This is my first Harley, so please forgive me if this is an obvious fix!

I took my Softail out for it's first test run last night & noticed that I have to tap the shifter twice to downshift. I've removed the heel shifter & had to adjust the toe shifter downward, due to an ankle injury (I can't flex my foot upwards) Could this be a lever angle issue maybe?

I did change our my transmission fluid. Replaced it with 23oz of 85w/140 (as suggested on the forum) & up-shifting is very smooth, although neutral is tough to find at a standstill, but I understand that that's just one of those harley things.

 

First thing to check is your shifter and linkage. Make sure nothing is binding or hitting off the primary causing issues shifting.
If that all is tight and correct with no slop, you should check your clutch adjustment at the hub and cable. If this is all within spec and your primary chain isnt too tight, you may need to do a pawl adjustment. To check if your shifter pawl is in spec, shift the bike by hand into 3rd gear and gently move the shift linkage back and forth without changing gear. Watch the shift arm (the bit that your linkage connects to behind the inner primary) to see how much play there is when you push forward / backward as it should need to travel equal distance from a rest position. If it seems like there is more travel one way or the other, you need to adjust it.

Edited to say, hard to find neutral is not a thing. If everything mentioned is set to spec, you wont struggle to find it.

 

I would leave well enough alone, unless your shift lever has an obstruction problem. Clutch adjustment, shifter pawll opens up new cans of worms.

 

Kick it to neutral before you stop. Easy.

 

Thanks for the tips! I switched out the clutch cable (it came wearing 16" apes) & checked & adjusted pushrod play at the same time. I left around 1/16" play in the lever after coming a half turn off the pushrod. I'll double check all my linkage adjustments for contact tonight.

 

Make sure the shift lever at the transmission is tight onto the shaft, no wobble whatsoever.

 

Evidently some think that routine adjustments are rocket science.

 

Along with the good above recommendations, make sure you do not have too much fluid in the primary.

 

Also, What year is your Softail? It could be that the spring plate in the clutch pack is starting to come apart. When mine started going, I noticed it first when downshifting.

 

Yes on the check, and making sure that the lifter arm to shaft is tight, and that when the arm moves, the shifter output shaft moves with it.

As for the neutral thing and everything adjusted correctly above,
just depends on the clutch outer basket bearing, and if needs to be replaced of not.
Easy check on the bearing, remove the clutch pack, get rear tire off ground, put trans into gear, and spin the rear tire while watching the clutch outer basket. If outer basket edges start to move in and out badly as inner hub is being spun by rear tire through the trans, then time to not only replace the outer basket bearing, but check the start of the inner hub spines where it mates to the shaft. Hence inner hub should be spinning on shaft with no run out to it.
If you have run out of inner hub, then pull it, check is start of splines for damage,and even check the trans input shaft to make sure it not bent/bad bearing in the trans for it.