1K service now clutch feels out of adjustment

heavymetalthunder · #1 05-29-2008, 09:36 PM

Just took the 08 Road Glide in for its 1,000 mile service. Bike was running great. Went to pick it up and now the clutch lever doesn't feel right. The clutch lever doesn't have any play in it anymore and starts to engage as soon as the lever is pulled. It pulls till about 1/2 way thru the travel of the lever and it disengages and its done. I can pull it to the handlebars and when I realease it, the clutch doesn't even start to engage till about 1/2 way thru the travel of the lever and it disengages right before the lever is all the way out. I questioned them about the way it was adjusted and the said its adjusted correctly. It feels like I have lost all my fiction zone on the bike now and its difficult to take off and manuver around parking lots. I just rode 6 or 7 new bikes at demo days a couple of weeks ago and none of them operated this way. My bike did not come from the dealer this way. The said if I adjust it the way it was it will wear the clutch plates prematurely and to get use to it the way they adjusted it. But the bike is hard to drive this way and I have to give it more gas to start of from a light. Does this seem right or are they giving me a line of bull?By the way this is my 4th H.D and none of the other ones ever felt like this either. I'm kinda P.O.'D paying 20K bucks and getting the bike back like this. They wouldn't even test ride it, just gave me the line its adjust correctly. On a 20K dollar machine you would think you would get alittle better service. Poor customer service at the very least. Any Help is appreciated, Thanks

dawg · #2 05-29-2008, 10:37 PM

The lever adjustment itself has a range of 1/16-1/8" at the ferrule. The clutch basket adjustment has a range of 1/2 to 1 full turn. I personally use the 1/16" at the ferrule and 1/2 turn at the basket's adjuster screw. I would suggest that if you are not comfortable maneuvering the bike then readjust the clutch or have a buddy readjust the clutch for you.

towboattrash34 · #3 05-30-2008, 02:17 AM

go back to them and start raising hell in front of everyone....tell them to put it back like it was

KBFXDLI · #4 05-30-2008, 08:12 AM

That adjustment is done that way so you get complete seperation of the clutch plates when you pull the lever. I keep mine that way. You can add some slack at the cable adjuster if you want but I would just get used to it because you want the clutch to seperate as soon as you pull the lever. BTW, that is by the book and they are telling you the truth.

heavymetalthunder · #5 05-30-2008, 12:56 PM

KBFXDLI, Thats what they told me. However I don't like it adjusted that way. It seems either the clutch is engaged or disengaged and thetr's no middle ground. I would like to get some friction zone from the bar to out 1/2 way. Feels like I'm gonna drop the bike cause I'm either going all out or nothing. I may try and adjust the cable and get a little play out of it and still allow it to disengage.
ThANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE RESPONDED. I will have to see if I can adjust it alittle and live with it. I don't want to burn out the clutch but don't understand why my other harleys were not adjusted that way from the same dealership?

jimmers1817 · #6 05-30-2008, 07:49 PM

You would think the tech would know how to do a simple clutch adjustment. If I can do it, it can't be too hard.So before I'd go against his recs I'd have to have something pretty solid todispute it.

I do mine according to specs which is 1/16 at the ferrule and 1/2 at the basket. Seems fine to me like that but then again I don't have anything to compare it to like you with your previous Harleys.