pgbluecrew
New member
I am looking into buying a sportster 1200 custom and before i do so i want to hear from other rides what regular maintenance you do and how much it takes to maintain one of these nice bikes.
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What regular maintenance is required on a harley davidson?
- Thread starter pgbluecrew
- Start date
No,... you will not need any cat litter. No,.. you will not need to take your tools out on a regular basis.
The preventive maintenance on the 1200 is much the same as on the big bikes: First service @ 1000 miles,(at dealer) every 5K afterward (do it your self and save$$). Engine, Trans, Primary. Run some Lucas fuel treatment every 10 gas tanks full, as with any bike, monitor tire pressure (bart at least got THAT right), keep the steering head and swingarm pivots greased, keep the spokes tight(every 20K), change fork oil every 20K, brakes every 20K, cables lubed, and keep an eye on the belt just as you would a chain.... but don't over tighten it.
These bikes are extremely reliable and tough: take care of it and it will still be running in 30 years.... they don't rattle the bolts out, they don't leak, and they don't take any more maintenance than any other bike out on the road. The people that say that are ones that don't care about their own bikes and just let stuff go and then wonder why it breaks down.....go figure. Go buy a real HD service manual: its worth every penny.
P.S. -If you work the deal right at time of sale you may be able to get the first service thrown in... on the house, (say you buy the lubricants) every little bit helps.
BTW: the guy and his photog friend are both idiots: ANYTHING,... even a lawn mower will leak after 2 years of no start sitting. The engine MUST be run to create heat to make the gaskets initially seal.
The preventive maintenance on the 1200 is much the same as on the big bikes: First service @ 1000 miles,(at dealer) every 5K afterward (do it your self and save$$). Engine, Trans, Primary. Run some Lucas fuel treatment every 10 gas tanks full, as with any bike, monitor tire pressure (bart at least got THAT right), keep the steering head and swingarm pivots greased, keep the spokes tight(every 20K), change fork oil every 20K, brakes every 20K, cables lubed, and keep an eye on the belt just as you would a chain.... but don't over tighten it.
These bikes are extremely reliable and tough: take care of it and it will still be running in 30 years.... they don't rattle the bolts out, they don't leak, and they don't take any more maintenance than any other bike out on the road. The people that say that are ones that don't care about their own bikes and just let stuff go and then wonder why it breaks down.....go figure. Go buy a real HD service manual: its worth every penny.
P.S. -If you work the deal right at time of sale you may be able to get the first service thrown in... on the house, (say you buy the lubricants) every little bit helps.
BTW: the guy and his photog friend are both idiots: ANYTHING,... even a lawn mower will leak after 2 years of no start sitting. The engine MUST be run to create heat to make the gaskets initially seal.
hey its not to much maintenance its a lot better that a quad but every twice a year chage your air filter and and get you oil changed every about 3000 miles man but other wise keep clean engine and bike and it will laste for ever on quads we have to change oil every 400 hours if we ride a lot
DynaFlowHum
New member
You will need a big bag of oil dry to park the bike on top of while in your garage.
tighten and torque all critical fasteners, its a problem with all HD's, bolts and nuts come loose, its important to tighten using locktite and the proper torque ( over-tighten will damage the fasteners )
tire air pressure is also very critical, every-time I get my bikes out i check the tire pressure, a 5 psi difference could mean a difference between life and death.
proper oil level check, many people don't know the proper way to check the oil level, you must allow the bike to sit level and not run for at least 5 mins to check the proper oil level, many people make the mistake over-filling their oil
tire air pressure is also very critical, every-time I get my bikes out i check the tire pressure, a 5 psi difference could mean a difference between life and death.
proper oil level check, many people don't know the proper way to check the oil level, you must allow the bike to sit level and not run for at least 5 mins to check the proper oil level, many people make the mistake over-filling their oil