Road Glide Fork Oil
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From:
Well you have me there,I have never raced..well at least not professionally...I teach these things as per MSF guidlines,and you only ever have so much traction available to you...cornering uses a lot of that traction which doesn't leave much left for braking in that same corner...sure it can be done...
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,513
Likes: 6
From: SC
I had a 1990 Ultra and in my service manual I always remembered reading that you needed to chang the fork oil every 10k miles. Now I know Harley changed the fork design internally to work better then the older style.
But riding my Trike I found after 15k miles my front end was diving hard with the Screamin Eagle fork oil that was put in when the bike was brand new at the dealer. I figured I would trye Golden Spectro 40wt fork oil and so far Im really pleased with how the forks work and the ride Im getting after 5k.
40wt is extreme for a 2 wheel bike but with a trike its needed. Spectro makes lower weight fork fork oil and I think theres even a multi viscosity oil now too
But riding my Trike I found after 15k miles my front end was diving hard with the Screamin Eagle fork oil that was put in when the bike was brand new at the dealer. I figured I would trye Golden Spectro 40wt fork oil and so far Im really pleased with how the forks work and the ride Im getting after 5k.
40wt is extreme for a 2 wheel bike but with a trike its needed. Spectro makes lower weight fork fork oil and I think theres even a multi viscosity oil now too
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 512
Likes: 3
From: Washington
Someone posted why they should be concerned about fork oil in a new bike. I will tell you 7000 miles into my 2004 Heritage, I decided to change the oil and was I glad I did, that stuff was like water and black. Later, I learn that the seals pick up dirt as the forks jounced. I did the forks on the RG but I bought the filler tool. Made things a bit easier.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,675
Likes: 95
From: Billings,Mt.
I changed mine at 40000miles after reading some of the posts here.Was going to wait till 50000 like the manual sez.
The oil was blacker than black.
The hardest part was removing the top plastic parts to gain access to the fork caps.
Drained the oil and flushed the tubes.Poured in some Spectro Type E.
The igntion switch was a little tricky getting back in.
The ride is a little firmer now.
The oil was blacker than black.
The hardest part was removing the top plastic parts to gain access to the fork caps.
Drained the oil and flushed the tubes.Poured in some Spectro Type E.
The igntion switch was a little tricky getting back in.
The ride is a little firmer now.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
Someone posted why they should be concerned about fork oil in a new bike. I will tell you 7000 miles into my 2004 Heritage, I decided to change the oil and was I glad I did, that stuff was like water and black. Later, I learn that the seals pick up dirt as the forks jounced. I did the forks on the RG but I bought the filler tool. Made things a bit easier.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 1
El Stupido at work.
Last year I changed the forks on my 09 RK and filled them IAW instructions thru the top cap with a measured amount of fork oil. I was curious how far down the tube was the level of the oil. So I stuck a pencil down into the fork tube to find where it was.
And dropped the pencil into the fork!!!
Good luck. Just don't ask me for advice.
e
And dropped the pencil into the fork!!!
Good luck. Just don't ask me for advice.
e