What is the average life span of a Harley engine?
- Thread starter Chris B.
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You could get a leak at any time, but the valves and pistons should go 80,000 miles. The only way to really screw up a modern Harley is to let it get overheated in stop and go traffic.
It will last for a very long time as long as it does not over heat. I see a lot of HD riders parading at walking speeds blapping the throttle; just killing their bikes.
carock's estamate of 80K seems about right for a well cared for bike.
carock's estamate of 80K seems about right for a well cared for bike.
Those sporty motors if in mostly stock form will run 80,000 or more with proper maintenance.
Switch to good synthetic oil @5000 miles.
My suggestion stay away from the HD SYN3 oil.
There are much better Synthetics out there. Redline, Mobil 1 , Amsoil.
Also check with one of this sites sponsers.
http://specialtyformulations.netfirms.com/store/nfoscomm/catalog/index.php
They make some of the best oils going. Shoot them an email with your questions.
Here is a link to a good forum:
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/modules.php?name=Jig
Switch to good synthetic oil @5000 miles.
My suggestion stay away from the HD SYN3 oil.
There are much better Synthetics out there. Redline, Mobil 1 , Amsoil.
Also check with one of this sites sponsers.
http://specialtyformulations.netfirms.com/store/nfoscomm/catalog/index.php
They make some of the best oils going. Shoot them an email with your questions.
Here is a link to a good forum:
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/modules.php?name=Jig
Castrol GTX 20W50 will work about as good as anything out there. With no wet clutch in the crankcase you don't need a motorcycle oil.
David Willet of High Point, North Carolina recently traded in his 1987 Harley-Davidson Tour Glide with over 416,000 on his original Evo engine, the most mileage ever documented on an H-D engine. Harley plans to conduct an engineering study on the engine ...
The above quote from this link:
http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcdaily99/day0422.html
Water cooled. Yeah.
Dan
The above quote from this link:
http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcdaily99/day0422.html
Water cooled. Yeah.
Dan
Most the guys I know that actualy ride them (as opposed to paddle their feet between taverns) try and dump them when they get over 50kmi, then start over with new ones. Not unusual to rebuild at around 80k.
A wet clutch is bathed in oil. Most sport bike clutches share the same oil as the engine and transmission. On your bike the engine and transmission share the same oil but the clutch (primary drive) is off to the side and uses different oil than the engine and transmission.
Some bikes have more motor than clutch and are a little touchy on the oil used. Friction modifiers and a weak clutch is a bad combination. This is not the case with your sportster, so a specail motorcycle is not really needed.
Some bikes have more motor than clutch and are a little touchy on the oil used. Friction modifiers and a weak clutch is a bad combination. This is not the case with your sportster, so a specail motorcycle is not really needed.
I would stick with a real synthetic, ie Red Line, Mobil 1 or Amsoil.
Nix on the Castrol.
Nix on the Castrol.
yeah watch the heat! my buddy and i were riding last year and we got caught in a traffic jam. our bikes were idling ALOT. well we finally pulled off at a gas station, we both filled up and his bike wouldnt start! new 883C. he called his dealer and the dealer said let it sit 20-30 minutes.after it cooled down it finally started. i didnt have this issue but i have a water cooled bike.
chris http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/arkainzeye
chris http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/arkainzeye
Also keep the idle speed at spec, lots of guy set it low to get that nice potato potato sound as they parade around town. Idling too slow combined with hot thin oil can starve some of the bearings. Some of the models have a oil pressure idiot light, if it’s flickering might be time to get out of the parade and ride some highway, or let it cool off a bit. Have fun with the new bike! Keep the rubber side down
Your Sporty shares tranny & primary oil. Engine oil is separate.
I ran a '72 Sporty, rebuilt twice in about 100k miles, stroked to 77 inches at about 40k miles.
I ran a '78 Shovel over 200k miles. Rebuilt top end at about 125k miles. Bottom & top was done after I sold it at the >200k mile point.
Current ride is an '87 Evo Sloptail with somewhere between 110k-120k miles. Hasn't been rebuilt yet. Replaced base gaskets two years ago and the cylinders still had nearly 100% crosshatching visible, and almost no deposits on valves & heads. It's been fed a diet of mostly Mobil 1 20w-50 red cap & gold cap, a couple shots of Castrol Syntec 20w-50, one meal of Royal Purple 20w-50, and a meal of Havoline 20w-50. OCIs are 2500-3500 miles, with either NAPA Gold 1215 or a PF53 filter.
I ran a '72 Sporty, rebuilt twice in about 100k miles, stroked to 77 inches at about 40k miles.
I ran a '78 Shovel over 200k miles. Rebuilt top end at about 125k miles. Bottom & top was done after I sold it at the >200k mile point.
Current ride is an '87 Evo Sloptail with somewhere between 110k-120k miles. Hasn't been rebuilt yet. Replaced base gaskets two years ago and the cylinders still had nearly 100% crosshatching visible, and almost no deposits on valves & heads. It's been fed a diet of mostly Mobil 1 20w-50 red cap & gold cap, a couple shots of Castrol Syntec 20w-50, one meal of Royal Purple 20w-50, and a meal of Havoline 20w-50. OCIs are 2500-3500 miles, with either NAPA Gold 1215 or a PF53 filter.
The big cover on the left side of your bike where the clutch and primary chain (couples engine to tranny)is the primary cover. Behind it is the primary (elementary, eh?). Older Sporties trannies and primaryies shared oil, plus there was a one-way valve between the primary and engine. New ones are different, and I might've mis-spoke about the tranny & primary sharing oil on the new trapdoor-less models.
My 1988 FLHS went 150,000 miles before a factory rebuild, and it would have hit 200,000 if I had not stripped out the cylinder studs.
I used dino 20-50w Harley oil for the 1st 100,000 miles, then switched to M1 15w-50.
After the rebuild, I am only using Mobil 1. I also use it in my '04 Sportster. I'm doing an OCI of 3,333 miles, that way I know I;m changing it 3 times every 10,000 miles. Easy for me to remember.
I use M1 75w-90 in the trans of both bikes.
I used dino 20-50w Harley oil for the 1st 100,000 miles, then switched to M1 15w-50.
After the rebuild, I am only using Mobil 1. I also use it in my '04 Sportster. I'm doing an OCI of 3,333 miles, that way I know I;m changing it 3 times every 10,000 miles. Easy for me to remember.
I use M1 75w-90 in the trans of both bikes.
So if I take off that big primary cover I assume the fluid will drain out. How do you fill it up as I can not find the fill hole?
Also is the primary also know as the transmission? Sorryfor the dumb questions! Got to learn some where.
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