Hey everyone! I haven't been on here in a while but I'm wondering if what all I should be checking on my Harley before I take hr out for the first spin in 2 months?
Even though the last time I took her out everything was smooth should I still check my transmission & forks oil levels? I'm just following a step by step guide from 2 manuals I have but I worry about little details that go unmentioned or if my book is just trying to shove H-D products down my throat
Can I use my regular 20W50 oil for my tranny or should I get part no. 99892-84?
Just bits of advice on what to check, how to check it & when would be greatly appreciated. I used to get all my work done at the shop(tune ups, oil changes, all the simple stuff) now I want to slowly start working on it my self with basics. Like properly checking basics, oil change, & just looking for natural wear that can occur during storage.
Any help or advice will be very appreciated just trying to get off to a good start. I want to start taking care of my baby myself. I've put 23,000 miles on here in 3 years without leaving my state & being pretty broke. This year I'm looking to take some trips but not until I get some basics down on case i run into trouble on the road.

 

Hello. Just wanted to chime in and say there is never a wrong time to check fluids. Even if theres no leaks. Check and check often. Oils and lubes are a funny thing. Eveyone and their mother has an opinion. I run a mix of Harley primary/tranny fluid in my tranny but thats just me. I mix 1/2 a bottle with 5 oz each of Lucas Oil Stabilizer and Mobil 1 gear Lube. Thats the combo I like, it works and I think shifting improves over any other combo I tried. Million other cocktails, thats mine. Check and change as often as you like. The only hard and fast rule we all seem to live by is: Don't blow it off....do it.

 

Well, you probably don't need to check your fork oil......
Gear oil works best for transmission gears.
If it was fine two months ago, and it's not on the floor where the bike's been sitting, it's probably still fine.

 

Changing fork oil is always a good thing and especially easy on a bike with air ride front end like yours - it's a 10 minute job and I've found it always improves the ride. I do mine once a year regardless of whether that's at 5000 miles of 25,000 miles.

You'll find opinions vary greatly concerning lube, but I'll throw mine in the ring... Type E fork oil from HD only. It only takes a pint. ATF will work, but seems type E rides a little better. "Performance" fork oil is generally too heavy for the air ride. Gear oil only in the transmission, synthetic or semi-synthetic. Primary fluid in the primary. You have to get it aftermarket since HD doesn't offer it anymore. Hydraulic fluid is the next best alternate (Type R&O if you can get small amount at a farm supply) or ATF will work just fine - I've used all of them with satisfaction. Definitely NO gear oil in the primary.

There is a magnet on the drain plugs for the trans and primary. Trans should have no more than a tiny bit of fuzz each change and the primary will usually have a lot more. It's just an individual bike personality thing as to how much is normal or abnormal to find on the magnets.

And as mentioned - there's no bad time to check fluids... except engine oil maybe. If it's sit for a while and looks a little low, don't add any until it's been run several miles. The warmer oil will expand and the tank level will often rise after it's been run. Check tire pressures often also (when cold), for saftey and longer life. 36 front, 40 rear if you're running stock tires.

 

I had not ridden mine for a couple of months, but got it out the last couple of days as the temps got to 50 deg. I just checked the battery voltage, and the tire pressure, cranked her up, and away I went. Upon startup, there was no lifter clatter, and no oil blowing out anywhere. I did let it warm up for probably 5 minutes before riding. It was great to be able to ride again. We have had lots of snow and very cold temps this winter, so being a "wimp" I have not ridden till now. My last ride before the weather got bad was on a toy run. The 10 day forecast does not look to good, so glad I was able to get my baby out.
So, if it was running well when you put it away, just check the tires and go. Just let her warm for awhile before you ride.
On the first startup on mine, besides using full enrichener, I pumped the throttle several times to get her primed. After letting it run for about a minute, I cut the enrichener back to about a 4th, and set the throttle tension for a moderate idle to warm. Man; Drag pipes are loud when its cold. Sure sound pretty though.

 

Good posts here.

ALWAYS check your tire pressure before you ride - esp after it's been sitting for two months! If mine's been sitting for a week or more I will check the tire pressure. Takes only a couple of minutes and can save your life - you don't want to be riding on low tires! And keep an eye on your remaining tire tread - Dunlops can get pretty squirrely when your tread is worn, but they last longer than Metzelers or Avons because the rubber is harder. I run Metzeler ME880s and I really like them. Don't ever skimp on tires, and don't let them run till there's hardly any tread left - they are the only contact point between your 800 lb bike and you, and the road - and you need the best contact you can get!

My bike has the newer style oil pan under the engine, and the dipstick has cold and hot levels on it - so I check it cold... but follow the others' advice here for your bike, since you have an oil tank. Never hurts to check your tranny and primary fluids too - but frankly I don't check it them very often - it doesn't get used up like engine oil does. Unless you have leaks, there really isn't anywhere for the tranny and primary fluids to go. I check the tranny fluid every 1000 miles or so, and the primary far less often - maybe once every 2500 miles or so, if that. I've never had to top either one off between the normal 5000 mile fluid changes.

I used to run AMSoil MCV 20W-50 in all three holes, but I have recently switched to Mobil 1 syn 75W-140 gear lube in the tranny - makes it quieter and smoother - and Mobil 1 syn ATF in the primary because I was having trouble finding neutral with the bike running. The 20W-50 seems to be too thick for the wet clutch to deal with. Primary fluid is mostly for cooling the wet clutch and just keeping the primary chain from rusting anyway - not "lubrication" per se - and if it's too thick, the clutch will tend to try to spin a little even when it's disengaged. The much thinner syn ATF seems to make the clutch free up better.

Good advice from Jim about how to warm it up properly. I let mine run with the enrichener out until it can run without it. I usually set the throttle lock at about 1500-1700 RPM and back out the enrichener slowly until the bike keeps running without it... my bike usually takes a good 3-5 minutes when it's cold. Don't be tempted blip the throttle at all until the heads are warm to the touch. Then she'll be ready to ride.

Also, once a month or so, and after long rides, you should go over all bolts and snug them up if needed. Rubber-mount Hogs tend to loosen them up! Check air in your air shocks and in your air forks occasionally to make sure the pressure in them is correct. I usually keep 15-20 lbs in the shocks and about that in the forks too - it makes the ride better on my bike and removes sloppiness and bottoming out. I like a firm ride, and my cushy Mustang seat makes it comfortable!

Check the grease fitting on the fork bearings every 5000 miles or so, and keep them full of grease, if you have one - your year may not have one... I don't remember when they started putting them on. I agree about using the H-D E fork oil and changing it once a year - but once you have it in, it's there. I've never had any fork oil leak out... if you do, you will need to replace your fork seals, which is a real PITA because you have to take off the front wheel and the fork lowers to change out the seal. That's just pure drudgery!

Good luck with your FLHS. I have a soft spot for those because Big Bertha, my 1995 FLHTP Police E-Glide, was the very last year with that big "toaster dash" up front. Some say it's ugly but I say it's cool looking - look like a locomotive to me! The FLHS was discontinued in '93 but they kept using it on the Police E-glides with windshields through '95. In '96, the FLHRP Road King Police replaced it for the Police bikes with a windshield, and it was gone forever...

BTW, if you ever need a replacement FLHS windshield, Cee Bailey makes custom, aircraft-quality, thicker Lucite ones for like $120. I have a 2" over-stock width one on Bertha in my sig pic. I got it because my old stock Lexan windshield was so stratched and pitted, I could barely see through it when the sun was in front of me, and you can't polish scratches out of Lexan like you can Lucite. The new Cee Bailey one is a light smoke color as well, which I really like.

Sorry for this dissertation, but it's a cold and rainy Sunday morning here in north Georgia, and I'm out of new stuff to install on Bertha! Nothing to do but type!

 

wow I'm glad no one treated me like an idiot. haha i have expected to be treated that way for some reason. Anyways thanks a lot guys for all the detailed advice. I just pulled off my saddle bag & oil tank cover to charge my battery(i have 2 just to be safe or if i don't want to wait for one to charge). I just checked my spark plugs & now I'm going to check my fluids after I let her run for 5 mins or so. It is 48 degrees here today so i want to take her out if everything checks out. Oh that is another question I wanted to ask b/c when ever I stop by my dad nags me(i keep my harley in his garage with his 82) about starting her in cold weather. 40-50 degrees, is that safe weather to start my bike? I know my book says my oil is good for riding weather between 20-100 degrees & starts well below 50 so I assumed it's not an issue to run in colder weather. I ask b/c I do this a lot, I always let her warm up first but this is the first year I haven't rode at least once a month. I can't stand being away from my bike but anyways thanks to you guys I have a much better idea of how to take care of her.
Sorry if i rambled guys but I can't tell you how excited I am to even check the fluids let alone take Bonnet out for a ride!

 

Oh yeah also try to remember before you response(so it's not too harsh) but I thought I wasn't supposed to use synthetic oil for anything on my year of a bike. I added this b/c I will most likely need to add or change my primary & tranny oil b/c I have a very minor leak I haven't been able to locate yet. I want to make sure I get the best in it. I talked to my uncle about it(he's been building Harley's for years) he said if i'm not losing much oil just check it every time i ride until i got the money to have it fixed or do it myself.

 

Thing about Evos is they expand greatly when warmed up and are "shrunk" when cold. Any temp is safe as long as there is no load put on it until it has time to get some heat into it. Most common problem is cylinder base gaskets leaks when they are cold and get revved up too high. That's not to say start them and let them idle too long, just go easy on the throttle and keep RPMs low until the oil is warmed up to say, at least 100 (when rolling). 75-80 degree day that isn't long, a 40 degree day takes mine about 10 miles of 35-55 mph before I feel it's ready for a throttle blast.

Your Dad's probably cautioning against starting them up, revving for 2-3 minutes then shutting them off. That's not good in warm weather but much worse in cold. "Rule of thumb" is don't start them unless you gonna ride them at least enough to get it up to operating temps... Have a great ride

 

Thanks a lot I appreciate it. I always set my enricher almost all the way up, like a fraction of an inch. Then less than half a twist from my wrist for a tiny bit of gas(scared of fouling out the plugs) finally I start her & set the throttle lock just enough so she doesn't die out. She usually takes 2-6 minutes(depending on the temperature outside) to warm up while i slowly close the enricher...she idles on her own. I throw my gear on & take off!!!! I just wanted to check for responses real quick. I'm gonna check everything then take her for a short ride to get some of the fore-mentioned fork oil, tranny fluid, & I need more 20W50 for my bike only have a quart left.
Well thanks a lot to everyone that posted. I'm taking it one step at a time but I want to be tinkering with my bike, changing all the fluids since I think they might of over looked this stuff at the dealer b/c there are no notes of it on my invoice. I just want to slowly learn to take care of my Harley on my own. Thanks again!!!!!!!