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Fork oil change question

BikeSAG

BikeSAG

Active Member
2007 Heritage Softail Classic, do I change the fork oil with the bike on the ground and the forks compressed or on my lift with the forks fully extended?

Thanks in advance.
 
There are others here with your year bike that can give you the correct procedure for changing fork oil, but on my '94FLSTC the bike is off the ground and the oil is drained from a port at the bottom of the forks. My '05 RG does not have the lower port and the forks must be taken off the bike to drain the oil. Please remember that the fork has a powerful spring and when removing the top cap extreme care must be taken too control the spring pressure.
 
If it has drains on the fork legs. You can take the drain plugs out while on the ground and you can pump the front end with the front brake applied to push oil out.
 
Like Bodeen, I performed my service the same way. With tires on the ground, I removed one drain plug at a time and pumped the front end up & down with brake applied. This helped to pump out any undrained oil. It seemed to work fine for me. No problems. Front end feels firmer; better ride.
 
Same as others have stated " Support the motorcycle so the front end is off the floor and the forks are fully extended"..from the service manual.
 
If someone has an actual OEM Harley Davidson service manual for the '08 Softail, I would like to know exactly what it reads pertaining to the proper method of changing the fork oil.

Apparently there are different procedures based on the specific H-D model and year.

I followed the method described in my Clymer service manual. Maybe the Clymer book is incorrect. Ugh!
 
Bikergeek said:
If someone has an actual OEM Harley Davidson service manual for the '08 Softail, I would like to know exactly what it reads pertaining to the proper method of changing the fork oil.

Apparently there are different procedures based on the specific H-D model and year.

I followed the method described in my Clymer service manual. Maybe the Clymer book is incorrect. Ugh!
Click to expand...

Bikergeek,

What I put in quotes in my previous post is directly from my HD '08 service manual.
 
Don't know if it was ever established that your fork legs had drains at the bottom or not. But I would think that the procedure is the same in that you have to have the front end off the ground before removing the top caps. There is a shop tool that keeps the caps from flying out when you unscrew them.
 
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