I'm considering doing the 25k service myself. For those of you with actual experience with this, I'm looking for any tips on the order of events that may help save some time and effort. Ex: Should I check the clutch adjustment before or after adjusting the steering head bearings? Looking for tips like that.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/app-...G/file-16.html

Thanks.

 

I look in the service manual and do the services in the order they list them to do them. I don't know if it really will make any difference. I also look over all the procedures for everything so I don't have to take the same thing apart more than once.

The only other advice I would give is since you have to loosen the fairing, you might as well add to change out the fork oil also even though Harley says do it at 5k miles. Most of us that have done this drained some nasty smelly dirty stuff out of the forks. This I would think will help your forks last longer if you change them out.

Lots of threads on this and I followed the procedures on this forum and not the manuel way, you don't need to remove the forks to change the oil.

 

Review the procedures in the OEM shop manual for anything you're not familiar with before you start. I think you're looking at the fork oil at 30K anyway, may as well do it.

Happy motoring!

 

My routine for any service is to do the fluids first, whether it is simply to check levels or change them. That gets the messy stuff out of the way, then I do any greasing of controls etc.

 

If you haven't bought or fabricated the tool to adjust the steering head bearings I'd suggest you get that squared away before you tear into it.

 

If you can read the manual and you are handy, no problems at all. I did mine on my 13 Ultra before I traded it in. I got all the fluids warmed up by riding about 20 miles and then dropped all the fluids. While the clutch was cooling off to room temp, I took fairing, bags and plastics off. I also bled the brakes.

Outside of what the manual says, I also took the opportunity to check every nut, screw and bolt for correct tightness. I made a copy of torque value table from the manual to make it a little quicker. I also took the opportunity to reapply dielectric grease to the bulbs and some electrical connections.

 

just because the book says to adjust the clutch, doesn't mean you have to. if it's working how you like it, leave it alone. same with the steering. i think i adjusted the bearings on my 85 once.