When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
No, you need to slide the fork out of the triple tree to unscrew the fork cap off (careful as spring is under slight load). You can drain the old oil out from the top if you want (move the whole length of the stroke several times to drain the dampers).
As far as I know stock type E oil is 10 weight, but 15 weight will improve damping and diving under braking (even on stock springs).
This from the manual regarding oil volumes:
Don't know if you've done the work yet but support the front end of the bike under the frame with the tubes fully extended. I had a friend ask to use my shop to "change the front fork oil". He said he knew what he was doing so I went in the house. A while later I heard a big crash, you guessed it, he took the fork caps off without the supporting the frame and the springs and a large amount of oil came shooting out when the forks collapsed and the front end dropped. Must have been a bear to turn the fork caps out with all that pressure on them but he managed.... Good luck on your project.
Before going to Progressive monotube cartridges, I ran the Progressive springs, and used 15w oil (Screamin Eagle brand). Was a huge improvement over stock, and the monotube cartridges have been a big step up from that setup.
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.
Progressive fork spring installation
