Articles

Q: Do I have to change synthetic oil as often as conventional?
A:Yes, Synthetic oil has proven advantages but replacement intervals aren't one of them. The main reason we change oil is to remove contaminants like metal particles and by-products of combustion, not just because the oil is "bad" or "broken down".

Q: Do I really have to run 91 or higher octane gas in my H-D motorcycle?
A: Yes, low octane fuel is more unstable and "runs hot". H-D engines have fairly high compression ratios and stable fuel is necessary to prevent pre-ignition and/or detonation, which can harm the engine.

Q: If low octane fuel is not good, should I use racing fuel?
A: High octane racing fuel (100+ octane) is rarely ever required in street-legal engines. That stability is usually never necessary and many racing fuels contain lead which can be harmful to engine sensors like oxygen sensors.

Q: Should I change my oil before storage or wait until spring?
A: You should change the oil before storage to remove debris and harmful contaminants that accumulate during normal operation such as metal particles and chemicals resulting from the combustion process.

About the author: Kris has been with Wolverine H-D since 2013 and entered the motorcycle industry in 1995.He has been a Master Harley-Davidson Technician since 2003 and has thousands of hours of experience utilizing Wolverine's state of the art Dynojet Model 250i dynamometer. He's spent his entire career servicing motorcycles in southeast Michigan and currently owns 7 motorcycles (Don't ask, we don't understand it either). He's been riding motorcycles since he was 5 years old so it's no surprise he's embedded into the motorcycle industry.