicken and paoster.
Me personally, I use what the manual says, and that is a 15w50 CH4 made by Mystic as stated in the manual CH-4, CI-4 and CJ-4.

A little known fact since you are going to use Amsoil, my question would be why dont you use their 20w50 diesel oil as it meets HD requirements exactly. In fact, right on the container states also for motorcycles.
But forget the "motorcycle" labeling on the bottles, HD is not promoting using motorcycle oil, they are promoting using Heavy Duty Engine Oil with a CH4 or higher rating and the HEDO Amsoil Diesel oil meets that requirement in the 20w50 weight.

Either way its all good whatever you choose. Like the others said, they all perform well, just up to you how close you want to stick to the Harley Manual "script". I stick to it and just suggesting IF you want too, you can use the Amsoil Heavy Duty Engine oil in the 20w50 weight with the correct "C" rating.
 
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Good choice, leave the oil in over the winter and fire it up happy in the spring. I change the oil in the fall at the end of each riding season. The bike may sit many weeks sometimes a month or more in the winter between rideable weather here in Colorado. That oil stays in through the winter and whenever I hit 5,000 miles which is usually toward the end of the next riding season I change it again.

I believe that street rod is a shared sump, I really like Mobil 1 20w50 V-Twin or Mobil 1 10w40 4T in my shared sump ZRX 1200.
 
Kurtatron, Use the Amsoil if you have it already. Its good stuff, good reputation. It's CG-4 is too old for your 2017 **technically** which probably doesn't matter to us, and I hope Harley would see it that way. ...
If you really want to preserve your warranty, use the "other" Amsoil 20w50 that rubberchicken above mistakenly thought you have. (You have the V-twin 20w50.) Maybe you can exchange your V-twin version for the correct Amsoil 20w50 that has the right certifications? If its easy to do.

In the future, after the Amsoil, Rotella T6 15w-40 meets your Owner's Manual requirements, and is a great oil too.
Walmart has it I think. Should be reasonably priced and well engineered, full synthetic, checks all the right boxes, good company Shell is.
https://rotella.shell.com/en_us/pro...-t6-15w-40-full-synthetic-motor-oil.html

Some confusion above:

Originally Posted by Kurtatron
The Amsoil bottle doesn't have any of the specs you guys mention. It says JASO MA/MA-2 , API SG, SL/CF/CG-4; ISO-L-EMA2. So should I still use it? I decided not the change the oil. Not worth the time and effort for me honestly.
I got it right, see above. CG-4 is too old a spec for a 2017, formally speaking. .... https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...0w-50-advanced-synthetic-motorcycle-oil/ which I based my post above on. That's the one you have.

Originally Posted by rubberchicken
Originally Posted by paoester
Kinda strange: Mobil 1â„¢ 20w50 V-Twin motorcycle oil, where Mobil says its good for "CF service", technically does not meet the requrements in the Owner's Manual.
Thats the most popular stuff to use, possibly.
Amsoil 20w50 has a similar old-spec problem too.
As long as the oil has CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4, or CK-4, any one of those, printed on it, then its OK with Harley, and thats a bunch of diesel oils at walmart.

This is the Amsoil ratings, so it meets the requirements.
API SL, SJ, SH, SG, API CI-4+, CI-4, CH-4, CF, CF-2 https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...m-protection-20w-50-synthetic-motor-oil/


You are looking at the wrong oil for this thread. The Harley V-Twin variety is https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-prod...0w-50-advanced-synthetic-motorcycle-oil/

Originally Posted by Bonz
I believe that street rod is a shared sump, I really like Mobil 1 20w50 V-Twin or Mobil 1 10w40 4T in my shared sump ZRX 1200.

Neither of those oils qualify for what Harley asks for. Like you, I think they're great. Harley doesn't agree with us.
 
For the un-initiated the bike the OP is discussing is a version of the Street 750. The Street Series (there is a 500 and a 750) use the Revolution X engine which is a water cooled (completely, not just the heads) 60 degree V-Twin. I'm also fairly sure it is a shared sump with the transmission.

It is more like a V-Rod than a Big Twin or Evolution (Sportster)

I think if I owned one I would think less about oils aimed at the "V-Twin" and Harley Big Twin market and more at oils appropriate for a Ducati, BMW or a Japanese twin. Theres really nothing Harley like about it other than the name on the data plate, so free yourself of thinking it needs an oil designed for other Harleys.

I'm not suggesting you disregard Haleys own recommendation while under warranty, but don't go seeking out aftermarket oil intended for a Big Twin, This thing isn't air cooled, it doesn't have three holes (I don't think) and it has plain bearings.... It is also relatively high output per cube as Harleys go.
 
What ever you do first... I'd spin the engine over by the starter alone with
spark plugs disconnected to pump fresh oil between crankshaft and the
journals... this action is prudent to prevent any metal to metal wear
on start up... because after 2 years the risk is that the oil
separating these critical parts is questionable...
 
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Originally Posted by paoester


Sure they try to steer you to use their own oil. By law you don't have to use their brand of oil (or else they have to provide it for free, which they don't). Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act


True about the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act...

OP what is reproducible are bikes with 100,000 200,000 miles that show
us any major brand 40 or 50 grade oil or even a 30 grade will meet and
exceed your mileage expectations...

Quote BITOG DrDave
My old Harley really liked 10w-30 Amsoil. These was a significant
reduction in wear metals going from 15-40 to 10-30. There were no
consumption issues. It certainly started easier. By easier I mean it
spun over much faster. The motor seemed quieter, and Harley's need all
the help they can get in that department.
 
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Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by bubbatime
Dont change the oil. Its fine. It sits in jugs for years before people use it. 2 year old oil is fine. Park it for the winter, do you 500 mile change next year.


I agree with this. Oil doesn't "get old from unuse" like some people like to think it does.


I also agree... oil has been unused in the ground for millions upon millions of years before we got our hands on it...
 
Originally Posted by BusyLittleShop
What ever you do first... I'd spin the engine over by the starter alone with
spark plugs disconnected to pump fresh oil between crankshaft and the
journals... this action is prudent to prevent any metal to metal wear
on start up... because after 2 years the risk is that the oil
separating these critical parts is questionable...


It's already been ridden 300 miles.
 
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