I have acquired a 1985 XLH Sportster that has a problem with the clutch..
It doesnt fully disengage, at the handle you can feel it disengaging but then it bottoms out like it is hitting something solid..
I have had it apart a few days and got a Clymers manual today and when following the directions for late 84-85 clutch adjustment it makes the handle solid with no disengagement but when i turn the adjustment back an additional 2 or 3 turns and then take the slack out of the cable i can get the partial disengagement..

I havent taken the clutch basket apart yet, was hoping it was an adjustment issue but now dont know..

I dont know anything about the bike besides I got it from an idiot, so anything is possble to be the problem..

any ideas

 

Unfortunately Clymer and other aftermarket manuals are not a patch on the genuine article. Harley still publish their factory service manuals, going way back, you would have been better off buying one of them.

There's a useful Sticky in the Tech Primary section, entitled 'Clutch Adjustment The Easy Way', which hopefully will help. Bear in mind that on a thirty years old bike wear of various components may have occurred, so let us know what you find.

 

Do the clutch adjustment EXACTLY as the service manual states, and do not go backwards a step. The ironheads are particular, if you mess up a step, start the whole thing over again.

Also, they will drag when cold. When properly adjusted, I still have to make sure I can roll wherever I'm going the first several hundred feet when I first click it in gear. After a few pumps the clutch works itself out.

 

I searched for Clutch Adjustment The Easy Way and didnt fnd it..

This thing is driving me nuts..
If the oil had been low would that have caused it to drag?

It almost feels like the clutch rlease thing with the 3 ball bearings in it is out of pull and hitting the case

 

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/prima...-easy-way.html