Owners Manual.

[SURLY]

I have commented on this before but cannot resist another mention its regarding the online spec information available on the Indian website I always fit Stahlbus oil drain plugs to my bikes I am an oil change freak and will change it at around 1200 miles (yes I know I am wasting money and no I don,t care) the Stahlbus valve makes it easy and takes the strain off the drain plug threads could have waited until my first oil change to find the size and thread and then ordered but a quick look on the Indian website manual and the size and thread is there no problem never known another maker to offer this service so off to order 2 Valves.

 

[K9F]

FEMCO has always been my drain plug of choice but thanks for the heads up on another version. Will give it a closer look as haven't got one for the FTR yet and I do like the idea of a bit of German engineering.

Femco UK - Products

www.drainplug.co.uk

 

[mark.lb]

Why don’t you save your 1200 mile “full synthetic oil“ and and use it in your car, lawn mower, snow blower etc? That stuff is $15/quart and designed to go 8000 - 10,000 miles!

 

[Deleted member 192]

It seems to me Surly is successful enuf to not be concerned with economics. His eye is on the fact oil is cheap compared to the FTR.

 

[SURLY]

Why don’t you save your 1200 mile “full synthetic oil“ and and use it in your car, lawn mower, snow blower etc? That stuff is $15/quart and designed to go 8000 - 10,000 miles!

I once had a fellow next door who had an old Suzuki 750 and he used to grab my old oil for his bike he was welcome to it as for using it in my car well I am a motor cycle freak cars do nothing for me I change my car every three years and it gets serviced once a year and cleaned when I can be bothered my bikes on the other hand get cleaned as soon as they get dirty(I will even clean them when they are already clean to my neigbours amusement) I actually take a cup of tea out to the garage to just sit and look at them I worked for 40 years with a large multi national car company and we once did a test on an engine regarding clean oil and the results of the test made me an oil change freak as I said I know I am wasting money(although the test results suggest otherwise) and I do not care I have plenty and will happily spend it on my bikes.

 

[SURLY]

It seems to me Surly is successful enuf to not be concerned with economics. His eye is on the fact oil is cheap compared to the FTR.

Could not have said it better.

 

[SURLY]

FEMCO has always been my drain plug of choice but thanks for the heads up on another version. Will give it a closer look as haven't got one for the FTR yet and I do like the idea of a bit of German engineering.

Femco UK - Products

www.drainplug.co.uk

You will need two for the FTR about £30 each but they make oil change a breeze. Just had a look at the Femco ones so similar either should suit you well.

 

[Ultratoad]

I would be concerned with how far those things hang down.... A large piece of road debris could rake one off....

 

[SURLY]

I would be concerned with how far those things hang down.... A large piece of road debris could rake one off....

Just looked at the Femco site they do a compact one and its cheaper than the Stahlbus one considering the ground clearance on the FTR it would need to be a pretty big lump of debris needed to take these out and as your back wheel will be hitting it straight after drain plugs will be the least of our worries. Not to mention your front wheel going over it first.

 

[JDP]

I’m like you Surly I’m a freak about changing my oil too but might be alittle worse, I change my oil in my street bikes every 3000 miles with synthetic and change oil in my dirt bikes after every ride but I’ve never had any motor troubles

 

[mark.lb]

I think I‘ll stick to the oil change schedule in the owner’s manual on my FTR. My 1977 Yamaha XS750 gets a change every spring. I only put 1000-2000 miles a year on it now. My car (Cadillac XTS) came with free oil changes for life. When the change oil light comes on I take it to the dealership. The lawn mower - once a year in the fall before storage.

 

[ferraiolo1]

10k changes with a wet clutch imo is dumb. The filter isn’t that large.

 

[SURLY]

10k changes with a wet clutch imo is dumb. The filter isn’t that large.

Yes wet clutches are oil poluters and oil is cheap compared to an engine rebuild modern engines which get regular oil changes do huge mileages without trouble so why would,nt you change it?

 

[mark.lb]

OK - I’ll bite - What “should“ the correct oil change interval be? When the engineers at Polaris Swissauto racing division developed the new FTR engine they obviously had to make a decision on how to lubricate and cool their new high compression/high performance power plant. Did the engineers get it wrong? I could change my oil after every ride if I wanted to but is it necessary? If you change too early your are wasting perfectly good synthetic oil. If you change too late you are shortening engine life.

 

[SURLY]

OK - I’ll bite - What “should“ the correct oil change interval be? When the engineers at Polaris Swissauto racing division developed the new FTR engine they obviously had to make a decision on how to lubricate and cool their new high compression/high performance power plant. Did the engineers get it wrong? I could change my oil after every ride if I wanted to but is it necessary? If you change too early your are wasting perfectly good synthetic oil. If you change too late you are shortening engine life.

It really is up to you its your bike I have two bikes and do around 2500 miles a year (yes pathetic I know but I have 9 grand children and aworkaholic wife who drags me along to everything so my time is limited) so thats 4 oil changes a year not much synth oil and as its synthetic does,nt that mean they can make as much as we want? I do use semi synth in my Honda as thats what Honda reccomends as for trusting polaris engineers on this well they are the fcukers who put this bike out with the worst fueling I have known in 50 years of motorcycling in the last 20 years I have owned 18 fuel injected bikes and every one had way better fueling and that includes 4 euro 4 bikes 30 mins with PV3 and it runs like dream if those engineers were so shit hot why could,nt they manage that?
Oh shit I bit
PS the correct interval is whatever you are happy with its your bike.
PPS you have done it now we have an oil thread and you know what that means.

 

[mark.lb]

Sorry to hear about your time constraints on riding. My other hobby is Golf. When we are not under a stay at home order I usually play 3 or 4 rounds a week. It took me 37 years of marriage to train my wife properly. But she is finally getting comfortable with my motorcycle/golf lifestyle! (God I hope she doesn’t read this thread) I only have 2 grandchildren right now but I also get dragged to every activity.

 

[mark.lb]

I here you on the ECU fueling issues. The truth is I have had very few problems. Average temperature in PA now is about 50*F. I can’t remember the last time I had a cold stall and once warm the bike runs great and suits me fine.
It makes sense that Indian had to settle on a generic tune that fits bikes all over the world. Different climates, different elevation from sea level,
etc. I’m glad you found a fix. Believe me if my bike was not running properly I would be ordering a PV3 today...

 

[K9F]

+1

18 bikes in 20 years? Not really surprising. I thought I was doing well with 6 but then again I do considerably more mileage and as a result get to know them better and their traits and foibles and how to adapt my riding style to overcome them perhaps rather than throwing money at it. I also become inevitably attached to them if they’re any good for what I need them to do.

I too am content with my FTR as it currently is. I had it decatted and a few bits ‘changed from the off‘ before delivery as I knew what I wanted doing. Whilst well acquainted with the potential benefits of booking dyno time and having it tuned it was and still is not a priority. It was booked in for yesterday but dealership closure meant it has been placed on the back burner once again. Mine too runs fine exactly as it is ‘warts ‘n’ all.’ If it were perfect it would be boring, I personally like to have to work at it a little whatever motorcycle I am riding otherwise I would have owned a BMW. Never have! Never will! Too well engineered.

 

[mark.lb]

I fall into the “attached“ category as well. I purchased my 1977 Yamaha XS750-2D new when I was 18 years old. I still start it once a week and ride it every chance I get!

 

[ferraiolo1]

OK - I’ll bite - What “should“ the correct oil change interval be? When the engineers at Polaris Swissauto racing division developed the new FTR engine they obviously had to make a decision on how to lubricate and cool their new high compression/high performance power plant. Did the engineers get it wrong? I could change my oil after every ride if I wanted to but is it necessary? If you change too early your are wasting perfectly good synthetic oil. If you change too late you are shortening engine life.

Most modern performance bikes with wet clutches are on a 5k mile synthetic interval.

Indian requires the cruiser oil to be changed every 5k, and the scout/ftr every 10k. I have no idea why indian would suggest such a high interval, and still use a small filter.

The oil break down isnt my concern, as modern synthetics dont generally break down, its the contaminates from the clutch that bothers me.

Oil is cheap, engines arent, is my philosophy.