How to Do an Oil Change on a Harley Davidson Sportster

Video Transcript

"I'm Jeff Jannett, master Harley Davidson technician with South Side Choppers, St. Pete. Changing the oil on a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle is relatively simple. If you're going to do it in your home or garage, all you need is a couple of catch pans for the oil filter, and the oil tank, this is on a Sportster, and the appropriate tools for the job. Now there's several different types of filters on the market. You have Harley style filters, which have flats, so you can use a oil filter wrench designed specifically for the Harley Davidson filter. You have after-market filters, which are totally smooth, so you'll need some type of wrench to grab that, because they will not be as easy to remove as you would think. Also, a strap wrench can work. And then you have a K&N style, which actually has a hex on the end, so all you need is the appropriate ratchet with a socket. The other thing is, that's as far as getting the oil filter off, getting the oil out of the oil tank on a Sportster, different year Sportsters had different drains. This year Sportster, this is a 1984, has the drain line affixed to a post right under the battery box. It's held on with a hose clamp. Later model years had the drain line down under the frame, and it went to a stop on the frame, also held on with a hose clamp. The newer model Sportsters also have a drain hose that has a plastic clip that's actually clipped to the bottom of the frame. You'd pull the clip off, you take the hose out of the clip, and then you take the hose clamp off, pull the plug out, and you got your drain. So, all of your Sportsters drain in this area, except for the oil filter, which is always to the front. Once you have your catch basins rigged, assuming your bike is on the side stand, you can do either or, first. Getting the rear to drain, or the oil filter to drain. It helps the drain if the bike is warm, so you might want to warm the bike up a little bit, hotter fluid drains faster and quicker. Once the bike is warm, obviously, don't want to burn yourself if it's too hot, so be careful if you're dealing with a very hot engine. But once that oil is draining, you can pull the dipstick out of the tank, it'll drain much faster. While the rear is draining, you can take the oil filter off. Take you a new one. I recommend putting three or four ounces of oil in your new filter. A light, little coat of oil on the seal, and just turn on the new filter hand tight. You do not need to use a wrench when putting the filter back on. That will make it even more difficult to remove. Once you get the filter replaced, then you go back. Once you see it's down to a slow drip on the rear, you want to go ahead, plug the line back up. Put it back on its stop or in its clip, wherever it was positioned, and then fill the tank with the appropriate amount of oil for your system. Again, whether you're using standard weight oil, or synthetic, it's up to you. I would highly recommend buying a Harley Davidson service manual. Chapter one discusses routine maintenance on the bikes, and it will walk you through, step by step, on what you need to do to change the oil on your motorcycle. My name is Jeff Jannett, Harley Davidson certified master technician with South Side Choppers. Keep the rubber side down."