There has been a few instances where the stock trans dipsticks have been breaking off the cap on 07 and later bikes or being cut through by the sawing of the clutch cable from a bad fit and falling into the transmission on bikes with the cast stick on the underside of the cover, basically the new 6 speeds and older bikes with the cap in the end cover of the trans..
One way around this is to pick up a new trans dipstick for around $15-$20 and take the old one and cut off the dipstick portion. This leaves you with just the cap that you would run on the bike without the dipstick attached.
When you want to check the trans level you can use the new stick and when you are done replace the original cap without the stick on it.
Another way is to make sure of the levels in the trans are OK first , then take a large bolt and place a large washer under the head that is bigger than the opening in the trans fill. Put a nut under the washer and mark the bolt to coincide with the FULL mark and the LOW mark on the stock stick. Use this bolt to check the oil and remove the dipstick portion from the stock dipstick and use it like that after you are done checking the level.
You can well imagine what happens inside the transmission when the dipstick breaks off and is loose in there and the gears are turning.
This is the problematic area and happens on transmissions with the dipstick in the end cover and not in the housings like some of the 96 engines. The early 96 engines had a different problem of the dipstick breaking off the cap itself.
Check out this thread...
Transmission Dipstick! - Harley Davidson Community
One way around this is to pick up a new trans dipstick for around $15-$20 and take the old one and cut off the dipstick portion. This leaves you with just the cap that you would run on the bike without the dipstick attached.
When you want to check the trans level you can use the new stick and when you are done replace the original cap without the stick on it.
Another way is to make sure of the levels in the trans are OK first , then take a large bolt and place a large washer under the head that is bigger than the opening in the trans fill. Put a nut under the washer and mark the bolt to coincide with the FULL mark and the LOW mark on the stock stick. Use this bolt to check the oil and remove the dipstick portion from the stock dipstick and use it like that after you are done checking the level.
You can well imagine what happens inside the transmission when the dipstick breaks off and is loose in there and the gears are turning.
This is the problematic area and happens on transmissions with the dipstick in the end cover and not in the housings like some of the 96 engines. The early 96 engines had a different problem of the dipstick breaking off the cap itself.
Check out this thread...
Transmission Dipstick! - Harley Davidson Community
