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Do it Yourself Professional Oil Change?

4K views 32 replies 24 participants last post by  Jeb27 
#1 ·
Some may laugh at this post, but I cannot be the only non-mechanical Victory owner out there. My motorcycle mechanic skills are bull shizzatical at best.

I learned how to change the oil on my motorcycles by watching YouTube lol. Sad but true. Dad left town when I was young blah blah blah..... I was trying to save a few bucks........so.........for you experts, what else do you check or perform during routine oil maintenance?

I change the oil filter, oil, and check the tire pressures. That is about the extent of my, "Do it at Home" maintenance program. Am I missing anything? Please do not say, "Read Your Owners Manuals." I hate Owners Manuals..... in my house they end up stuffed in a closet, under a bed, tossed in the attic, or thrown in the trash.

Ride Safe
 
#2 ·
Never, never treat a Victory Owner's Manual like the one you get with your Macintosh computer. You don't need a Mac manual but the Vic manual is good to have with you. Check shock pressure, blood pressure. Polish the undercarriage and you'll be good to go.
 
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#4 ·
Most of the service manuals can be downloaded for free. There is a member here somewhere who has a link to all of them. I use mine all the time to verify torque specs and guide me through things that I'm otherwise clueless on.
 
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#5 ·
#6 ·
Owners manual is good for maintenance schedule and pointing out what and when. After that you can U-Tube or watch some video on how -to. Wrenching skills are learned and mostly just common sense, biggest part is wanting to learn, sounds like you have that covered. A service manual will give you a bunch of information on how -to remove and replace, adjust, and inspect. from there it is usually just simple hand tools and a torque wrench.

I watch the KMC team put Touring cams in my bike while on the side stand on a mat in the parking lot back in 13. Simple hand tools and some learned tricks/practice and in about an hour the cams were in and the bike running. I could do the same operation but it would take much longer.

Get your self a good set of tools and a torque wrench and you are off to being a self taught wrench. Yes you to can be an expert in a few short years.

Cheers
 
#7 ·
:couch1:your air filter will have to be changed periodically, when dirty. I change mine every 10 to 12 thousand mi's.. depends a lot on your particular riding conditions. check your brake fluid and pads. getting some tools and checking every nut, bolt, screw you can see isn't a bad idea every once in a while either, that will familiarize you with a lot of stuff you never really paid attention to,,, and you might find a loose one now and then.:ok:
 
#8 ·
Oil, filter, air filter when dirty, then check air in tires and shock, check drive belt. Depending on mileage check tire wear and brake pads that's about all I do only go to shop if I find something I can't deal with myself, it's a Victory it doesn't require much more.
Regards
 
#10 ·
My dealer will change my oil and oil filter for $70 while I wait.
My mechanic will of course look over the bike and put dabs of grease where needed.
I have all the tools and the knowledge to use them properly, just no desire after being a tradesman.
I don't have any problem letting someone else earn a living keeping my bike running straight and true.
 
#13 ·
I'm from a similar background, was not raised in a mechanical, hands on kind of household. But I do enjoy playing mechanic in my garage. Just yesterday I managed to figure out all on my own how to install Vision passenger armrests without any instructions. Yeah baby, whose your daddy now b*tch! lol. Anyway, while waiting for oil to fully drain I clean and lube clutch cable ends and check brake pads for wear.
 
#14 ·
Yeah baby, whose your daddy now b*tch! lol.
Hey Iowa, get over yourself!

eBay will have downloadable manuals available. I paid $17 for mine, burned it to a disc, saved it on the computer and have it on a USB drive that I keep in the bike's trunk.
 
#16 ·
Yet another Union Tadesman here. Only oil change that I go to the dealer for is at the 500 mile mark on a new ride. After that, every time I change the oil, It goes something like this. Warm up bike, pull drain plug, check tire pressure, cables, and air in shock while oil is draining. Visually inspect air filter also. While Drain plug is still out, pull oil filter, install new one. Put Drain plug back in, fill with whatever oil brand you trust. Smile, get a beer. Anything more than that, ride to dealer.
 
#17 ·
Any recommendations on lube? I'm adding clutch cable inspection / lube to my list of basics. My dealership is great but I don't think they do drive up service while you wait like Big Foot's, that'd be cool!

I don't do any of the more complicated service anymore - remove the gas tank to replace the air filter? Pass! The problem is I get less confident in my abilities - I've had a set of grips waiting on install for a year now for pete's sake!

All this reminds me I need to get down to my dealers & pick up my oil change kit today.
 
#18 ·
Removing the fuel tank can be costly. The fuel line nipple on the bottom is fragile and knocking it off is a crazy expensive replacement. Though some on the VOG have managed to reattach them by hook and by crook!
 
#19 ·
Some would rather have the dealer do their wrenching and that's very much their prerogative. Makes complete sense as long as you can get your work done when YOU want it done, without delay.
My 2012 XRLE bought new in Feb 2012 has never been back to the shop(knock wood). Over nearly 80,000 smiles I have done all necessary maintenance. Oil/filter, air filter, fuel filter, fork oil, tires, wheel bearings, brake fluid exchange, pads etc. Just recently, I noticed some clutch slippage and called the dealer just curious as to when I might bring it in for a look.. They said that as of now they are out 30 days on repair work. After the winter we had here in the NE, and the weather just now getting "rideable", there is no way I'm waiting another month to ride.
I wonder , with that added to the equation, if those that opt to let the dealer do their repairs would be ok with going without their ride for at least a month. I mention this just to add a little incentive to riders to try to learn to do more on their own.
I will be adding "clutch repair" to my list of DIY maintenance.
RIDE SAFE
 
#21 ·
30 days & I couldn't ride it would certainly motivate me to give it a try myself but I'd rather not. I was just out riding with an old riding buddy of mine & we were reminising on the "good old days" when we spent our Saturday morning's wrenching on our bikes & the time we replaced my bike's entire electrical system (piece-by-piece over a couple of weeks) until it worked again. We now both use the dealer more often than not!
 
#22 ·
I do 100% of the maintenance on my Vegas myself, main reason is I'm a mechanic by trade, so tools and a shop are easy, secondly because I love to wrench! I love to tinker, tweak and test. It's not for everyone, so guys I rode with have the dealer do EVERYTHING! I don't, guess it's all in the personality. I have a service manual and refer to it consistently when doing maintenance or adjustments. Speaking from experience a service manual is a MUST if you aren't factory trained on anything (car, pickup, motorcycle, boat) mechanical. I still occasionally refer to the service manuals on Cummins ISX engines for repairs and I've litterally worked on thousands. Closest ligimate Victory Dealer is 5.5 hours away too, so even if I didn't do my own work, it would be quite a trip to get an oil change done.
 
#23 ·
I also do all of the maintenance, repairs and fabrications on all of my vehicles. I was a truck technician for 33 years and currently I am a fleet supervisor. I still enjoy doing the work.
The only work I have done at a dealer is mounting tires on wheels.

Twice on road trips I have changed the oil in a dealers parking lot because they were "to busy".

This weekend I replaced the clutch cable, front and rear brake pads, air filter, changed the oil and finished my storage box mounting bracket. Getting ready for a trip!
 
#24 ·
Just make the appointment and continue riding. The clutch will need to be changed out anyway so when it finally gets into the shop, it will really need to be replaced.

Is that the only shop you have near you? Where I live,I have a choice of 4 Vic shops within 30 miles.
 
#25 ·
I downloaded the service Manual and took it to office Depot and had them them print it and spiral bind it for me it is in two books because with the 560 plus pages was just much more manageable and it only cost $40.00
 
#26 ·
For those with a tablet or iPad, the service manual in pdf format can be emailed to it and accessed easily. I keep mine on a USB thumb drive.
 
#28 ·
If the oil change kit is changed from one saddlebag to the other every 5K mikes, that should suffice.
 
#31 ·
Clean and Lubricate the clutch cable ends, and adjust it properly, at every oil change.
 
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