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[roadking71865]

roadking7, if you recently had a service then I can understand oil being so low. I think it is important to check engine and trans oil after a  service. There are a lot of mechanics who really take pride in their work and want to do a good job for you , especially if you tip them, but there are others who are distracted or don't double check their work before signing off on it. I have read your posts before and it seems like you take care of you take good care of your bike, but two quarts low, wow, that would be scarey.Am I correct in assuming that even when the motor was hot you had no reading on your dip stick?CAHDBIKER

Yes, no reading whatsoever on the dipstick.  Strange thing is the oil light only came on now and then so I decided to check it.  After looking my oil pressure was lower than normal.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

UPDATE:  I went for a short ride tonight and on rapid accelleration noticed my oil light would flash on then immediately off.  Came home and checked my oil and was almost 2 QUARTS LOW.  WTF!!!  I didn't have any synthetic so I just put in Harley 20W50.  Hope that's OK.  That probably explains something.  How the hell could I be that low???  Guess I'll have to be better at checking my oil level.  This is my 5th HD and this has NEVER happened.

No worries mixing them.
Scott

[scttgr8]

UPDATE:  I went for a short ride tonight and on rapid accelleration noticed my oil light would flash on then immediately off.  Came home and checked my oil and was almost 2 QUARTS LOW.  WTF!!!  I didn't have any synthetic so I just put in Harley 20W50.  Hope that's OK.  That probably explains something.  How the hell could I be that low???  Guess I'll have to be better at checking my oil level.  This is my 5th HD and this has NEVER happened.

I check mine almost eery time I park the bike for the evening...If I hear any extra/excessive noise just a good practice...eliminate the obvious
 

[roadking71865]

I check mine almost eery time I park the bike for the evening...If I hear any extra/excessive noise just a good practice...eliminate the obvious
 

That's what I'll be doing from now on.  Live and Learn.

[SERK3]

I check mine almost eery time I park the bike for the evening...If I hear any extra/excessive noise just a good practice...eliminate the obvious
 

Same here

[grc]

I think checking the oil after every ride is overkill.  It might make sense if your bike has a history of using a lot of oil, but otherwise I'd suggest you base it on your actual history.  If your bike normally uses a pint of oil between 5000 mile changes, for instance, checking it daily is just going to wear out the seal on the dipstick or cause you to drip oil on the hot pipes or trans side cover or maybe burn your fingers.  Maybe a weekly check when you check your tire pressures would be a good idea.  You do check your tire pressures on a regular schedule, right?  btw, I do my oil level check on a cold engine before a ride.  Easier on the fingers, don't have to wipe and reinsert the dipstick to get a reading, etc.  Just allow for the lower full mark when the oil is cold versus hot.

I don't think we know the entire story yet.  Was the bike recently serviced and someone forgot to fill the oil tank properly?  I'd suggest like others have that if you have someone else do your maintenance, definitely check the fluid level yourself when you pick the bike up.  Same thing goes for your car when you pick it up from the dealer or the local Jiffy Lube.  Stuff happens all the time in these places.  It's a good idea to also do a quick visual underneath to make sure they didn't leave the filter or drain plug loose.

As for mixing the fluids, as long as you stick with the same brand it's highly unlikely there would be any negative affect.  As noted previously, many of the oils labeled synthetic these days are not really 100% synthetic but are in fact a blend, so obviously mixing types isn't a problem.  If it were me, however, I would go ahead and change the oil when practical to regain the high temp safety factor of the synthetic.


Jerry

[roadking71865]

Thanks Jerry.  In your opinion is this something that will hurt my engine down the road?

[Midnight Rider]

People can say what they want to about the LCD Dipstick being a POS, etc, but this is precisely why I like it.  Not because it is the most accurate regarding temperature readout, but simply because it's an easy way to check the oil level when hot.  And I have not personally experienced any issues with the LCD stick after 25K+ on one bike and 6K on another.  If I've just done a 150 mile run down the Interstate at 75-80mph, pull into a gas station to empty one thing and fill up the other, it gives me some peace of mind to push the button to make sure all is well.  I'll still do the occasional cold check in the basement before a ride too, but hot checking the oil with a dipstick is a PITA.

How long since you had the bike serviced?  Do you know for sure that it was full of oil after the service?  If so, how many miles since?  If you had it serviced, know that it was full, and it's used 2 quarts since, you have an issue.  Whether I would be concerned about mixing the Dino oil with the "synthetic"...not so much if I only had 1K left until the next service, but if I had 4K left, I'd likely change it just for my own peace of mind.  As Jerry (grc) stated, if for no other reason than the fact that the synthetic is able to handle higher temps, and it's summer time.

Damage to the engine?  That's hard to say.  If it's been 2 quarts low for 2K miles, I might be concerned, but if it's relatively recent, not so much.  It sure isn't a good thing to run it 2 quarts low for very long, IMO.

[grc]

It's very hard to tell if any damage may have been done, but one thing you have going for you is the fact that a Harley is a ball and roller bearing engine.  Those kinds of bearings are lubricated by an oil mist, unlike the direct pressure feed required for a plain bearing engine similar to the one in your car.  When your oil light was flickering on you were picking up air at the oil pump.  If that was only for a few seconds, odds are you will be OK.  It's pretty much a matter of how long this was going on before you caught it.  At this point I wouldn't worry about it, just be more vigilant about the oil level going forward.


Jerry

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Actually, there is direct pressure, that feeds the big end of the rods, which is equipped with a cage/roller, which is pushed thru the pinion shaft, and that bleeds off and slings, but not like an automotive application, with a bearing shell, where a goodly amount of pressure is required.
Scott

[North Star]

whats the deal with the cold check? Bike on jiffy stand cold, if the oil shows on the lowest acceptable level, it means it's okay?

[Midnight Rider]

whats the deal with the cold check? Bike on jiffy stand cold, if the oil shows on the lowest acceptable level, it means it's okay?

There's a cold check/hot check fill line shown in the owner's manual.