My front end is starting to get a little squirrely over 70mph. I'm thinking the front suspension needs some work.

What's the best method for a rebuild or replace? How difficult is this job for someone who has never done a motorcycle front end?

 

What year and model do have?
There are differences in the forks between models and years.

How many miles are on your bike.
The HD maintenance schedule says to rebuild the forks at 50,000 miles.

Have you checked the steering head bearings, serviced them, or set the fall away to spec?
You could also confirm the rear wheel alignment is correct.

 

"Squirrelly, over 70".
Is your from rim true?
That's my first thought.
Post 2 is very correct.
Check your steering head bearings and rear whl alignment.
OP, let us know what you find.

 

Like the others said, we recommend that you check that your wheels are true, aligned and balanced. Speed wobbles can happen on any bike, but just like cars with wheels that are unbalanced or out of alignment you will definitely run into issues when getting up to highway speeds. Other things that could affect your ride is the height of your forks, tire pressures, steering head tightness, etc.

If it comes down to it, forks are serviceable but the work and time needed between models can vary widely; some forks are easy and other aren't. If you need a hand or some supplies you could always reach out to us!

 

2004 883xl. I'm at 45,000 miles so its time.

 

If they're spoked wheels, could be slightly out of true. I had new tires put on my '02 this Spring, and my shop said the wheel was slightly out of true. They were able to fix it for me, and the ride difference was really noticeable.

My front end also felt a little touchy at high speeds and I had a slight leak at the fork seals so I rebuilt the forks. Not hard for someone who hasn't done it (me), I will say having an impact tool for those 6mm fork lower bolts was a must. Would have been such a hassle without an impact tool. Definitely check out some videos and a shop manual before trying the job, Biltwell's rebuild video is super handy:

 

45k miles. May be time to rebuild the pogo sticks. Not a bad idea to upgrade the springs while you're at it. Low cost, big difference.

 

If you are going to take it apart replace the damper and springs with Pro Action for $295.