Fork oil change
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,642
Likes: 6
From: Forest Lake, Mn
HD fork oil comes in two types, "B" and "E".
IF you are a 'suspension' guru, or fanatic, Bel-Ray makes 5w, 7w, 10w, 15w, 20w and 30w.
Heavier the scoot, heavier the earl. Heavier the azz on the saddle, heavier earl. You'll know when you went one grade too heavy, trust me. This is also dependent on air temp, to a degree. Desert dwellers will need a heavier weight, for the 'same' feel as we get with a lighter oil. Make sense???
PLEASE correct me, BUT I believe HDs come with 10w. And their heavy duty is 20w.
I put 20w in the FLH when I rebuilt the forks last winter. Believe I am gonna drop back to 15, or even 10. But I run solo on it, and I are a 'bean pole' as GG says. PLUS I have a hardtail, I don't always 'need' a reminder.
Last edited by Da Gumpmeister; Jan 7, 2009 at 06:04 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 235
Likes: 0
From: NC
BEST to use the # in the manual, vs 'visual'. It 'should' give you two numbers, one 'wet' (say, 7.75 oz)and one 'dry'(say, 8.25 oz). IF it is a drain and fill, that's 'wet'. IF you pull the tubes apart, clean, install new seals, etc, that's 'dry'.
HD fork oil comes in two types, "B" and "E".
IF you are a 'suspension' guru, or fanatic, Bel-Ray makes 5w, 7w, 10w, 15w, 20w and 30w.
Heavier the scoot, heavier the earl. Heavier the azz on the saddle, heavier earl. You'll know when you went one grade too heavy, trust me. This is also dependent on air temp, to a degree. Desert dwellers will need a heavier weight, for the 'same' feel as we get with a lighter oil. Make sense???
PLEASE correct me, BUT I believe HDs come with 10w. And their heavy duty is 20w.
I put 20w in the FLH when I rebuilt the forks last winter. Believe I am gonna drop back to 15, or even 10. But I run solo on it, and I are a 'bean pole' as GG says. PLUS I have a hardtail, I don't always 'need' a reminder.
HD fork oil comes in two types, "B" and "E".
IF you are a 'suspension' guru, or fanatic, Bel-Ray makes 5w, 7w, 10w, 15w, 20w and 30w.
Heavier the scoot, heavier the earl. Heavier the azz on the saddle, heavier earl. You'll know when you went one grade too heavy, trust me. This is also dependent on air temp, to a degree. Desert dwellers will need a heavier weight, for the 'same' feel as we get with a lighter oil. Make sense???
PLEASE correct me, BUT I believe HDs come with 10w. And their heavy duty is 20w.
I put 20w in the FLH when I rebuilt the forks last winter. Believe I am gonna drop back to 15, or even 10. But I run solo on it, and I are a 'bean pole' as GG says. PLUS I have a hardtail, I don't always 'need' a reminder.
I've got an 09' FLHX, I've noticed bottoming out of the shocks when I hit a hard bump. I know Harry has his shock package, which sounds great, but I don't have the mula to make that jump yet. If I up the shock oil to a heavy oil, should that stiffen it up a little to give a little more dampening? I'm not a bean pole, but a buck eighty dressed out...
Just curious in your opinion...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
however, having said that. it won't hurt to do it. my scoot has 25k on it and i just changed the fork oil to the screamin eagle heavy (not the race) and found that it firmed up the front enough to make it a much nicer ride.
am i gonna wait another 50k before i change it again. probably not, its a real easy service to do, so i will probably do it at 25k.
so short answer, if the manual doesn't say to do it, then you don't 'have' to do it. but it won't hurt and you might like the ride better.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,718
Likes: 11
From: Punta Gorda,FL
Tom
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,271
Likes: 29
From: Green Country,Oklahoma
My 05 manuel says 50,000,if it was needed sooner you'd think Harley would be making money off it.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 786
Likes: 1
From: Sheridan, AR
well, i'm gonna go against the grain of most of the folks here. what does your manual say? i know on my 07, it isn't specified for fork oil change until 50k. don't know about the 05. so, i guess what i'm saying is, it's probably a money maker for the dealer, kinda like the service every 2500 miles, when the manual specifies 5000.
however, having said that. it won't hurt to do it. my scoot has 25k on it and i just changed the fork oil to the screamin eagle heavy (not the race) and found that it firmed up the front enough to make it a much nicer ride.
am i gonna wait another 50k before i change it again. probably not, its a real easy service to do, so i will probably do it at 25k.
so short answer, if the manual doesn't say to do it, then you don't 'have' to do it. but it won't hurt and you might like the ride better.
however, having said that. it won't hurt to do it. my scoot has 25k on it and i just changed the fork oil to the screamin eagle heavy (not the race) and found that it firmed up the front enough to make it a much nicer ride.
am i gonna wait another 50k before i change it again. probably not, its a real easy service to do, so i will probably do it at 25k.
so short answer, if the manual doesn't say to do it, then you don't 'have' to do it. but it won't hurt and you might like the ride better.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,265
Likes: 99
From: Northern VA