Your OWNER'S MANUAL should be free with your bike and it includes basic service information. A SERVICE MANUAL is something you buy for $60 (or if you shop around online you might find it for less but well worth the money in either case) and it is an in depth book with photos and illustrations and pretty much walks you through all manner of procedures.

You are doing the right thing with searching for info and there is no such thing as a stupid question (although be prepared to have some people on these forums try to make you feel very stupid sometimes cus they don't have anything better to do I would guess).

The most important advice I would give you is to take your time. One of the worst things I have seen people do is try to rush procedures, thinking they can do their own fluid changes on their lunch break or something like that. Next thing they know, they have stripped a bolt, or forgotten to refill one of their fluids or what have you. Don't take on a task that you have no experience with unless you have plenty of time to account for anything unexpected. Also, when you get your service manual, read through it as much as you can and try to decipher it as much as possible. One of the drawbacks to asking others for info is that many people who have been working on their bikes for a while tend to be very opinionated on how to do something and what you should or shouldn't use. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it can lead to some confusion for someone who is "green" such as yourself because you might get ten different explinations on how to do something.

Also, the right tools can make all the difference in the world. Before I got my scoot I thought I had a pretty good tool collection but once I started doing my own work on my Harley I realized that there I was going to be making lots of trips to Sears.

 

Jh.. actually there's very little U can't find on the net as U see.

dont be afraid to also use Google or the search feature in our forum when wanting to know answers to most questions.

most times its faster than even asking in a new thread and waiting for an answer.

Also visit the TECH area,https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...ech-forums-58/



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Three plugs. All the same size allen wrench:
1. Main oil tank plug is on the right side (same side as the fill hole on the oil tank) follow the hose down from the oil tank. It's right in front of the the swing arm (rear fork) joint, on the frame.
2. Transmission oil drain plug is up between the shocks. Easy to find. Hard to see. Gotta feel for it.
3. Primary drain plug is located on the left side of the bike, right below the derby cover (big round chrome cover - left side). Tip: take the derby cover off BEFORE draining the oil.

 

Along the same lines, I am getting ready to do my first maintenace on my new to me scoot. The 10k challenge!

Is a bike jack needed? I have access to one if so.
Is there any reason I cannot change the engine oil (going synthetic) and do the primary and tranny when the redline arrives?
How do you "degrease" the underside of the scoot? It is pretty dirty from road grime.

 

A jack is not entirely necessary but might make life easier for some things. I have done services without my jack and I just had to be careful with certain things. For example, if you are changing your primary fluid, you might have problems filling it up if the bike is on the jiffy stand because it is leaning and the fluid will want to spill out. A level bike is always easier to work on IMO.

Not sure I what you mean with your second question? If you are going to sythetic I think you can switch to it at any time and you can do all three (engine/primary/transmission) at once and with the same fluid if you are using Harley's Syn3.

I've never had to degrease the underside of my bike so not sure why you would need to do that to yours. Do you just mean that it is dirty? Because I don't believe there should be anything in the form of "greasy dirt" under there if everything is okay. The only time I have to "degrease" is after an engine oil change and I get oil on the bike after removing the oil filter. In that case I just spray the area with a product called Kaboom (yellow spray bottle with brown lable and red lettering) and then hose it off.

Good luck!

 

Just think I will have to change them on different intervals as I have to order Redline with Shockproof and Redline Primary Products, and Mobil 1 V-Twin is available locally.

Guess the bottom is just very grimey. When I have it on the jack I think I will use a degreaser on it to get some of the road grime off the bottom.

 

Gotcha. I almost don't feel comfortable commenting on this but if I had to guess, changing the fluids out within a couple of hundred miles of each other shouldn't be a problem as long as you revert to changing them together on the next go.

I really like the Kaboom spray that I mentioned. I get it at my local Wal-Mart and it is just a good soap spray and not a harsh degreaser like what might come in a spray can. As such I feel safe using it on any surface on my scoot. For example, my springer neck bearings tend ooze grease quite a bit and sometimes it blows onto my denim black fender or tank. A quick spray and rise of this stuff will clean it off prefectly and not screw with the finish on my tins.

 

Engine brite or s100 are good products for grime....you spray them on wait 5 mins. Then hose it off.

 

What I did was about 15 years ago I had a kid, male. I then trained him to change my oil in cars, trucks, Jeeps, and bikes. Now I just sit back and watch. He does have the service manual though...

 

One thing I have learned is, change the oil after you have run it (to full operating temp) Then as soon as it has cooled off enough so you can touch everthing . . . Then change it.
My wife and I both have Heritage's (00 & 03)
These Softails sump, just like the old ones. Last time I changed oil in my wife's
I made the mistake of not running it long enough. Only 2 qts came out of the tank. I put 2.5 qts back in, so i'm thinking .05 qt for the filter etc. When I was done and run it down the freeway & back, it registered full. There was a qt of oil in the engine. My 00 is the same way.

When I change it hot, 3 come out, 3 back in, then I'll ride it 10 mi or so, then top it off if needed, usually a cup or so.

Don't over fill it!!! It will puke oil from the air filter all over you and the bike !!