Harley-Davidson® Maintenance & Service Checklist
Your Harley-Davidson® motorcycle is a major investment, which is why you’ll want to do everything you can to take care of it. You don’t want to neglect small problems only for them to turn into something major down the road. That’s why it’s important to perform maintenance tasks at home and to get your bike professionally serviced on a consistent basis.
Not sure what to do or when to do it? Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne is your Indiana Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealer. Here are some recommended maintenance checks so that you can ensure your Harley-Davidson bike is properly serviced at regular intervals.
Frequency of Service
Your brand-new Harley® bike needs to be professionally serviced at regular intervals to ensure every system is operating correctly. It’s recommended that you seek service at 1,000 miles, then around every 5,000 miles after that. Of course, if you discover something’s amiss in between those professional checks, never hesitate to get in touch with a local service department, like the one here at Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne.
What a Professional Will Check
At every service appointment, you can expect standard checks like oil changes, brake maintenance and tire checks, but there are several other tasks that need to be performed by a professional mechanic:
- Inspect and replace air filter as needed
- Examine, adjust, lubricate and clean primary chain
- Replace transmission lubricant
- Adjust and lubricate the clutch and throttle
- Inspect and adjust rear-drive belt
- Lubricate jiffy stand
- Inspect fuel valve, lines and fittings
- Examine air suspension
- Check and replace spark plugs as needed
- Tighten fasteners
- Look for leaks in the exhaust system
Oil Changes
One essential task to perform often is to change your engine oil and oil filter. Oil helps your engine to run smoothly and prevents parts of your engine from grinding against one another. The filter helps to keep your oil clean. If you use mineral-based oil in your engine, change it every 2,000 miles or twice per year, whichever comes first. If you use synthetic oil, change it every 5,000 miles. The filter should be changed every time you change the oil.
Brake Inspection
Your brake system needs to be inspected to make sure the brake pads aren’t too worn down and that the fluid reservoirs are filled up adequately. A professional will look over all parts of your motorcycle’s brake system including the discs and oil lines and a road test is often performed to see whether any parts are squeaking or grinding together.
Tire Pressure & Condition
A tire check will ensure that you have enough tread and that your tires are in good shape. Use a tire-pressure gauge to check your tire pressure before every ride or at least every few rides, and air up your tires to the recommended psi levels in your owner’s manual. Examine each tire for signs of worn treads, uneven wear, embedded objects and cracks in the sidewall. A professional inspection will check the tightness of your wheel spokes in addition to the tread and overall condition of each tire.
Remember: if you need some professional assistance with maintaining your Harley-Davidson motorcycle, you can always get in touch with the Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne service department. Our team of professional mechanics will be more than happy to take a look at your bike and address any issues promptly.
Looking for a new bike? Check our website to take a look at our fine selection of new and used Harley-Davidson motorcycles for sale at our Fort Wayne, IN, dealership. We offer financing options as well as test-ride opportunities to help you get the bike you want. Harley-Davidson of Fort Wayne proudly serves the cities of Auburn and Kendallville, IN.