This job is not as hard as it may seem. Just did this on my 2015 RGS120ST.... The batwings bike teardown is a bit more involved but not that bad.... just gotta get the inner faring rocked forward or removed ( best practice since the fork tubes are coming off.

The only SPECIAL tools you need that most will not have laying around:




Motion Pro 08-0494 Seal Driver
( You can make your own from modified 2" PVC )

12mm allen socket (about 3" long allen )
19mm allen socket

( Both of these allen sockets are about $35, but you can make your own by cutting up regular allens and a 3/4" is the same as 19mm )

Pick up some new fork seals ( 46514-01A ) and 2 brass crush washers ( 46615-06 ) for 12mm allen in the bottom of the slider

HD calls for 24oz of fork oil IN EACH TUBE to get the proper measurement at the end... this is (3) 16oz bottles ( upgrade to HEAVY WEIGHT oil )





There is not much to taking apart the front end at all.

Remove the Fender, Calipers, and Front Wheel
Remove the ignition switch cover and ignition
Remove gauge cluster bezel, unplug and remove the rear gauge bezel by splitting

At this point you want break loose the 12mm allen bolts in the bottom of the fork tubes... DONT REMOVE THEM, you just want to get them off the torque setting so you can remove later.

Now... one side at a time... loosen the top pinch bolt at the triple.
loosen one lower pinch bolt, then holding the fork assy, loosen the other lower pinch bolt and slide the fork assy down far enuf to get the 19mm ( or 3/4" ) allen socket on the top fork tube nut. Re-Clamp the tube using a lower pinch bolt to hold it steady and from rotating.
BREAK THE Tube end cap LOOSE... DO NOT REMOVE it. I found a 12" extension works great to get down in there without hassle and no need to remove your bars.



Holding the fork assy again.... loosen the lower pinch bolt and slide the fork assy from the triple...
( repeat for the other side )

At this point, put a soft pad on the floor to stand your fork assy up as you apply pressure to the fork end cap to remove it.. it's UNDER PRESSURE... so keep a good hold of it with control and downward pressure as you unscrew it.

Remove the spring spacer, washer and spring and drain the tube... pump it a few times to get most of the fork oil out.

Move to the bench and pad it with a clean towel to lay it horizontal.
re-insert the spring and spacer and apply hand pressure.. this will allow you to remove the 12mm allen on the bottom of the slider.

Once the bolt is out, remove the space and spring and tilt the fork assy to slide the damper tube and damper spring out.

Remove the spring clip that retains the seal in the top of the slider... VERY EASY to remove with the small flatblade screwdriver.

Using the fork tube as a slide hammer against the seal, remove the seal and separate the fork tube from the slider.

Tip the slider upside down and remove the oil lock piece

Clean it all up, inspect your parts ( replace as necessary ) and swap in the new sliders following reverse order.

Use a piece of masking tape around the top of the fork tube ( folding over about 1/2" inside the tube ) to install new seal on the fork tube. This will prevent nicking the new seal.

There are some steps for re-assembly that I won't go into as this point since I am providing a link below to a manual.

THERE IS NO EXACT FLUID MEASUREMENT GIVEN for the 2014-2016's... you can get close my measuring what you drain, but best to use the Fork Oil Level Tool following the procedure in the manual.

2014-2016 Touring bikes all have 49MM forks, so here is a link to an online manual ( 2014 Touring ) to obtain specific step-by-step instructions and torque specs....

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...-boTYbzMI/edit

Took me about 3 hours total... GOOD LUCK!





If you are a VISUAL type person that needs to SEE things to better understand... this YouTube video series ( 3 parts ) will give you a good understanding on the teardown and rebuild of the fork assy.

 

Will be doing this soon to complete the blackout phase of my SG build. Thanks for sharing.

 

I just used a shock bolt upside down with a vice grip to loosen caps 0$ had one laying around from a lowering kit.

 

thanks for the great write-up.

 

Yeah... that works...

1/2" x 13 bolts have a 3/4" hex head.... so you can jam a couple nuts onto it and use it just like an allen wrench.

 

Your link was removed...can you just quickly tell the process for reinstalling the front wheel? Torque specs and install sequence?

 

Cannot imagine pulling the front forks apart without installing one of the premium cartridge kits on the market. The improvement is dramatic! I went with the new Legend AXEO front suspension kit. IMHO, you will be happier installing the upgraded suspension over chrome lowers, if budget is a concern. From what I am reading the new Ohlin front end kit is the very best, if money is no object.

 

From what I am reading the new Ohlin front end kit is the very best, if money is no object.[/QUOTE]


Yea, I'm changing my rear shocks to Ohlins and putting off any cosmetic changes until the fronts have Ohlins.

 

I first removed the fender, then the calipers.

Loosen the axle nut, then loosen the pinch bolt on the fork.

Slide axle out slow while supporting the wheel.

Pay attention to the ABS sensor and the wheel spacer on the opposite side.


When reinstalling, align the wheel in the forks and start axle thru fork and spacer... work xle thru wheel and align the ABS sensor and seat axle.

Install axle washer and nut... using a prybar of sorts thru the axle, hold it steady and tighten axle nut to 70-75 ftlbs

tighten pinch bolt to 18-22 ftlbs

install calipers and torque to 28-38 ftlbs

Install fender ... there is a torque setting, but I snug them up....

 

The BIGGEST improvement to the ride was switching to HEAVY fork oil. I couldn't believe the difference...

Now... I NEVER have ridden a bagger with an upgraded suspension, so the only comparison I have right now is stock oil vs SE Heavy and its a HUGE improvement.