Is this really a good deal for an oil change.

[M.Brane]

Today my wife and I were sitting on the back porch just chatting and who the hell walked in!
My brother in law, he rode that Glide 2800 miles in three days from Seattle to San Antonio.
 He said his ass was sore and he was looking tired.
He asked if I would keep his bike for a year and do what it takes to keep it in shape while he serves another tour in Iraq.

 No problem, I will do that for him, I guess I will learn the ins and outs first hand.

But a new rider taking on a distance like that, good for him, well done, and a outstanding testament to Harley Davidson.

 

 I applaud any rider who actually rides their bike. Even noobs.

 HD's are no different than any other machine, and simpler than most. Keep the fluids fresh, the primary adjusted properly, and they will go a long way without complaint. They do have their quirks like anything mechanical, but nothing that isn't well known/ documented.

[Scratch33]

 He said his ass was sore

Geez.  How many dealers did he stop at on the way?

[Geoff]

Harleys are one of the easiest bikes to wrench on the planet. The oil/filter can be changed in almost less time than it takes to get the plastic off some bikes. Most HD owners I know perform their own maintenance.

[CosmicHD]

No. Most Harley owners are chrome-polishing dinks who couldn't turn a wrench to save their lives. Owning two Harleys, I'm working harder and harder to distance myself from the whole "Harley lifestyle" more and more. I mean, we're talking about a group of people whose majority spend as much as a WHOLE NEW BIKE on eking out 100 ponies from a cruiser and will buy more chrome and leather over riding lessons every day of the week.

Funny, my experience is the opposite. Most HD owners I know do all their own maintenance and avoid the dealers and indys at all costs.

If anything, I think a lot of the metric crowd are the ones who do little of their own work.  

As to changing the oil the original post asked about.....it is a breeze. It is like changing the oil on any machine; drain plug, oil filter, oil cap. It is a no brainer.

[fritzcoinc]

If anything, I think a lot of the metric crowd are the ones who do little of their own work.  

That's because Jap bikes need very little maint.

[scott-sts]

That's because Jap bikes need very little maint.

   As compared to what?  A Harley?
Harley's require no valve adjustments & no chain adjustments.  Furthermore, i'll be done with an oil and primary fluid change before you even get the plastic off of your (insert Jap bike here).

[chornbe]

True story.

[Geoff]

My Harley is much easier (and less expensive) to service than my BMW.  

[stevent]

Ditto, the factory black oil filter is about $10. and a gallon of 15w40 weight Rotella is $11.00. Oil & filter every 5k, primary chain case is 1 qt of whatever 10w40 you want to throw in there every 10k and the transmission is a quart of 75w90 gear oil every 20k. Air filter is one screw to check, 4 total to remove swish around a pan of gas to clean and re-install, steering head bearings are a zerk fitting, plugs are every 20k and just about unscrew them selves they're so easy to get at. The fact is a modern stock Harley is about the easiest and maintenance free bike you can own. Buy the factory service manual and some decent tools and you'll be good to go.

I also put over a 100k on a couple of Shovelheads and they were not much more trouble, the main difference being points and timing to adjust and the Bendix carb accelerator pumps used to wear out. 90% of the stories you hear about "unreliable HD's" is because some ham-fisted clod fucked them up in the first place with their "performance " mods and aftermarket junk..

The fact is I had more trouble with the '84 Sabre and '97 VFR I owned than any of the 7 Harleys and more warranty work on my '79 R 100 RT  & '85 K 100 RS...

[Kat-Rider]

the link is gone, but someone said it was $80.
that is not that bad.  At the shop I use the minimum fee is 1 hour at $75 for an oil change and basic service.
they will also charge for oil as well as the filter and a small disposal fee.  I think the invoice was over 100 for an oil change with synthetic.  (It was the guy in line in front of me when i was looking at negotiating tire prices.)

[Zixxerpilot]

The only thing that Harley claims is necessary is some aditive they use for the air cooled engine. However, I know that all the S&S engines are shipped filled with Mobile One synth, and that is what most of the guys run. I've never heard of any problems. The guys not using M1 are using Rotella, and again, with no problems.

I bashed H-D for a long time. Then, I got actively involved in the business around those bikes, and it changed my mind a bit. The final change was from a couple of family members and their close friends who are as true a biker as can be. The honestly live by the "Live to Ride" phylosophy, and respect anyone else that does, regardless of the choice of bike. My wife's uncle rides with a local club, and they are some of the most outstanding guys ever! Not to mention, just about any one of them could tear their bikes down in their sleep, and have them running again before dawn. I LOVE riding with these guys! I'm looking at bikes my kids can ride on with me safely, and so far the H-D products are winning my vote.

As for labor charges, I've seen them all over the board. Lax H-D is a huge shop, and they whip out oil changes for around $50, and take a good look over the bike while they do it. Other dealers are charging anywhere from $45 to $145(yes, you read that right), and I can tell you which ones will continue to operate.