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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
I am an ASE Master technician, so I'm comfortable with my skills, but I work on cars and am not intimately familiar with Harley motors. Just nuts and bolts in the end though...
However, sometimes Life makes the decision easier. My fridge took a crap last night, and now the wife wants all new appliances. I would like to throw my dealer the work and foster that relationship, but gotta save where I can. I'll get the supplies from the dealer...
I've got the manual and the tools. Anything that doesn't jump out at me at the 1K is likely to show up in my 4 year warranty period, especially with good record keeping and regular care and maintenance.
1k at dealership and the rest you can do yourself.
I cant speak for every tech but I follow a checklist and initial every step. More than just changing oil.
I had the dealer do my 1K service for the reasons mentioned. I am doing the rest of them myself. If you have the service manual you can do all the service maintenance yourself.
For tires or drive train work I take it to someone who has the proper equipment and knowledge.
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.