Worked On My First Harley Davison Today.....

[HondaCBX6]

I worked on my first Harley today. Nothing too dificult. My freind took his HD to Sturgis this past week. Along the way his kickstand started making noise. I know what you are thinking. How does a kickstand make noise? Well it was loose as can be. Not going to fall off mind you. But we looked and looked. It wasn't until I pulled it off completely that is saw the problem. Barry had to sit and hold his bike up while I futzed with it. It turns out that the weld on the back side of the stand that held the spring had broke. Actually it looked like it was never really welded together. There was a weld there. It just didn't weld anything. The weld was on the bracket but no-where near the stand. So I looked at Barry and told him that I needed to take it inside to the shop and weld it back together. He didn't mind. But right then a maintanance guy drives up in his electric factory cart. Sure enough he had a gasoline powered stick welder on the cart! Two seconds later and we had it fixed. Barry was quite happy to have it fixed. The only thing I told him was that his bike was very greasy underneath. For a bike so clean on the surface it sure needed a bit of cleaning underneath! I should talk though. I swear my FJR is the dirtiest FJR EVER right now. It has the accumulation of 4,800 worth of bugs and dirt. But no greasey slime under it though!

 

[moby one]

My neighbor just returned from Sturgis also. He borrowed my power washer to blow the oil off of the underside due to a new oil leak acquired in the 4000 miles round trip. It seems that the rocker box is leakin'. He had to top it off somewhere in route with a quart he said.

 

[PapaUtah]

Let's see...a Harley leaking oil...and how is that different from the other Harley's out there??? The main drag at Sturgis looks like the Exxon Valdez split in half there after the Harley's leave the rally. Harley even calls it a feature, "The Continuous Oil Change." You pour it in the top, it goes through the oil galleys once and out the bottom of the motor.



:assasin:

 

[EastTNFJR]

They do have some quirks. Like three different oil levels to check and maintain. My kickstand spring was peeled off on a curb in Sturgis, long story and once again as I pulled off road to help a dude who had just gone down on the Hwy 129 before it turns into the Dragon. One of the easiest corners and just augered in..Luckily he was more embarassed than hurt. Me, I dragged the kickstand all the way home as I had stretched out the spring again.

My Road Glide never leaked any significant amount of oil (there was a significant hemorrhage of cash though) and the worst thing that happened to it was the shifter (entire assembly) falling off on the interstate while coming back from Sturgis at about 90mph and my riding buddy didn't stop to pick it up or to tell me for several miles and then I had to hand shift it across South Dakota to Sioux Falls, and then we got separated, then the cop came and then he went and had dairrhea in a field and then the stoners stopped to help me and told me "You're screwed dude" and then the guys at the independent Harley shop told me "you're screwed" and then it was 100 degrees did I mention that? and then my buddy found some dudes with a trailer (imagine trailers at a Harley rally :bleh: ) but I had gotten pissed and left shifting by hand and bucking down the road....it was a bad day. And then there was the bastard on an FJR1300 that jetted by me on the slab at what had to be 120 mph leaning over on his tank and just taking it easy as I hand shifted across the state. Oh how I wished I was he. Now I am!

 

[zorkler]

i was really looking hard at the harley product the electra glide or the road glide . but after renting one in florida and doing a 300 mile run it was just not for me they look great sound great ..... the ride was very nice until about the 125 mile mark then it went down hill for me also the heat from the pipe at low speed was doing a number on my calf . as for the yamaha i really dont like the look of the bike . but i did not by this bike for looks i purchased it to ride ................ ride safe