Hi Guys.
I just bought a 2001 Road King Police. So I am in the process of finding all of the interesting things that the previous owner did to her...
I just lowered it an inch, and was going to check the pressure on the air shocks, and (I know they are oil filled, but) when I went to put the gauge on the valves, oil came out.
The rear valve looked like a lightweight oil, and the front valve looked like transmission fluid.
They have travel, and seem to be working ok, but I cant check the pressure, because my gauge wont read.
Suggestions?

 

BTW, I never allowed them to turn upside down. I removed the bolts, and replaced them with the shock upright, the whole time.

 

Sounds like there is no air in the shocks. Use a low volume hand pump.A mountain bike suspension pump works well.

 

try lifting the bike to take the pressure off the shocks then try to put air in. drop the bike back down and check if air pressure holds. they might have too much oil in them if the previous owner tried to change the shock oil.

 

Thanks, MrBlister.
I think that was the problem. I had tried to pump some air in, with the hand pump, the previous owner had thrown in. But it wouldn't pump at all, like it had pressure on it already.
I filled an air tank with about 35#s in it, and used that to blow the oil back into the shocks, and allowed me to get a reading.

 

That's a possibility, Carpetride.
I've got to head to work, but I will check them when I get back, and see if they are holding. I'm still wondering why the front valve looked like it had transmission fluid in it...

 

Yikes!

what did they read?

 

People commonly use ATF in forks. It is approx. 7.5 wt.

 

I only put about 10#s in them. I'm gonna check them today, and see if they are still holding. I would think if they were leaking down, I would see some oil signs, but they are spotless.
I guess, they could be leaking at a line fitting, but there was oil up to the valves, and no sign of leakage.