Online: Daffy, paulybronco, Ultramick

M8 Issues

  • JR888
    JR888
    6 years ago
    It would seem the Milwaukee engine has some serious issues and may have been released prematurely.
    After just 7 months my Road King is on it's 3rd top end rebuild with cylinders, pistons and rings being replaced along with other attempts to stop the bike spewing oil everywhere.

    Talking with another owner up this way, his bike has been 5 months trying to get it right, the heads were deemed porous and have been replaced. Is it fixed, too early to tell but he has his fingers crossed.

    Other issues have been identified on this and other forums such as the issue of Sumping

    As for my Road King -  the following photo is just one of the ones I took yesterday after just 400klm from getting the bike back from the latest rebuild. Don't get me wrong, I love this bike when it is going. but over the 7 months I have had the bike it has been 3 months in workshops and the rest of the time I am cleaning up the oil that is going everywhere.

    I would not be rushing out to buy another M8 until HD get their act together and fix all these issues. On the bright side, they have at least got mine to idle properly it seems, fingers crossed it stays that way.


    The missus is not too happy about the oil all over her leg either.

  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    6 years ago
    Where is that oil coming from...
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    6 years ago
    My 2012 std 103 street glide blew oil from week one out the breathers . Was told all sorts of stories about oil levels, types of oil, cleaning the filter etc but only when i put external breathers has the problem gone away
  • JR888
    JR888
    6 years ago
    Told today that I shouldn't be too worried, I have to let the new motor "bed in". 
    WTF?
    First time I ever heard of a motor spewing out oil as a normal part of the running in process.
  • hithere
    hithere
    6 years ago
    I have been reading with interest on M8 issues.  I love the look of the Road King Special but with oil pump being replaced on some and others having issues with engine oil migrating to primary and mixing with transmission fluid (with no known fix) on both 2017 and 2018 RKS... I think I will be waiting another year and see.