When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The service interval on my old softail said to change the fork oil every 20,000 miles. So with out looking at the manual on my new bike, an 08 RKC, I bought some fork oil to change it now that it has 25,000 miles.
After looking at the manual, I found that 1. the service interval is 50,000 miles and 2. that it requires disassembly of the forks to change the oil. Glad I looked at the manual before I started.
Why do they require disassembly just to change the fork oil?
There is a drain plug on the forks like my old softail. You can't just drain and refill?
Will the oil make it 50,000? The fork oil in my softail was pretty nasty at 20,000 when I changed it.
The reason for complete dis-assembly is because they are a carrtridge type design...
If you were to remove the drain screw, you would never get the correct amount in or out, as the amount must be measured by a specific distance, vice a volume in ounces....
The stock fork oil is okay, but if you feel the need, as you are getting an excessive jounce or diminished rebound ability, switch to the SE fork oil... It's less expensive than the B or E type, and works better...
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.