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this was last friday and saturday moriing. i bought my 14 limited two years ago on dec 8th well almost two years. it had 2500 miles on it. has 54,000 on it now. i had recently done the 50,000mi svc on it but just got around to changing fork oil. on my 2010 road king i could do it in less than an hour. not so on the rushmore bikes. no drain plug and even if there was, you can't get on the fork tube cap nut without droping fork down out of top tree. i had no socket for the cap nut, a 3/4 in. allen head so made one by welding the nut on a half inch bolt. you just have to remove the brakes, fender, outer fairing, and wheel in order to drain and change fluid. seals were not leaking so i didnlt have to replace them, hope i'm not sorry. i then had to make a fork tube holding tool in order the compress the spring and re install the cap nut, not enough room to do that by clamping with lower tree. i got her all back together was installing last two pieces. i had taken the **** off the switch with it in fork lock and had to use a screw driver to get switch out of fork lock position, i got the tumblers misalighned by changing the switch positions with a screw driver. didn't have a switch alighnment tool either so i found a piece of 3/16th brake line, squeezed it flat on one end and realigned the tumblers to reassemble the switch. i love the ride of the 49mm forks on the rushmore bike and they hold twice the hydraulic fluid as my old road king. but i will wait another 50,000 miles to change it again if the seals don't leak.
Ordered a custom seat from California, should be here Friday. Taking my 17 SGSpecial to the HD Dealership this morning at 1000 to have a stage I kit. Ordered Paul Yaffe 10" mini apes and new grips. After I get this stuff taken care of, I will, once again, measure for a replacement windscreen to get me out of the wind a bit more. Been researching all this stuff for awhile and finally figured out all the parts that I believe will work best, for my stature. Started w/ the windscreen, measured wrong had to send back and it thankfully, only the return shipping was my loss. The company didn't charge me the 20% restocking fee. I like to have dropped my teeth when they told me the cost of the exhaust system. I couldn't get out of the dealership fast enough. However, after nearly getting hit by a vehicle, since they couldn't hear me, lost performance when I installed my lowers. Blocked the air flow into the original air breather, then dodging deer while I ride between Oklahoma/Arkansas on the weekends. I decided, enough is enough. So, to the shop I go. The cost doesn't bother me as it once did since I will be gaining many more things other than just the sound changed. Seat/handlebars are just to get the bike "dialed in" for my stature. The next thing I will have to look into is upgrading my headlight, since I do a lot of riding at night. Don't know anything about what to look for in a headlamp. All I hear about is "Daymaker. Daymaker". I would appreciate any input of the head lamp subject. Not sure if any LED light will work or if the Daymaker is the best quality. Any ideas are more than welcome.
hey velred. i live in s.e kansas and have the same deer problem as you. i have the daymakers on mine and i feel much safer riding after dark. they through the light out there distance wise like i have never seen, a good white light. for the deer problem they really light the ditches as well. you can see them starting to cross well before they get to the road. they are really awesone and i think the will prevent many deer strikes.
this was last friday and saturday moriing. i bought my 14 limited two years ago on dec 8th well almost two years. it had 2500 miles on it. has 54,000 on it now. i had recently done the 50,000mi svc on it but just got around to changing fork oil. on my 2010 road king i could do it in less than an hour. not so on the rushmore bikes. no drain plug and even if there was, you can't get on the fork tube cap nut without droping fork down out of top tree. i had no socket for the cap nut, a 3/4 in. allen head so made one by welding the nut on a half inch bolt. you just have to remove the brakes, fender, outer fairing, and wheel in order to drain and change fluid. seals were not leaking so i didnlt have to replace them, hope i'm not sorry. i then had to make a fork tube holding tool in order the compress the spring and re install the cap nut, not enough room to do that by clamping with lower tree. i got her all back together was installing last two pieces. i had taken the **** off the switch with it in fork lock and had to use a screw driver to get switch out of fork lock position, i got the tumblers misalighned by changing the switch positions with a screw driver. didn't have a switch alighnment tool either so i found a piece of 3/16th brake line, squeezed it flat on one end and realigned the tumblers to reassemble the switch. i love the ride of the 49mm forks on the rushmore bike and they hold twice the hydraulic fluid as my old road king. but i will wait another 50,000 miles to change it again if the seals don't leak.
Good thing that MoCo doesn't recommend changing the fork oil every 5000 miles... I appreciate your perseverance on a job well done. tp
Bought some CVO replica saddlebag lowers, installed hog liners carpet with false bottom and also added chrome glow super-z amp'd led strips that act as run turn brake. They strobe 3 times for braking to get attention of drivers behind you. Already been bumped from behind at low speed.
Nothing special today just installed a Battery Tender and a USB charging setup ran to the front end to keep the phone charged instead of using a powerbank like I've been doing.
Thanks TommyTailSpin for the info. I just learned, at the HD Dealership, while getting my exhaust system swapped out, they actually make replacement turn signals that are LED that also offer more light in front. I was looking at possibly adding the two extra lights on both sides of the headlamp but obviously that is a lot of $ and I hadn't found the exact look I cared for to spend that kind of $. I was told its about $90 for both LED turn signals that replace the original. When riding, the outside ring of LED lights are white, then when you activate your signal, they go out and the cluster in the middle of the signal, light up w/the yellow LED lights. He told me the white lights also send out some extra light that help with seeing at night. It not as good as the larger LED lights next to the headlight but much better that just the LED headlamp by itself. I'm thinking about going this direction. Also, If I do add the two adjacent LED lights, I believe these LED signals will work with them as well.
I just had a complete exhaust swap on my 17 SGS. It helped bring back the "pep" I lost when I installed my lowers but not at all happy with the sound. I walked around with the HD Shop Manager, listening to customers bikes and found exactly what I was looking for in an exhaust. I had the exact same thing put on my bike and was very disappointed in the sound. I should actually say, the sound "level". The tone and sound is great, it just needs to be turned up more on the volume. My first thought was I just need to get some miles on the new system but I believe I may have been listening to a bike w/out the baffles installed. I attempted to remove my baffles but they wouldn't give. I'll try again over the evening/weekend to try and get them out. My whole plan to have the surrounding vehicles/deer fell apart on my at this point. Hope the baffles don't fight me in trying to get them out.
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If you like the sound/tone I would hold off on ripping out the baffles. You will probably get more volume, but also change that sound and tone you like -- and likely diminish performance.
My monster ovals have gotten louder with time (though still not loud by many standards). Yours probably will too.
Well I certainly have other things to do. Lord willing, I may get to retire this spring and I'm trying to get the bike in order. I'm still working on get my bike "dialed" in to accommodate my stature. Didn't know about this stuff. Always before I changed stuff out to look good but now I'm shooting for comfort in the saddle. Received my grips, seat will be in this afternoon, handlebars in Monday. Need to figure out which Headlamp. Probably the Daymaker. Planning on zigzagging to California to see family. Up to Seattle, down to more family in Colorado then back to Oklahoma. It just made me sick when I heard the bike after all the parts, time, money going into trying to get some sound out of the M8. I do hope they get louder than they are. It is what it is, I guess. Thanks for the info. I can always do nothing. At times, I've mastered that art. Thanks AtticusFinch
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fork oil change
