What regular maintenance is required on a harley davidson?

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.

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.

05 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883L on Dynometer

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