common Neutral pain finding it
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
From: kansas
common Neutral pain finding it
Anyone found a solution to finding neutral on the new bikes with hydraulic clutches?
Not that its the end of the world finding neutral (altho fiddling with the shifter to get it into neutral when I should be focusing on traffic coming up to a light) but it does suck to mess with getting the bike into neutral all the time. 3,500 miles on the bike and still exactly as it was day one (hard to find neutral unless the bike is off) new Harley synthetic at 1,000 miles and of course no adjustment on the hydraulic systems.
The dealer says "give it till the 1000 mile service and neutral will be easier to find after that" kind of a standard answer for sure and kinda dumb if you ask me on a hydraulic system. If theres break in time then they should just use different synchro's and cut the gears where they mesh easier. And of course waiting didn't work.
And I'm sure the "different fluid option" answer will come out but keep in mind "your" year and if you have a hydraulic system or not. So that's not really the answer in this case.
So if Anyone has found a solution do tell,,,,,, thxs paul.
Not that its the end of the world finding neutral (altho fiddling with the shifter to get it into neutral when I should be focusing on traffic coming up to a light) but it does suck to mess with getting the bike into neutral all the time. 3,500 miles on the bike and still exactly as it was day one (hard to find neutral unless the bike is off) new Harley synthetic at 1,000 miles and of course no adjustment on the hydraulic systems.
The dealer says "give it till the 1000 mile service and neutral will be easier to find after that" kind of a standard answer for sure and kinda dumb if you ask me on a hydraulic system. If theres break in time then they should just use different synchro's and cut the gears where they mesh easier. And of course waiting didn't work.
And I'm sure the "different fluid option" answer will come out but keep in mind "your" year and if you have a hydraulic system or not. So that's not really the answer in this case.
So if Anyone has found a solution do tell,,,,,, thxs paul.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,469
Likes: 3,572
From: Idaho
Mine was difficult until around 700-800, and then it was fine.
Here's another perspective: I was riding with an experienced Motor Officer, and he saw me fishing for neutral. "Just shut it off", he said. I'm like...what?
"When you park a car with a standard transmission, do you leave it in first, or do you put it in neutral?"
So his suggestion was to just shut it off and leave it in first. I'm not sure that's what I want to do, but I did find out that if you just shut it off, it's a heck of a lot easier to find neutral.
Here's another perspective: I was riding with an experienced Motor Officer, and he saw me fishing for neutral. "Just shut it off", he said. I'm like...what?
"When you park a car with a standard transmission, do you leave it in first, or do you put it in neutral?"
So his suggestion was to just shut it off and leave it in first. I'm not sure that's what I want to do, but I did find out that if you just shut it off, it's a heck of a lot easier to find neutral.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
From: kansas
Thxs for the quik response........ and that sucks but is exactly what I figured. They really need to cut the gears better so they engage easier or add synchronizers if there aren't any and if there are they need to cut them different. If there are synchronizers They are more then likely brass of course so maybe theres another metal option bronze or something. Maybe that will be a 2015 thing,,,,,, LOL.
Last edited by hanny; Aug 17, 2014 at 12:35 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 158
From: East Coast
8 times out of 10 i don't have a problem finding neutral, 1400 miles, Bel Ray in the trans.
If it isn't perfectly flat for the jiffy stand i have shut it down in 1st gear to help keep the bike from moving.
If it isn't perfectly flat for the jiffy stand i have shut it down in 1st gear to help keep the bike from moving.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 1,985
From: Cleveland Zoo
Anyone found a solution to finding neutral on the new bikes with hydraulic clutches?
Not that its the end of the world finding neutral (altho fiddling with the shifter to get it into neutral when I should be focusing on traffic coming up to a light)
And I'm sure the "different fluid option" answer will come out but keep in mind "your" year and if you have a hydraulic system or not. So that's not really the answer in this case.
So if Anyone has found a solution do tell,,,,,, thxs paul.
Not that its the end of the world finding neutral (altho fiddling with the shifter to get it into neutral when I should be focusing on traffic coming up to a light)
And I'm sure the "different fluid option" answer will come out but keep in mind "your" year and if you have a hydraulic system or not. So that's not really the answer in this case.
So if Anyone has found a solution do tell,,,,,, thxs paul.
My 2014 SGS has Harley Formula+ in the chain case and BelRay in the transmission from the 1000 mile service. Shifting and finding neutral is easy enough for me.
Search and check some oil threads, I think Harley Synthetic is a big mistake in these new bikes, as is listening to the dealer.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 345
Likes: 1
From: s.e. Wisconsin
Yea, I have over 9K miles on my bike and finding neutral still sucks. I'm running harley syn3 in all three spots but read that a heavier weight oil works better in the transmission. I'm going to change it out at 10K miles and see.
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 570
Likes: 6
From: Left Ohio for the middle of no where in Fla.
3,200 on the Ultra. Finding neutral is a crap-shoot. Sometimes no problem at all, others a real PITA and temperature doesn't seem to make any difference.
Yesterday I pulled into a parking spot and couldn't find it, shut it off, moved the bike till it wouldn't move further, still nothing, moved it backwards, no go. Put it 1st, got off and left it. Came back out 30 minutes later and got neutral easily.
Yesterday I pulled into a parking spot and couldn't find it, shut it off, moved the bike till it wouldn't move further, still nothing, moved it backwards, no go. Put it 1st, got off and left it. Came back out 30 minutes later and got neutral easily.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 159
Likes: 2
From: the fringe of the Motor City suburbs
I can't say I really use neutral except at very long red lights and maybe the odd time I want to leave it running when I get off the bike. Regardless, I have found it is, for reasons I don't understand, much easier to find with a little nudge down on the heel shift peg than up on the toe shift peg.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 330
Likes: 3
From:
Say what you will, but I say this" put some good trans fluid in the trans, such as redline or spectro, put some primary fluid , in the primary, such as formula + and your problem will be solved!"
I have NEVER had trouble finding neutral!
I have NEVER had trouble finding neutral!