Securing bike for fluids change

[TQuentin1]

This question was asked by a member by PM

I intend to change all the fluids on my '03 FXDL soon. Previous owner did not get the 7500mi maintenance done although he said he changed the oil. The guy is a Doctor, so...

What method can I use to make positive sure this beast won't fall over when I change the oil? It is over 3x heavier than little old me. I've got stands and hyd jacks. I do my own truck/car work, but 4-wheels makes a huge difference when lifting stuff.

First of all, check out the recommendations here for the fluids to use on your engine, tranny and Primary:

Oil Suggestions For Harleys - Harley Davidson Community

With respect to lifting the bike for oil changes: you do not need to elevate the bike to change the fluids. It does help to warm up the fluids with a ride that gets them up to operating temperature and then let the bike cool a bit before opening up the drain plugs to dump the hot fluids. And putting the jiffy stand on a piece of wood to bring the bike more upright will help drain the tranny better. I use 3 pieces of 1"x3" about 10" long with one of the pieces only 5". That forms a step that allows me to put the bike almost straight up (all three pieces under the stand), or leaning a bit more (with just two). If you put a piece of 4x4 with a 2x4 on top of it on the right side under the frame, it acts to stabilize the bike in the upright position. Check these out:

TQ