No Clunk
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 10
From: SF Bay area
The experts will tell you if Redline doesn't work for you you must be doing something wrong. Are you sure you poured it in? Maybe you tipped the bottle up rather than down & nothing came out. Maybe you forgot to take the foil cap off. Maybe you put it in the wrong hole.
Couldn't be the Redline.
The same people will tell you anyone that ever had a bag fall off couldn't master turning a fastener 1/4 turn. That's the only possible explanation.
Couldn't be the Redline.
The same people will tell you anyone that ever had a bag fall off couldn't master turning a fastener 1/4 turn. That's the only possible explanation.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,599
Likes: 421
From: Lansing mi
So I walk into a supply shop today and on the shelf is red line primary for $15.99 a Qt. I scratch my head and decide let's give this a try. Came home and drained the Rotella T and put in the red line. Took the bike out for an hour and absolutely no difference. Doesn't shift any smoother although I have no complaints to begin with. When it wants to make a clunk it does and when it wants to click in smoothly it does. The red line made absolutely no difference and its almost three times the price. I think my clutch and primary with the compensaver is running really well and between the Rotella and the red line I don't feel or hear any difference. For those of you that find red line to be the save all I don't buy it. It's not any worse but its not any better. They both work well.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
Just did the 1,000 mile service on my new Road Glide. I always use Mobil 1 V-Twin Motor oil in the motor and Mobil 1 75/140 gear oil in the trans.
I used Redline Primary fluid in the primary for the first time. Third Harley I've owned. First time in over 100,000 miles on my Harleys that I used Redline.
Started bike. Let it warm for a minute. Put it into first and it slipped in like a hot knife through butter. It was so smooth and quiet with no clunk at all that it surprised me.
I even shut the bike off thinking something was amiss. Started it back up again and put it back into first and same thing, no clunk, no noise, not even any feelling like I had shifted.
I then rode the bike through the city shifting into first several times and still no noise or clunk.
I think I found my new primary oil.
I used Redline Primary fluid in the primary for the first time. Third Harley I've owned. First time in over 100,000 miles on my Harleys that I used Redline.
Started bike. Let it warm for a minute. Put it into first and it slipped in like a hot knife through butter. It was so smooth and quiet with no clunk at all that it surprised me.
I even shut the bike off thinking something was amiss. Started it back up again and put it back into first and same thing, no clunk, no noise, not even any feelling like I had shifted.
I then rode the bike through the city shifting into first several times and still no noise or clunk.
I think I found my new primary oil.
Haven't had a chance to ride it yet, since there was a hail storm going on when I finished. I'm expecting the same results, though.
I've been using Redline in all three holes of all my bikes for many years (two on the shovels of days gone by) and will not use anything else.
Last edited by jpooch00; Jul 1, 2015 at 07:11 AM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
IMHO, since the MOCO is obviously incapable of designing an auto tensioner that doesn't over-tighten the chain, they should just put in those Baker units at the factory and put the inspection cover back on the primary outer case. Problem(s) solved!
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 310
Likes: 13
From: Chesapeake
So I walk into a supply shop today and on the shelf is red line primary for $15.99 a Qt. I scratch my head and decide let's give this a try. Came home and drained the Rotella T and put in the red line. Took the bike out for an hour and absolutely no difference. Doesn't shift any smoother although I have no complaints to begin with. When it wants to make a clunk it does and when it wants to click in smoothly it does. The red line made absolutely no difference and its almost three times the price. I think my clutch and primary with the compensaver is running really well and between the Rotella and the red line I don't feel or hear any difference. For those of you that find red line to be the save all I don't buy it. It's not any worse but its not any better. They both work well.
Maybe it takes a little while before it shows improvements. We'll see.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,808
Likes: 285
From: Green Country Oklahoma
I've been using Redline since 07 in both our bikes and occasionally they shift so smooth but not very often and other times just clunk.I use it because my 07 had too many transmission issues and tech recommended to switch to any good gear oil.Most oil work great in ideal weather and it's totally different in higher temps.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
Did the same thing yesterday and changed over to the "NO-Clunk" miracle Redline brand. Changed both, the tranny and the primary. Rode around after, hoping to quiet down that annoying clunk, especially when shifting into first gear. As golfblues already stated, absolutely no difference. If anything, then maybe less noise while shifting into different gears. But the first is still very loud. Never had a problem finding Neutral.
Maybe it takes a little while before it shows improvements. We'll see.
Maybe it takes a little while before it shows improvements. We'll see.
I put in a manual adjuster, along with the lubes you listed and the first-gear clunk completely disappeared. All shifts are almost "clicks" now and when it's cold, I can pull the clutch and goose the engine a couple of times and it'll drop into gear completely silently. Once the tranny oil is hot, the same procedure produces a little click, just like every other shift.
I'm sold on this combo - because it works (at least for me)!
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 165
Likes: 70
From: Northhern Mississippi
Went to Formula+ in the primary and It quieted down the primary noise. Had all the bearings in my transmission replaced by HD because of a rattle in neutral ( not the accepted neutral rattle). All has been good for thei last 5k. Changed to Redline Shock proof in transmission. The only change I have noticed is that I can now easily see the transmission fluid on the dip stick. Still clunks going into first like all HDs do.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 92
From: Michigan
I ran the RL primary for 900 miles giving it plenty of time to make the magic move.
No difference as said earlier but what I really didn't like was a small amount of slippage during hard acceleration thru the gears like racing.
The hard pull on the arms with sometimes a very small wheelie just wasn't there anymore. Changed back to HD primary and it was back!
Not blaming it so much on RL but most likely being synthetic [too slippery].
No difference as said earlier but what I really didn't like was a small amount of slippage during hard acceleration thru the gears like racing.
The hard pull on the arms with sometimes a very small wheelie just wasn't there anymore. Changed back to HD primary and it was back!
Not blaming it so much on RL but most likely being synthetic [too slippery].