In July I bought a 2007 Ultra classic with 4700 miles on it. The bike came with the balance of a 5 year extended warranty which successfully transferred to me. I took it to one of our two local dealers for an oil change and then the 5k service. The 5k service happened at 6500 miles due to a 3 week wait for an appointment. I took it to the dealer because I wanted to establish a relationship with them in case of any future warranty issues. I figured they'll be more happy to help a known customer than some guy off the street.

Now comes the fun part: I'm a fairly competent backyard mechanic so I decide to do the 10k service myself. The bike currently has 9600 miles on it and it's too nasty to ride today plus my rear tire is getting pretty bad! I have a service manual and pleny of tools so the work isn't too difficult. Anyway, I discover the transmission filler cap/dipstick is very loose, like probably two turns out on the threads. With the bike level on the jack the fluid level is at the "fill" mark. That means with the bike on the side stand like it's supposed to be checked the level would probably be off the stick.

I decided to drain and replace the fluid to be safe. I didn't measure the amount I removed, just drained it into the pan with the primary lube. Wish I had measured it, though (hindsight is usually 20-20).

In 3 1/2 months I put 5000 miles on the bike, but I'm not what you'd call a "hard" rider. I assume (dangerous?) that the tranny fluid level was correct when the 5k service was done 3100 miles ago. It was probably half full when I changed it. I never had any oil spots on the floor or noticed any leakage, but the missing tranny fluid had to go somewhere!

Tomorrow I will call the service manager at the dealer & let him know what happened, but there's no proof they screwed up since I already changed the fluid & tightened the filler cap. His response will determine whether I go to the other (closer) dealer for future work.

Here's my question: How likely is it that the transmission was damaged by the low fluid level? I didn't notice any performance issues but recently the 5th gear whine seemed to be louder than usual, though it's difficult to be sure. I haven't ridden the bike since the I changed the fluid so I don't know if it will be quiter now. That will have to wait until the new rear tire comes in later this week, I hope.

Should I try to get the dealer to inspect the gears for unusual wear, or just be glad I've got warranty coverage until October of 2011?

Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

How did the magnet look as far as metal. Normally it should just be a light coating of dust. If it's normal looking , ride on and don't give it a second thought. I usually drain my trans oil through a paint strainer to see what comes out in case there are other things in there not stuck to the magnet. First change got none metal debri of some sort but nothing since. I would think 1/2 the required oil would still provide adiquate lubrication , but the magnet will tell the story.
Ron

 

The magnet looked OK. Some thick sludge but no grit or obvious metal particles. In fact it looked exactly like the crap on the primary plug. I guess that's probably a good thing since the primary was filled to the correct level.

Thanks for the reply!

 

I would ride it and forget about the low level, most likely no damage was done with no more miles than you have on it.

 

Doesn't sound to me like it was very low at all. Tranny (at least on my FXD) is spose to checked while level. Only engine oil is checked on jiffy stand. Do you have a service manual? I always add per the manual then verify by dipstick.

 

My '07 service manual and the owner's manual say to check trans while on the jiffy stand, just like the oil. I understand some years/models are checked while level.