Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Will I see any drop in oil pressure with this kit?
A: No. There will be no significant, measurable pressure drop whatsoever. You're not adding an extra filter or any other restrictive devices, you're simply relocating the existing filter.
Q: Will my bike "starve for oil" on start-up?
A: No, it won't. During the testing phase, we ran clear lines in order to see exactly what happens at start-up with our kit installed. The line from the engine to the remote filter fills very rapidly (probably less than a second). It then takes a few seconds for the filter to fill, as it always does, with or without our kit, and then the line from the remote filter back to the engine fills just as rapidly as the first line. For comparison, this couple of seconds (or less) is much faster than it takes to fill any oil cooler that we know of. In fact, the vertical filter mounting in our RF2 kit allows you to prefill the filter, and your bike will come up to pressure much sooner than stock.
Q: How much more oil should I add?
A: If using our RF1 or RF2 kits for Harley-Davidson touring Models, approximately 1/2 quart, perhaps a little less. On installation, you will cut the lines to fit at the filter end. Some installers will cut the lines a little longer, some will cut the lines a little shorter, and we all read dipsticks a little differently. We advise you to add 6 ounces to start, then run the bike and check the oil level. If needed, add additional oil in small increments, checking the oil level each time you add. You'll only have to do this the first time. Once you've determined the exact requirement for your bike and your comfort level, simply jot it down so you'll always have a reference.
Q: What oil filter should I use?
A: We recommend that you use only the oil filter specified by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company® for your application. For universal applications we like Harley-Davidson's new Super Premium filter or aftermarket equivalents for the following reasons (part numbers will appear at the bottom).
When H-D introduced the Twin Cam engine they also introduced their 5 micron filter intended for use on the supply side of those Twin Cams. A lot of people tried those filters on earlier bikes where the filter is located on the return side and the results were not good. Those early TC filters were too restrictive to run on the return side of earlier bikes and caused wet-sumping in many cases.
The new Super Premium filters were designed for, and work on, all of them. They filter down to 5 microns, but are free-flowing enough to run on the earlier stuff. They flow 7 -9 GPM and do have an anti-drainback valve. They also incorporate an 8 PSI bypass. This doesn't mean that they will bypass if your bike makes more than 8 PSI oil pressure. This means that they will bypass if there is 8 pounds or greater of pressure drop across the filter, meaning the filter is becoming clogged, which they will all do if .
neglected badly enough.
The aftermarket equivalents must meet all the same criteria to be listed as a replacement for the oem filter. That doesn't necessarily mean they are or are not of the same quality, just that they meet all of H-D's specs outlined above.
Part numbers:
Chrome
H-D 63798-99A
WIX 57348
Black
H-D 63731-99A
WIX 57148
Q: Why don't you use braided steel lines in your kit?
A: We don't use braided steel because the cost would go way up, and because braided steel can do a lot of damage when used in the wrong places. The stainless braiding is extremely hard, and when it moves against other parts (even in microscopic increments) due to the natural vibration of a Harley-Davidson engine, it acts as a saw. Over the years, we've seen a lot of serious damage done to bikes by braided steel being used where it really shouldn't be. This is why the high quality braided cables & brake lines available today have a clear covering over them. Braided steel would also be overkill for this application. The Buna-n hose that we use is extremely strong, yet pliable. It’s rated for pressure, temperature, and fuel/oil resistance. And most importantly, it’sMade In America.
Q:Why do you use those tiny little screws to mount the remote filter to the bracket?
A: Those are actually standard 1/4-20 bolts, they just have a special head on them. The low head allows us to run the passenger floorboards at their lowest setting. With a standard head, we would have had to sacrifice that setting, or lower the bracket another 1/8". We wanted to keep the filter as high and as tight to the bike as possible, yet not take away any of the adjustments you have from the factory.
Q: Will this kit work with Kuryakyn folding passenger highway pegs?
A: Yes and no. It will work, but only if you run the passenger floorboards at their highest settings. You would also have to swap out the 2 smaller allen screws that come in the Kuryakyn kit to regular hex-head bolts.
Q: Will this kit work with HD Center Stand 91573-06?
A: No, we're sorry to say that it will not.
Q: What would I do if a road hazard were to cut one of the lines?
A: Once installed, you'll see that the lines are tucked up very safely between the frame rail and the engine/oil pan, above the bottom of the frame rail. Nothing is going to get up in there and hurt the lines. But if this were to happen by some miracle, you would simply remove the oil filter from the remote mount. Then you would remove the spin-on adapter and put the oil filter right back in its original location. You'd then call or email us and we would gladly send you new hoses at no cost.
A: No. There will be no significant, measurable pressure drop whatsoever. You're not adding an extra filter or any other restrictive devices, you're simply relocating the existing filter.
Q: Will my bike "starve for oil" on start-up?
A: No, it won't. During the testing phase, we ran clear lines in order to see exactly what happens at start-up with our kit installed. The line from the engine to the remote filter fills very rapidly (probably less than a second). It then takes a few seconds for the filter to fill, as it always does, with or without our kit, and then the line from the remote filter back to the engine fills just as rapidly as the first line. For comparison, this couple of seconds (or less) is much faster than it takes to fill any oil cooler that we know of. In fact, the vertical filter mounting in our RF2 kit allows you to prefill the filter, and your bike will come up to pressure much sooner than stock.
Q: How much more oil should I add?
A: If using our RF1 or RF2 kits for Harley-Davidson touring Models, approximately 1/2 quart, perhaps a little less. On installation, you will cut the lines to fit at the filter end. Some installers will cut the lines a little longer, some will cut the lines a little shorter, and we all read dipsticks a little differently. We advise you to add 6 ounces to start, then run the bike and check the oil level. If needed, add additional oil in small increments, checking the oil level each time you add. You'll only have to do this the first time. Once you've determined the exact requirement for your bike and your comfort level, simply jot it down so you'll always have a reference.
Q: What oil filter should I use?
A: We recommend that you use only the oil filter specified by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company® for your application. For universal applications we like Harley-Davidson's new Super Premium filter or aftermarket equivalents for the following reasons (part numbers will appear at the bottom).
When H-D introduced the Twin Cam engine they also introduced their 5 micron filter intended for use on the supply side of those Twin Cams. A lot of people tried those filters on earlier bikes where the filter is located on the return side and the results were not good. Those early TC filters were too restrictive to run on the return side of earlier bikes and caused wet-sumping in many cases.
The new Super Premium filters were designed for, and work on, all of them. They filter down to 5 microns, but are free-flowing enough to run on the earlier stuff. They flow 7 -9 GPM and do have an anti-drainback valve. They also incorporate an 8 PSI bypass. This doesn't mean that they will bypass if your bike makes more than 8 PSI oil pressure. This means that they will bypass if there is 8 pounds or greater of pressure drop across the filter, meaning the filter is becoming clogged, which they will all do if .
neglected badly enough.
The aftermarket equivalents must meet all the same criteria to be listed as a replacement for the oem filter. That doesn't necessarily mean they are or are not of the same quality, just that they meet all of H-D's specs outlined above.
Part numbers:
Chrome
H-D 63798-99A
WIX 57348
Black
H-D 63731-99A
WIX 57148
Q: Why don't you use braided steel lines in your kit?
A: We don't use braided steel because the cost would go way up, and because braided steel can do a lot of damage when used in the wrong places. The stainless braiding is extremely hard, and when it moves against other parts (even in microscopic increments) due to the natural vibration of a Harley-Davidson engine, it acts as a saw. Over the years, we've seen a lot of serious damage done to bikes by braided steel being used where it really shouldn't be. This is why the high quality braided cables & brake lines available today have a clear covering over them. Braided steel would also be overkill for this application. The Buna-n hose that we use is extremely strong, yet pliable. It’s rated for pressure, temperature, and fuel/oil resistance. And most importantly, it’sMade In America.
Q:Why do you use those tiny little screws to mount the remote filter to the bracket?
A: Those are actually standard 1/4-20 bolts, they just have a special head on them. The low head allows us to run the passenger floorboards at their lowest setting. With a standard head, we would have had to sacrifice that setting, or lower the bracket another 1/8". We wanted to keep the filter as high and as tight to the bike as possible, yet not take away any of the adjustments you have from the factory.
Q: Will this kit work with Kuryakyn folding passenger highway pegs?
A: Yes and no. It will work, but only if you run the passenger floorboards at their highest settings. You would also have to swap out the 2 smaller allen screws that come in the Kuryakyn kit to regular hex-head bolts.
Q: Will this kit work with HD Center Stand 91573-06?
A: No, we're sorry to say that it will not.
Q: What would I do if a road hazard were to cut one of the lines?
A: Once installed, you'll see that the lines are tucked up very safely between the frame rail and the engine/oil pan, above the bottom of the frame rail. Nothing is going to get up in there and hurt the lines. But if this were to happen by some miracle, you would simply remove the oil filter from the remote mount. Then you would remove the spin-on adapter and put the oil filter right back in its original location. You'd then call or email us and we would gladly send you new hoses at no cost.
Horizontal Vs Vertical Filter
A lot of people have asked recently why I offer a vertical filter only in the RF2 kit ('93-'08 touring bikes with dual exhaust). The reason for this is that the RF2 kit requires a vertical filter while everything else can use a horizontal filter and I am firmly convinced that horizontal is the better option, for several reasons.
1. The horizontal filter is easier and less messy to change. I know... that seems completely backwards, but if you think about it, the horizontal filter in the stock location is such a huge pain in the neck because as soon as you crack it loose it starts draining all over the place. In this case, though, that's a good thing. There's nothing under it but the drain pan so there's no mess to deal with. You crack it, and in just a few seconds, it's completely drained and you spin it the rest of the way off. A spin-on filter in the vertical position always has some oil laying on top of the anti-drainback valve. When you crack a vertical filter loose, that residual oil tends to run down the side of the filter canister. It all runs right down into the drain pan, so there's still no mess, but now you're handling a filter with hot, dirty oil all over the outside of it as opposed to handling a clean, dry filter. Given a choice, I'll take clean and dry every time.
2. You can still pre-fill a horizontal filter. You can't fill it completely to the top, but you can fill it about halfway, which is a lot better than you can pre-fill a horizontal filter in the stock location (or at least better than I've ever been able to pre-fill one in the stock location). My horizontally mounted remote filter, pre-filled halfway, will make oil pressure a whole lot quicker than an empty filter horizontally mounted in the stock location does. Quite honestly, pre-filling is way overblown to begin with. In an automotive engine, where a thin film of pressurized oil is the crankshaft bearing, it's far more important than it is in engines like ours that have roller bearings on the crankshaft. That being said, I still pre-fill mine just because old habits die hard.
3. With the vertical filter you can't add a thermostat for adding my oil cooler (or any other) at the rear of the bike as the filter would end up hanging too low. You may want to add my cooler down the road as it gives up its heat via radiation as opposed to convection, meaning it requires no airflow whatsoever and will cool the oil sitting dead still at idle. By virtue of its size alone it has proven to be far more effective than anything else I’ve seen. I do have some bikes out there that are running dual coolers. They run mine in the rear and a standard tube/fin type in the front. Having a thermostat for each cuts down on the plumbing by a lot. In all honesty, with my cooler in the rear there's no need for one in the front but the guys running them already had them in place and it certainly can't hurt anything to leave it there.
4. A vertical setup is more expensive and about to get even more so. With the filter vertical, stainless hard lines have to be used in order to make the tight bend that's required.
I guess the best endorsement I can give for the horizontal filter is that I obviously have the ability to run either, and I choose to run the horizontal on my personal bike (the orange Ultra that's pictured on the Touring/FXR page).
1. The horizontal filter is easier and less messy to change. I know... that seems completely backwards, but if you think about it, the horizontal filter in the stock location is such a huge pain in the neck because as soon as you crack it loose it starts draining all over the place. In this case, though, that's a good thing. There's nothing under it but the drain pan so there's no mess to deal with. You crack it, and in just a few seconds, it's completely drained and you spin it the rest of the way off. A spin-on filter in the vertical position always has some oil laying on top of the anti-drainback valve. When you crack a vertical filter loose, that residual oil tends to run down the side of the filter canister. It all runs right down into the drain pan, so there's still no mess, but now you're handling a filter with hot, dirty oil all over the outside of it as opposed to handling a clean, dry filter. Given a choice, I'll take clean and dry every time.
2. You can still pre-fill a horizontal filter. You can't fill it completely to the top, but you can fill it about halfway, which is a lot better than you can pre-fill a horizontal filter in the stock location (or at least better than I've ever been able to pre-fill one in the stock location). My horizontally mounted remote filter, pre-filled halfway, will make oil pressure a whole lot quicker than an empty filter horizontally mounted in the stock location does. Quite honestly, pre-filling is way overblown to begin with. In an automotive engine, where a thin film of pressurized oil is the crankshaft bearing, it's far more important than it is in engines like ours that have roller bearings on the crankshaft. That being said, I still pre-fill mine just because old habits die hard.
3. With the vertical filter you can't add a thermostat for adding my oil cooler (or any other) at the rear of the bike as the filter would end up hanging too low. You may want to add my cooler down the road as it gives up its heat via radiation as opposed to convection, meaning it requires no airflow whatsoever and will cool the oil sitting dead still at idle. By virtue of its size alone it has proven to be far more effective than anything else I’ve seen. I do have some bikes out there that are running dual coolers. They run mine in the rear and a standard tube/fin type in the front. Having a thermostat for each cuts down on the plumbing by a lot. In all honesty, with my cooler in the rear there's no need for one in the front but the guys running them already had them in place and it certainly can't hurt anything to leave it there.
4. A vertical setup is more expensive and about to get even more so. With the filter vertical, stainless hard lines have to be used in order to make the tight bend that's required.
I guess the best endorsement I can give for the horizontal filter is that I obviously have the ability to run either, and I choose to run the horizontal on my personal bike (the orange Ultra that's pictured on the Touring/FXR page).