Didn't know if I should post this in the Oil related forum and am having good response here so here goes. Read all the other fork oil posts but want to confirm some things.

I recently bought this 2005 Deuce at 9600 miles from a lady whom I'm pretty sure never changed the fork oil. I'm now at almost 13,000 and to me the ride is stiff up front compared to my old Shadow. On the Shadow I had lots of travel. On the Deuce it is rock hard. Over the course of a couple hour ride I feel it in my shoulders. I went down a five mile dirt road with a few low water creeks and thought I and the bike was going to come apart. lol Seems it could be more plush. I'm more of a regular cruiser. I don't ride aggressive most of the time. If I push it it's no more than 15 over the limit depending on the curve. I don't mind the ride in the rear. This lady was short and had it lowered an inch in the back. I don't want it to dive too much, and I like that it stands up in the corners but, if I could have just a touch more bump absorption over washboard type stuff I'd be happier. Cost of oil isn't a factor. I'm assuming I'm on stock oil that is reaching it's service interval. So here are my questions.

1. Does lowering it in the rear an inch stiffen the front automatically just by doing so?
2. Does the viscosity of the fork oil thicken over time causing it to ride harsher or is it the other way around?
3. Is 20,000 the recommended change interval?
4. What is stock weight and what oil. wgt., and volume for what I'm wanting? I have read 11.6 oz. dry and 10.5 oz. wet.
5. I've read about the process but what is the proper order of removal? Caps first or drain screws first? Do I jack the bike up first, remove the caps, remove drain screws, then set it down to squeeze oil out? Will that make it pour over the top or is there not enough for that to happen?

Appreciate it.

 

Answers from my mind, But keep in mind I am no expert but I have done a frontend or two with these types of things.
1. I have never heard that lowering the rear would make the front stiffer. I have had two bikes. One with a lowered rear and the front was just fine, the other has air ride and that one is just fine as well.
2. I would say that the viscosity of fork oil gets thinner so it would cause the fork to become softer. I would also say the weight of the fork oil is an issue because heavier weight makes for stiffer ride so thinner makes for a softer ride.
3. Yeah I guess you can do them at that mileage but I would say do it when you feel it needs it cause a well maintained bike is a happy one. Leads to a happy owner as well.
4. The stock oil can be found at any Harley store. I think that I used the heavy weight oil because my bike is kind of heavy 15W. For stock it would be 10W. I have always done 11.6 OZ, just make sure that you let the fork drain all the way.
5. Procedure for changing fork oil. (what I do, never said I was a professional) Step one jack the bike up, step two remove front wheel and break caliper, step three is to loosen the drain screws with the oil pan under them and pushing the tube in and out, to work all the oil out of that fork side. Repeat for other side. Step four “is the way that I loosen the caps on my forks” I side the tube with the cap on it out of the top triple tree clamp enough to get the “34 or 35 mm” (cause I don’t remember which it was for my bike) socket over it and tighten the bottom triple tree and take the cap off. Step five is to put the drain plug back in and fill the forks back up. Step six is to put the fork back in the top triple tree and torque to spec and assemble in reverse of taking them apart. “Also have the choice of replacing the seals but that’s up to you”.
Best answer that I can give you I will check back if you have any other questions. I know you have a deuce and that has fork caps and what I call fork nuts. You will see when you take the fork out of the top triple tree. That is where I would loosen the nut if you were going to want to change fork seals.

 

Drain the oil, pull the springs and drop in the Progressive monotubes and problem solved once and for all.

 

What he said. Mono tubes are bad ***.

 

Just did fork oil and springs. Not as difficult as I thought it might be. Progressive standard replacements. Much nicer ride. H-D fork oil E (whatever weight that is) is the standard replacement. I am a cruiser but will push through corners if I feel like it. Book says 7.28 inches from top of fully compressed tubes without springs, 12. 8 oz if you don't take them apart. This may be different for a Deuce.