The most recent version of the Harley-Davidson oil temperature/dipstick installed in our 2006 Softail doesn't need to be removed from the tank to check oil level; however, the oil temperature does need to be above 160 degrees F to give a good reading when the button is pushed.
Overall Rating +Engine oil level is easy to check on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Engine oil temperature is a different matter. The Factory does not equip most of their bikes with oil temperature gauges; however, they do offer three different styles of oil dipsticks with oil temperature gauges built into the dipstick itself. The first oil temperature dipstick is an analog-type, with a small gauge and a needle that sweeps around, indicating what temperature the oil is in your oil tank. This analog-style of gauge is available for Big Twin and Sportster models.
The next generation of oil temperature gauges went digital. The digital oil temperature gauges allow you to see the temperature of the oil with the push of a button. The button is located on the top cap of the oil dipstick, just below the window that displays the oil temperature. Both allow you to check the temperature without having to remove the dipstick from the tank, and the most recent version allows you to also see the level without removing the dipstick at all.
Of course, it's important to carefully read the instruction sheet provided and follow the procedure indicated for your model bike in order to get an accurate reading. Which gauge is best suited for you will depend on the year and model of your motorcycle. For the Heritage Softail in this article, we are using the most recent version of the digital temperature/level dipstick. In order to check the oil for the '00-'04 Softail models, the engine must be warm and at operating temperature, and the motorcycle should be vertical and sitting on the kickstand. Then turn the engine off for two minutes and press the button on the cap.
The gauge doesn't measure the oil temperature accurately until the oil is 160-degrees F. Until that temperature is reached, you will see either an error message in the window or a reading giving you the oil level by a graduated bar, visible on the left side of the window along with the words "cold oil." All in all, the temperature/level dipstick has 16 different messages it will display on the LCD window in the cap. If you're more inclined to read your oil's temperature in Centigrade as opposed to Fahrenheit, hold the button in for five seconds and the display will change to reflect your choice. Once the button is pushed and released, the display in the window will stay on for 10 seconds before turning off.
There you have it: Three different methods for checking your Harley's oil level and temperature without having to resort to sticking your finger in the oil tank.
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Pictured here on the bench are all three dipstick/oil temperature gauges. The top dipstick is the newest one that displays the oil level and the temperature. Notice the length of the white plastic dipstick; this length and the swivel ball in the cap allow the oil level to be checked while the bike is on its side stand. The middle dipstick is the first digital model offered: It will register your bike's oil temp with a push of the button to as low down as the '30s (don't ask how we know). You still need to stand the bike vertical when checking the oil level. The bottom dipstick is the first iteration of the oil temperature dipstick with an analog gauge and needle that provides a constant measurement of the oil temp with just a glance.