I just got my first bike ('05 1200C) and want to learn the ins and outs of working on it. Any advice besides buying the service manual?

 

Nice bike! Congrats!

If you have any experiance turning a wrench, you will be able to do most service yourself as long as you have a manual and quality tools. 10,000 mileage checks should be left to the dealer for warrenty reasons, but if you shop around you can get a good price.

 

Definitely don't have the wrench experience I'd like but that's what I'm hoping to gain. We'll see. I still need to pick up the manual.

 

I'm so sorry there guy, but you know very well that you do not want to practice your skills during your learning curve with your own bike. You must have a pretty good understanding of this type of maintenance (and buy the equipment and specialized tools) to do an adequate job. Being a 'wrench' is not as simple as it sounds.

You have started in a most respectable way - find it on the internet. Problem is, you may get your 'good' information and need an interpreter....

We are here to help. I've done some wrenching in my time. The new bikes are less and less friendly to home-grown wrenches. Sorry if I dishearten you, not my intent. You must have some backgroung to deal with serious 'wrenching' on your Harley.

Again, we're here to help as fellow Harley folks.

BClem

 

i asked a fellow rider how long it took to change the oil on his softie. his reply was 20 minutes to change the oil and filter and 1 hr. to clean up the mess, took my bike down to the dealer the next day LOL

 

BClem, thanks for the honesty but I'm not looking to tear my bike apart to find out what's inside. Just wanna start out easy and work my way up. Especially since I've heard that the bikes are getting more and more complicated for working on yourself. Thanks again.

 

12Stones, I'm talking about oil, tranny, primary fluid changes, lube of cables, flats, belt adjustments, that type of stuff. The newer bikes, especially with EFI have to be serviced at a dealer simply because I don't have the computer programs to get the diagnostic reports.

 

Just to clarify, even the basic service such as changing the oil should be done by the dealer so they can get the diagnostics on it?

 

You should be able to read your own oil by cutting the filter at change and inspecting. Read the last couple of articles on oil by Donnie Petersen in American Iron Magazine. I've said it before, but Donny has taught me more about my bike in his articles than the last 30 years working on my own bikes. If you don't get this magazine, run right out and get one.

 

Actually I picked the latest issue up this weekend. A lot of it goes over my head as far as the lingo and technical info is concerned but I'm hoping that it will help me in the learning process.