Fork oil change

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Oct 8, 2009 | 08:15 AM

#21

medic1555

Road Captain

Joined: Jun 2009

Posts: 629

Likes: 1

From: Lewes, DE

I'm getting ready to do the fork oil change soon. The last time I did a fork oil change (non-HD bike), I had to put the bike on a lift and remove the front wheel. So, a couple of questions:
1. Does the bike need to be on a lift or did you do it on the jiffy stand? If it's on the jiffy stand are you pushing down on the handlebars to pump the forks?
2. If it's on a lift, did you have to remove the front wheel and are you pumping the forks (individually) by hand?

Also, thank you iclick for taking the time and effort to do the write up proceedure. It's good people like you that make these forums work.

Oct 8, 2009 | 08:48 AM

#22

iclick

Extreme HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 11,615

Likes: 50

From: Baton Rouge, LA

Quote:

Originally Posted by medic1555

1. Does the bike need to be on a lift or did you do it on the jiffy stand? If it's on the jiffy stand are you pushing down on the handlebars to pump the forks?

Keep it on the kickstand. On my '07 to get the oil in a few oz. at a time I needed to pump the forks, which you can't do while on a lift. Apparently the reason you must pump the forks is to get the oil past the damper, which is on fairing models only. It could be that with RK's you could put all the oil in at once without pumping, but I can't say for sure. Can anyone with an RK verify this one way or the other?

You don't say what year bike you have, but your avatar looks like an '08. If you have an '02-'05 with cartridge forks I've never heard of anyone doing a fork-oil change using the method in my write-up, so I don't know if it works with those. I'd like to read some feedback if anyone has tried it, though.

Quote:

2. If it's on a lift, did you have to remove the front wheel and are you pumping the forks (individually) by hand?

No, keep everything intact and on the kickstand. You couldn't pump the forks by hand anyway, at least I couldn't.

Quote:

Also, thank you iclick for taking the time and effort to do the write up proceedure. It's good people like you that make these forums work.

Thanks, glad it helped.

Oct 8, 2009 | 09:06 AM

#23

gmc

Road Warrior

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 1,802

Likes: 2

From: Salt Lake City, UT. Dushore, Pa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Tyme

Funny that I ran across this post: I had my fork oil changed just last month and was going to have this done at the same time that my dealer did the 20,000 mile service on my bike. Additionally at this time I had an HK radio issue and they had to order a re-furbed unit and they put off the fork oil change off until they changed out the radio some 10 days later, stating they had to pull the radio to change the fork oil...

Just another way to get to them and if you already have the outer fairing and radio out might as well. Either way is pretty simple.
EDIT: I bet the dealer is going by the manual and pull the fork tubes so your looking at 3 hr. labor I believe for a 20 min. job.

Last edited by gmc; Oct 9, 2009 at 12:11 PM. Reason: DEALER METHOD

Oct 8, 2009 | 06:35 PM

#24

07RoadHawg

Road Warrior

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 1,788

Likes: 4

From: Here

Quote:

Originally Posted by iclick

Just finished mine up and yes, you can pour all the oil in at once without pumping the forks. It all comes out really fast when you pull the drain plugs too.

Edit - '07 Road King. Sorry.

Last edited by 07RoadHawg; Oct 8, 2009 at 07:08 PM.

Oct 9, 2009 | 11:06 AM

#25

iclick

Extreme HDF Member

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 11,615

Likes: 50

From: Baton Rouge, LA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteduramax

So the vacumn method is the easiest? I want to do this and was going back and forth on which method. Can't remember exactly what is says in the manual but do I have to pull the headlight assembly and triple tree cover to use the vacumn method.

No, the only thing you'll need to remove is the Schrader-valve insert (like a tire) and the drain plug. Just follow the procedure in the manual, which is really fast and easy. I used a Harbor-Freight venturi vacuum similar to this one. I attached mine to my air compressor regulated to about 20psi and used a lever-type connector to attach to the Schrader valve. You'll need to regulate the compressor down to 20psi or lower, as you don't want or need a strong vacuum source, just enough to suck the fluid into the fork.

Once you get all the hoses and connectors together for producing the vacuum it's a 20- or 30-min. job doing both forks.

Last edited by iclick; Oct 9, 2009 at 11:13 AM.

Oct 9, 2009 | 12:13 PM

#26

gmc

Road Warrior

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 1,802

Likes: 2

From: Salt Lake City, UT. Dushore, Pa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by matrix5

Just finished mine up and yes, you can pour all the oil in at once without pumping the forks. It all comes out really fast when you pull the drain plugs too.

Edit - '07 Road King. Sorry.

On my 07 EGC I had the oil back up, thought I was going slow enough so I just started over and pumped them, no big deal.