Hey guys,

Yesterday for xmas I got a service manual and a fix my hog dvd. I've been waiting on xmas to come to service the bike because I was hoping for the manual to get the torque values. The bike had the 1k mile service done at the dealer and now it has 5200 miles on it. Today I put it on a lift(first time for that too) and changed both the engine and transmission. I already had the oil/filters here. Ended going with the Mobil 1 vtwin 20-50 and Mobil 1 75-90 gear oil. I can tell a difference in shifting with the mobil 1. It had HD synthetic in it before but for me it was much smoother. I know it's not a big deal just servicing the bike but it was nice to do it myself and not hand all that coin over to the dealer.

 

Feels pretty good doing it yourself doesn't it? No worries about what did or didn't get done. And you don't have to comb over the bike looking for those mystery scratches that nobody in the svc dept. seems to know anything about!

Now I suggest you go get yourself a nice cold beer. You want to make sure your mechanic is happy right?

 

Did you do it according to the manual......Check critical fastners,change the primary,adjust the clutch,lube the clutch cable,etc-,etc--?

 

Lee,

Can I celebrate with you? I just did my first Primary fluid change (back to Formula+) yesterday and it was certainly nice to have taken that 'ride' after finishing. I already have the service manual and have been thinking of the 'Fix My Hog' video. It sounds like you made good use of the video, and already got your money back from doing all yourself.

 

Good on you Lee. You now know more about your bike and once your feet are wet you will keep doing more. Give you a chance to go over all the little things and tighten the loose ones. Plus a great feeling of accomplishment. Happy New Year.

 

I hope he did but I'd bet he didn't. Surprising how many folks think that changing the fluids and filters is a "Complete Service".

 

I haven't done it all but I will. geez people sure are quick to point the finger around here lately......

 

Great to save that loot and put it into mods. Really surprising to see much much they get for so little,

 

Superising how many people think that dealers "rip" them off and dont do it. We have windows in our dealer so you can watch!! Dont get me wrong, doing it yourself isnt a bad thing at all!

Service records are your best friend when serious s**t hits the fan though....

 

It is also a matter of getting a mechanic that you can trust. I always ask for one mechanic that does all my work. I trust him because I know he cares and doesn't cut corners. He is sincere and very experienced. He gets paid by the hour and not by the job, so he has no reason to cut corners. There are other dealerships around here that pay by the job from what I've been told, so I would be more suspicious of them not doing all that they are supposed to do.