Hi all. I'm a new member who purchased this FXDC with 13,433 miles on it about a week ago from a dealership. I've since put about 200 miles on it and just had some general questions. So far, it's been a good first Harley for me. Rides great (a little stiff at times) and brakes okay. I really have no complaints.

1) The dealership put a new front tire on it and said they did an oil change and a front and rear brake line flush. Should I still change the oil at 15,000 miles, or add 5,000 to their 13,433 mileage? I'm thinking I should still have the bike checked over at 15k anyway?

2) I only ride about 2,000 miles/yr because of family commitments. Should I change the fluids sooner than 5,000 miles?

3) What kind of mileage can one expect to see out of stock tires?

4) The book says not to use any kind of battery maintainer. Is that correct? I've used one on all my bikes in the past. They were smart maintainers that only applied current when needed.

5) Good practice to bring the battery inside over winter?

6) Should I buy a jack to get the bike up off the floor over winter? The bike will be kept in an unheated garage.

7) The old cam tensioner issue...I've been told 06' was the last year that was a problem. Is there anything I still need to look out for in that area? Should anything be replaced at a certain mileage?

8) In the pic below you can see black soot on the inside of the tailpipes. Not knowing anything about Harley's, I was a little concerned but was told it shouldn't indicate a problem unless it's wet. I ran my fingernail over it and it was dry and came off easily. It was more of a hard deposit than something that would smudge with my finger. Just wondering if that's normal given the age and mileage of the bike. The engine sounds fine and I can't hear any misfiring.

9) Anything else I should keep an eye out for on this year and model?

Thanks!

 

Nice looking bike. Welcome.

 

Change the engine oil every year unless you never (not one single time) start it. Do the other fluids on the normal schedule. Do all the 15K items when you get there. Then, you'll be on a predictable schedule.

I charge the battery with a smart charger every month or so in the winter. Cold temps won't bother it if it's just sitting. I don't like leaving battery chargers unattended for long periods of time.

Unleaded gas leaves black soot. No worries.

Tire life depends on a lot of things. I'd replace any tire if it's more than 5 or 6 years old. (Learn to read the date codes.) Figure somewhere around 4-5000 miles for the back and 8-10,000 for the front. YMMV...

Buy a jack if you want to work on the bike, otherwise, pump the tires up to their max pressure and leave it for the winter. Shim the side stand to get it close to vertical and reduce the side pressure on the tires.

 

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

 

I have a 2011 FXDC. I think the post 06 96 inch motors are some of the best of the modern era motors. Just my .02 cents worth. Mine has been totally reliable and I have put a hotter cam and a pipe on it.

Change your oil every year. Before you park it for the winter change all of the fluids, oil, trans and primary. Right now I'd get a good pair of iridium plugs and replace those too.

You should go over the bike and check the bolts that come loose.
If you are going to get a jack/lift there are sort of two ways to go. I got a front wheel t stand from harbor freight. With that and a bottle jack you can do 90% of what you will need to do. You can get a less expensive lift but it is a little scary to fully lift one with both wheels off the ground with one of those. Or you can get a pretty expensive, around $500 that will fully lift it off the ground and be reasonably stable.

Harley makes a set of three lift blocks that you can put on the frame so that it has four places to lift the bike from, get under it and you can see the odd piece they put on the back left part of the frame under the motor. Some folks just use wood blocks.

Front tire life depends on the tire brand and model and how you ride. At the miles you are putting on the bike it will be old (5 years) before it wears out. You might check the age of your rear tire too. If its more than 5 years old you may want to replace it. Just a safety thing with me.

Generally just ride it and do the maintenance you need to do over time to get more and more familiar with the bike.

 

Thank you.