First gear gear hard clunk,
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,192
Likes: 168
From: Knoxville, Tn
First Gear
The bike will shift in first gear easier from neutral or while it is still rolling. My dyna will not shift between gears, except neutral, while it is stopped.
Clunk is normal. A really good clutch adjustment and heavier trans oil will help some also.
Clunk is normal. A really good clutch adjustment and heavier trans oil will help some also.
Supporter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,788
Likes: 5,621
From: along the shore of Mishigami
I would do a complete clutch adjustment, lever and clutch pack. If you have a 20W50 oil in the primary try changing the oil out to a 10w40 or use the HD Formula+. Do the adjustment on a cold engine. Oil level just to the bottom of the clutch pack. The other oils being mentioned are for the transmission gear lube, I hope. I use a dime when adjusting the gap at the lever, insert the dime and adjust out till the dime falls out.
if my bike didn't clunk, i'd think something was wrong
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,385
Likes: 1,416
From: Northern NJ
I knew the clunk was addressed in the touring bikes with the M8, if it was addressed in the '17s with the 103s, that is new to me.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,896
Likes: 8,002
From: poway
The neutral to gear clunk stems from you HD not having a way to slow the transmission main shaft when shifting into first gear and small amounts of drag in the clutch.. The tranny uses a simple pins and corresponding slots or pins to engage the gear so when the two sides mate they bang together. How hard they bang depend on the velocity difference between the two sides as they engage and the mass of the spinning parts. Heavy oil in the tranny can act as a cushion to reduce the bang. Less drag between the clutch plates will allow the engagement velocity to be reduced. Lighter oil in the primary, less oil, better clutch adjustment, correcting other issues with dragging clutches can help.
Automotive standard transmissions have synchro clutches to achieve quiet first gear engagement plus helping with shifting between gears. Most motorcycle transmissions don't have space for the complexity of synchro clutches.
Automotive standard transmissions have synchro clutches to achieve quiet first gear engagement plus helping with shifting between gears. Most motorcycle transmissions don't have space for the complexity of synchro clutches.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,996
Likes: 417
From: Cranbourne, VIC Australia
You are correct, I thought that was understood.