Its Saturday morning and after our Daytona trip, I plan on a complete service plus changing the fork oil in my wifes bike, I have 3 HD shops in my area,I called 2 to get the fork fluid capacity for her 05 Deluxe, I looked on line but read different amounts. So, I call 2 of the 3 HD shops to get the absolute fact.

The first shop ( serv. dept) tells me there is no amount in oz's to add after draining, you have to insert a special devise into the forks when refilling each leg and I should bring my bike down and they could do it.

The second shop (serv. dept) informed me that shop personnel is not allowed to give any info about capacities over the phone, like is classified info. for people with security clearances only. She also recommended me to bring my bike in.

I suppose I was asking too much of them -As in maybe look in the service manual?


Forgive me for venting here but wtf? Has anyone else experienced treatment like this?
Year ago, when I worked at a shop, we always answered questions of this nature for customers on the phone.
I plan on going to the last shop when the rain stops and am hoping they will let me look up the amount.

 

my last fork oil change it was 10.2 oz. the first tech did provide the most correct answer, they do have a tool that gets inserted that measures the correct amount of fork oil has been added.

at 10.2 oz, the amount equaled what came out approximately so i believe im good to go.

there use to be a sticky here on the touring forum about fork oil change. the search function might be helpful in finding.

 

They do sell service manuals too ... not trying to be a smart a$$ here, but imagine the service department answering the phone all day long instead of doing service work? I owned an automotive shop for the better part of my life and believe me, you cannot imagine how many times in a day the phone would ring with " What's the spark plug gap on a 79 Oldsmobile" ... "How much trans fluid does it take to refill a Turbo 350" ... on and on and on. They sure aren't making any money answering questions on the phone. As "BigSky" mentioned, the most correct way is measuring the fluid in the tube. It verifies that all the fluid has been drained prior to refilling. Good luck.

 

If somebody made a recommendation, then the customer wrecked their bike, a lawyer's call would be right behind.

I do HVAC. I have people call all the time, "How do I change this part....". My answer is a service call, or check YouTube. I can't recommend somebody open a cabinet and reach into 240 volts. I've seen guys with 30 years experience get bit, because they they had mismarked breakers, and skipped the "check with a meter" step.

Bottom line, they don't get paid, and risk consequences, for anything that happens on the phone. They are a business not a free help line.

 

As a generalization... It's hard for people to understand perspectives on issues they don't completely understand (and that's normal)

Really the capacity just gives you an idea how much you should put in. The level gauge brings the overfill down to Spec. What you're doing is adjusting the "Air Spring"

hope that helps

 

So what you're telling me is I've been changing my fork oil wrong for the last 46 years

 

I looked through my post again...I didn't see those words

If I never used a torque wrench to tighten my car's lug nuts for 46 years, do you think anyone could tell the difference



It's just info...use it...don't use it, doesn't matter to me

 

Agree, why would the dealer service dept. sit by the phone all day to answer peoples technical questions about the motorcycles they service as a business? Its silly to think they are there for that. If you are going to be servicing your bike yourself then get a service manual along with tools and skills to use them.

 

Entitlement mentality.

 

Four things.

Buy a factory service manual.

Secondly, this forum exists to help people with the free exchange of information.

Third, the more time they spend on the phone trying to tell somebody how to fix their bike for free, the less time they have to work on a paying customer's bike.

Fourth, the dealer is not your buddy down the street.