Accurate information

[Skin]

I just took in a bike on trade and we're doing a "Used Bike Service". Tech took out the tranny dip stick and there was no "stick". The guy who traded it in said he cut it off because someone on a "tech" board told him it would rattle. I've never heard one rattle and I can't believe someone would give that kind of advice on a Tech Board. If I'm wrong I'll say so but please give accurate information....not just hear-say.

Thanks,Skin

[Billy]

I've personally never seen it but I copied and pasted this from the Baker website:

http://www.bakerdrivetrain.com/drivetraincomponents/pieces-n-parts.htm#dipstick

transmission dipstick

Have you ever heard of a 5-speed transmission dipstick breaking off and working its way into the gearbox with disastrous results? Ask any seasoned technician; he’s seen one. The low frequency fi ring pulses of the American V-twin makes the stock zinc die-cast dipstick go into resonance like a suspension bridge in a severe windstorm. Over time, the stalk breaks off and you know the rest of the story. Bigger engines make this situation even worse. We redesigned the dipstick with the largest radius possible between the stalk and the head. This radius stiffens the dipstick and increases its natural frequency. No more ‘bridge’ action. Our dipstick is made of billet aluminum and is show-chrome plated.

[crazycalvin]

Okay so it might break off.  But common sense would tell me that if I cut the stick portion off, how do I check the fluid level?  It sounds to me like the guy that cut his dipstick off would probably delete files on his laptop because it is to heavy.  Later, Calvin.

[Bakon]

Been reading boards for 7 years. Never heard that one, but I'll bet someone is in their garage cutting one now.

[fxdx2k]

It's never happened to me, but I do know of it happening. If you cut the dipstick off you simply carry an uncut one with you to check the level. I had a well respected tech tell me this, I figured better safe than sorry. With my luck I would be the 1 out of 1,000,000 that it happened to  

[Jim Bronson]

It's never happened to me, but I do know of it happening. If you cut the dipstick off you simply carry an uncut one with you to check the level. I had a well respected tech tell me this, I figured better safe than sorry. With my luck I would be the 1 out of 1,000,000 that it happened to  

If you're buying a second one anyway, why not just buy the Baker replacement and use it all the time unless they cost a zillion dollars?

[fxdx2k]

Since the request was for accurate information, does actually seeing the results count as accurate? I was shown one, if that counts. The Baker is rather expensive, I got my "spare" for free. It's not a widespread problem as far as I know. Like I said, if you have a history of bad luck, well, you take extra care whenever you can.

[HIPPO]

You run the one with the stick cut off and you check level with one you keep in your tool box.

Lots of people do this, for various reasons. Other then vibrating off, in the old days when clutch pull was modified in primitive ways, it was common for the clutch cable to cut into the stick and/or drag on it.

In the days of the EVO baggers some of the chrome covers made it very difficult to get the dipstick started. Easier with just the plug.

[HIPPO]

Also, with a trade in

Look that the dipstick has been sawed off, the marks are obvious. You don't want it broken off in there.
While it "looks" semi-impossible, there have been cases where they took out bearings.

[Skin]

Ok, I stand corrected. I've never seen one break off. This one has for sure been cut so it's not in the tranny.

[Scurvy]

On my softail I can see where if I didn't pay attention inserting the stick back into the transmission one "could" get it on the inboard side of the cable, where after time enough use of the clutch the cable "could" saw through it.

[GoFast.....]

I just took in a bike on trade and we're doing a "Used Bike Service". Tech took out the tranny dip stick and there was no "stick". The guy who traded it in said he cut it off because someone on a "tech" board told him it would rattle. I've never heard one rattle and I can't believe someone would give that kind of advice on a Tech Board. If I'm wrong I'll say so but please give accurate information....not just hear-say.

Thanks,Skin

Skin, If it was HTT why don't you just come out and say. No reason to not be straight up, Because we all are wondering which tech board it was

[Coff 06]

SOOOOOOOOOOO,thats why my laptop got so darn heavy.     Coff 06

[crazycalvin]

Yep!  LOL!  Later, Calvin.

[04glide]

I cut mine off just weeks after buying the bike new. I had a buddy that had one drop into the trans. I  have a spare one that I use to check the oil but it never gets used. I change the oil and never check it unless I have a leak.

[Ultrashovel]

I've never heard of one breaking but I did launch one when I was given the wrong gaskets for my 1993 FLHS. The early gaskets don't breathe through the heads like they did beginning in 1993.

That thing must have gone 50 feet in the air. It took me an hour to find it in the grass by the side of the road. Yeah, it was still in one piece, too. A new set of rocker box gaskets solved the problem.

[Jeffd]

I never check my tranny oil level between fluid changes but it has always been full when I change fluid at 20,000 miles. LOL. 

[Evo160K]

The cast dipstick in my evo trans broke off.  The dipstick was ground to shiny bits.  Really scared me, I thought for sure it would total the thing, but luckily it didn't, unless 95,000 miles was too short.  I drained the fluid 2-3 times and cleaned it all as best I could.  I cut the cast dipstick off of the replacement and kept another, like Hippo said, in the toolbox.  Harley eventually got away from the cast stick and went to a steel rod, which I use today.

[Dakota]

Skin, how you been doing???  I sent you an email a few days ago-hadn't heard from you in a long time.  I intended to get to Cin. to see you this summer but never made it.  Maybe this winter sometime.  Our grandson lives next door now in my parents old house so we're busy with him a lot-got him on his bike now!!!  He knows to "give it the gas" and "let off" so far and I have to hang on to it 
Dakota

[Molly]

I remember reading this piece of advice in an Australian bike mag. It suggested that the dipstick was brittle and recounted a story of one coming off and damaging a gearbox.

If you're ultra paranoid it'd be easy enough to make a dipstick by marking the same allen key you used to remove the inspection plug jobbie.

[smoserx1]

This has been really enlightening information.  I may cut mine off after reading this.  No I never check mine between changes either.  The only way the level is going down if I you have a leak, and if it leaks enough to register low on the dipstick you will already know it from the mess it will have made.

[Bob04RK]

I've read about this just resently. can't remember where (might be an age thing) I'll have to check the other sites at home.

[TXChop]

How bout the dipstick rubbing the clutch cable? Seen it many times.