Loud shifting noise
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,289
Likes: 22
From: Beautiful Downtown Burbank
Beacuse you cant hear the clunk if youre already in gear.
If the pipes dont wake up the neighbors, the clunk will
If the pipes dont wake up the neighbors, the clunk will
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,881
Likes: 34
From: USA
The lurching is cold oil drag on the clutch plates in your primary which disappears when the bike warms up. If not, you need a clutch adjustment. HD formula+ is a 50w oil and is thick when cold so the clutch plates stick a bit.
I use redline MTL in my primary which is a GL4 70w80 gear oil that pours like a 5w30 motor oil. It reduces the cold drag. You can use a MC rated 10w40 oil or Synthetic ATF like Mobil1 and that will work as well. Syn3 will also drag just a bit less. To reduce the shift clunk use an 85w140 or higher GL5 gear oil in the transmission. I use redline shockproof heavy 75w250 gear oil in mine. If you use a syn gear oil you can run it 15-20,000 miles as well.
Hope this helps...FWIW you will never get rid of 100% of the clunk...its a Harley. They ALL clunk.
I use redline MTL in my primary which is a GL4 70w80 gear oil that pours like a 5w30 motor oil. It reduces the cold drag. You can use a MC rated 10w40 oil or Synthetic ATF like Mobil1 and that will work as well. Syn3 will also drag just a bit less. To reduce the shift clunk use an 85w140 or higher GL5 gear oil in the transmission. I use redline shockproof heavy 75w250 gear oil in mine. If you use a syn gear oil you can run it 15-20,000 miles as well.
Hope this helps...FWIW you will never get rid of 100% of the clunk...its a Harley. They ALL clunk.
Banned
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Roopville,Ga. 30170
cover
pull your round primary cover . this will be where your clutch pack is located an in the center of the clutch pack there will be a hex nut with a allen wrench hole in the center . place a allen wrench in the center an turn the hex nut farward to loosen the hex nut enough to stop the drag on the clutches . press an release the clutch lever to check for about an inch of clearance on the lever an tighten the jam nut an put the cover back on . this should stop the farward motion when starting . I hope I helped . Duane 08 Blue Ultra # 617849 Born 8-02-07
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
From: Western New York
Mine clanks so damn loud at red lights that its embarrassing!
I always put my bike in neutral before I shut it off. This means I can reach over, turn the key, hit the starter and let it warm up while I'm putting my clothes on, helmet secured and gloves snugged up. Then I ever so cooly throw my left leg over the seat and square myself off on the seat like Marlin Brando and ride off into the moonlight leaving all the spectators to say "wow, did you see that dude?"!
Leaving your bike in gear when not running is inviting trouble in my mind. If nothing else, the clutch pressure is just one more thing for the starter to overcome when firing up.
I always put my bike in neutral before I shut it off. This means I can reach over, turn the key, hit the starter and let it warm up while I'm putting my clothes on, helmet secured and gloves snugged up. Then I ever so cooly throw my left leg over the seat and square myself off on the seat like Marlin Brando and ride off into the moonlight leaving all the spectators to say "wow, did you see that dude?"!
Leaving your bike in gear when not running is inviting trouble in my mind. If nothing else, the clutch pressure is just one more thing for the starter to overcome when firing up.
Last edited by YourOldDog; Jul 24, 2009 at 07:27 AM.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Banned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 7
From: Woodstock, Ont , Can
As a helo mech you use manuals. Get a service manual for your bike. Once you go through the manual and do a bit of work on it, it will be obvious why things make noise.
Starting in gear, cold is a bad idea for two reasons. Firstly the plates are stuck with oil and it will lurch before the plates break free. Secondly, the starter will have less load on it in nuetral. The only drag on it will be fluid in the gearbox, and with slow rpms at startup it's not much. Virtually all loud trans clunks on these things is caused from clutch drag by the plates needing to be broken free. Even though you pull the lever in to disengage the clutch surface tension on the plates are still behaving like they are engaged and produce some drive component in the system. It can only be altered by clutch adjustment or a lighter primary fluid. Due to the large rotational masses of the components it will never be eliminated, but the parts involved will take it with no ill effects.
Ron
Starting in gear, cold is a bad idea for two reasons. Firstly the plates are stuck with oil and it will lurch before the plates break free. Secondly, the starter will have less load on it in nuetral. The only drag on it will be fluid in the gearbox, and with slow rpms at startup it's not much. Virtually all loud trans clunks on these things is caused from clutch drag by the plates needing to be broken free. Even though you pull the lever in to disengage the clutch surface tension on the plates are still behaving like they are engaged and produce some drive component in the system. It can only be altered by clutch adjustment or a lighter primary fluid. Due to the large rotational masses of the components it will never be eliminated, but the parts involved will take it with no ill effects.
Ron
