Changed fork oil
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,802
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, UT. Dushore, Pa.
Just did mine and if you follow the manual to remove the ignition then the forks are locked and you need a special tool. After doing some more searching on here found a thread that said that forks don't have to be locked. Thanks to whoever had that thread as I'm tired of searching but just thought I'd mention this again, may save some time for those that didn't realize it. I think I'll like it but all it does in the desert is rain so no test drive yet.
EDIT: I got a short 100 mile ride in between rain storms and really like the stiffer front end. I had some Type E left over so I used 2.8 maybe 3 oz of it and 8 oz of the SE Heavy and what a difference when braking and in the curves when you hit a bounce. Thanks again to all those that have threads on this.
EDIT: I got a short 100 mile ride in between rain storms and really like the stiffer front end. I had some Type E left over so I used 2.8 maybe 3 oz of it and 8 oz of the SE Heavy and what a difference when braking and in the curves when you hit a bounce. Thanks again to all those that have threads on this.
Last edited by gmc; Jun 14, 2009 at 06:28 PM.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,466
Likes: 5
From: Alabama
yep, that's what I do. I don't lock the forks. Another tip is to take the switch out and get the inner fairing cap off, then put the switch back and do what ever you need to do. Then you don't have to worry about getting the switch out of alignment and it only takes a couple minutes to put the switch on and take it back off, and it saves a lot of aggravation of trying to align the switch back.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
If you lock the forks as per the manual you will play hell trying to get the insert cap removed or moved to a spot where you can work. In the locked position the handlebars won't budge and there's very little room.
I've done it the way Mathews2 said--replacing the ****, spacers, and spring--but be very careful to get all the various parts under the switch **** back in their original position, as if you don't you may get the tumblers all out of whack like I did once. Getting them back in whack is much harder and you don't want to go there. I would advise just keeping it unlocked from the get-go, as then you can move the handlebars at will.
I've done it the way Mathews2 said--replacing the ****, spacers, and spring--but be very careful to get all the various parts under the switch **** back in their original position, as if you don't you may get the tumblers all out of whack like I did once. Getting them back in whack is much harder and you don't want to go there. I would advise just keeping it unlocked from the get-go, as then you can move the handlebars at will.
Last edited by iclick; Jun 13, 2009 at 10:38 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,374
Likes: 20
From: Felton Calif
I changed my fork oil about 6 mounths ago using Iclick instructions. Thanks iclick.
just to add a few things. The Harley 36 mm flat wench works real good on the caps,
If you jack the front wheel just of the ground the forks will fill without any pumping.
If you use a hose on your funnel that is a smaller dia. than the forks it will allow air to
escape and the oil will flow right in.
just to add a few things. The Harley 36 mm flat wench works real good on the caps,
If you jack the front wheel just of the ground the forks will fill without any pumping.
If you use a hose on your funnel that is a smaller dia. than the forks it will allow air to
escape and the oil will flow right in.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 30,875
Likes: 32,934
From: King George, VA
I recently changed the oil in my 06 RG at about 27K miles. Yeah, there was different colors in the oil as it flowed out. The cap to the forks is under spring pressure, so ya need to be carefull when removing it. Keep in mind that there is one cap that hold the forks in the triple tree and then a second that holds the spring down inside.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 4
From: Oklahoma
I recently changed the oil in my 06 RG at about 27K miles. Yeah, there was different colors in the oil as it flowed out. The cap to the forks is under spring pressure, so ya need to be carefull when removing it. Keep in mind that there is one cap that hold the forks in the triple tree and then a second that holds the spring down inside.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 400
Likes: 0
From: S.E. Michigan
iclick................ you have been a great help to a lot of riders here including myself, I print out your suggestions and save them in my service manual, I really appreciate the many short cuts you come up with, and every one of them has worked very well for me. Thank YOU TIm
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
iclick................ you have been a great help to a lot of riders here including myself, I print out your suggestions and save them in my service manual, I really appreciate the many short cuts you come up with, and every one of them has worked very well for me. Thank YOU TIm
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 832
Likes: 6
From: Vermont
I changed the fork oil at 20,000 miles using Iclick's instructions. Thanks, Iclick - very easy way to get it done. I refilled using SE Heavy. The only thing I did in addition was to flush each tube with a little new oil before refilling and I installed new quad seals on the fork caps. I probably could have flipped the old seals and reused them but I had the new ones on hand so what the heck.
The last time it was done was with about 1000 miles on the Odo when the chrome forks went on. I collected and measured the oil that drained out - 10.8 oz give or take - and put the same amount in. The used oil didn't look that bad but had some fine suspended particulate in it.
I spent at least a half hour fishing inside the ignition with a screwdriver trying to get the tumblers realigned. I took the switch out in the 12 o'clock position but I think I messed myself up by turning the forks many times with the ignition switch out. Once I got the forks locked again, the puzzle was solved. To get it locked, I dropped the switch without the spring and spacer thingies until it bottomed on a tumbler and rotated the switch until it dropped past it. Once the switch was all the way down, I used it to fish for the tumbler that locked the fork. Then I lifted the switch out, rotating it to get it past the other misaligned tumbler(s) and used the screwdriver to realign the upper one(s). When I got the switch to install straight through in the fork lock position, I was finally in Fat City. This is the second time I've been down this road. Maybe the third attempt at removing and installing the ignition switch will be a charm.
I'm impressed with the improved response using the SE Heavy. The suspension feels more taut without that buckboard ride feeling. The front end performance is much better both solo and two up.
Thanks again, Iclick, for your great instructions that I have copied and inserted in the service manual.
The last time it was done was with about 1000 miles on the Odo when the chrome forks went on. I collected and measured the oil that drained out - 10.8 oz give or take - and put the same amount in. The used oil didn't look that bad but had some fine suspended particulate in it.
I spent at least a half hour fishing inside the ignition with a screwdriver trying to get the tumblers realigned. I took the switch out in the 12 o'clock position but I think I messed myself up by turning the forks many times with the ignition switch out. Once I got the forks locked again, the puzzle was solved. To get it locked, I dropped the switch without the spring and spacer thingies until it bottomed on a tumbler and rotated the switch until it dropped past it. Once the switch was all the way down, I used it to fish for the tumbler that locked the fork. Then I lifted the switch out, rotating it to get it past the other misaligned tumbler(s) and used the screwdriver to realign the upper one(s). When I got the switch to install straight through in the fork lock position, I was finally in Fat City. This is the second time I've been down this road. Maybe the third attempt at removing and installing the ignition switch will be a charm.
I'm impressed with the improved response using the SE Heavy. The suspension feels more taut without that buckboard ride feeling. The front end performance is much better both solo and two up.
Thanks again, Iclick, for your great instructions that I have copied and inserted in the service manual.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Maybe there's some wisdom in locking the forks first, but I don't know how steering-head movement would affect the tumbler alignment.