Transmission Questions
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
Transmission Questions
Sort of a very vague question, but what are the signs of needing transmission work?
Clunkiness when shifting?
Trouble Upshifting?
Trouble Downshifting?
Trouble finding neutral?
Reason why I ask is that I have always had a sort of clunk noise when I downshift the bike especially if the bike is moving at faster speeds while say approaching a red light. If I wait until I'm fully stopped or close to it and downshift then it doesn't "clunk."
I also have problems finding neutral. I just sort of attribute this to the fact that I have poorly designed forward controls on my bike.
Are these symptoms of the bike needing some transmission work? At the moment I have the clutch pulled to fix an oil leak from the kick starter shaft plug so right now would be the best time to do it.
Anyone want to chime in here?
Clunkiness when shifting?
Trouble Upshifting?
Trouble Downshifting?
Trouble finding neutral?
Reason why I ask is that I have always had a sort of clunk noise when I downshift the bike especially if the bike is moving at faster speeds while say approaching a red light. If I wait until I'm fully stopped or close to it and downshift then it doesn't "clunk."
I also have problems finding neutral. I just sort of attribute this to the fact that I have poorly designed forward controls on my bike.
Are these symptoms of the bike needing some transmission work? At the moment I have the clutch pulled to fix an oil leak from the kick starter shaft plug so right now would be the best time to do it.
Anyone want to chime in here?
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Likes: 6
From: 500 miles south from Artic Circle
Symptoms what you mentioned are related to clutch. It isn't very expensive or hard to replace gearbox bearings at same time.
Hit tammer in google and you find some...
Look good article about rebuild from here : http://71.42.59.226/hotxl.html
Hit tammer in google and you find some...
Look good article about rebuild from here : http://71.42.59.226/hotxl.html
In my experience the symptoms that you describe are perfectly normal, especially with forward controls, and most especially if they are those Daniel Boone fwd ctls that sit way forward.
One way to check this out is to install mid controls. When i did this on my bike all the shifting problems went away. I would still get the clunk while shifting, but that is truely a characteristic not an indication of anything wrong.
One way to check this out is to install mid controls. When i did this on my bike all the shifting problems went away. I would still get the clunk while shifting, but that is truely a characteristic not an indication of anything wrong.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,852
Likes: 2,493
From: Decatur, Alabama
The clunk is normal. Having a hard time finding neutral is either clutch or linkage related. On my bike, it is a little hard to shift when cold so I baby it for a little bit in first, then sneak it into second. Once in second for a couple hundred yards i'm good to go for the day. Shifts like butter and nuetral is easier to find than on the Road King. When I got my bike years ago, 3rd gear had a few teeth broken and it would slip bad in that gear. I think the 3rd gear thing is a common problem with ironheads.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
If I ever got on an ironhead and put it into gear hearing nothing but a 'snick' I think I'd jump right off it. A 'CLA-s-s-s--CLUNK' is the normal sound you get.
Not being able to find neutral easily is a result of the clutch in my opinion. The Sportster clutch has always been a bit on the draggey side and that is one of the reasons the gear engagement is so noisy and abrupt. If you roll the bike down the driveway and put it into gear while rolling, you will notice the CLUNK is not as bad. Spinning gears will shift better than non moving gears. This is just the nature of the beast.
And it is not just the Sportster either. My 2003 Dyna does the same thing, especially when it's cold and first starts up. After warm up it does shift with less commotion than the Sporty, but it still clunks like a Harley, not a snick like a Honda.
I do not think you are having transmission problems. If the trans jumps out of gear as you are going down the road..... then there are problems. This is the result of the shifter pawls and/or shift cam plate becoming worn.
If it will not go into gear....... This is usually a problem with the shifter forks having been bent.
If you have ever seen someone get on a Sportster (especially a big guy) that is sitting still and they want to put it into first gear, but it will not go. Then the guy starts to jam the shift lever down with great force! Stomp, Stomp!
All this is going to do is bend the shifter forks.
What he should do instead is simply roll the bike forward and backward a little and it will go right into gear. The teeth and the notches have to be lined up fairly close to engage the gears......... pg
Not being able to find neutral easily is a result of the clutch in my opinion. The Sportster clutch has always been a bit on the draggey side and that is one of the reasons the gear engagement is so noisy and abrupt. If you roll the bike down the driveway and put it into gear while rolling, you will notice the CLUNK is not as bad. Spinning gears will shift better than non moving gears. This is just the nature of the beast.
And it is not just the Sportster either. My 2003 Dyna does the same thing, especially when it's cold and first starts up. After warm up it does shift with less commotion than the Sporty, but it still clunks like a Harley, not a snick like a Honda.
I do not think you are having transmission problems. If the trans jumps out of gear as you are going down the road..... then there are problems. This is the result of the shifter pawls and/or shift cam plate becoming worn.
If it will not go into gear....... This is usually a problem with the shifter forks having been bent.
If you have ever seen someone get on a Sportster (especially a big guy) that is sitting still and they want to put it into first gear, but it will not go. Then the guy starts to jam the shift lever down with great force! Stomp, Stomp!
All this is going to do is bend the shifter forks.
What he should do instead is simply roll the bike forward and backward a little and it will go right into gear. The teeth and the notches have to be lined up fairly close to engage the gears......... pg
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: West Tennessee
I was thinking that my tranny was fine, but I figured I would ask while the bike's clutch was out.
PG your dead on. I'm used to my old yamaha 750 that when you shift its a normal quiet shift into gear. Then I came over to the sporty and lord it sounds like your breaking the gear when downshifting.
PG your dead on. I'm used to my old yamaha 750 that when you shift its a normal quiet shift into gear. Then I came over to the sporty and lord it sounds like your breaking the gear when downshifting.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,605
Likes: 82
From: nj
Mine clungs going into first only Nuetral and the other gears are like butter shifts smoothly, then again i don't beat on her
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
From: indiana
if it was a clutch problem wouldnt it show up aslo slipping or dragging.i to have a hard time getting into neutral stopped or rolling. it goes either into 1st. or 2nd. once in a great while when the gods are smiling it goes into neutral i have strange feeling shift forks are worn or bent slightly love the clunky chunky of the gears
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 45
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trans problems
supr2nr, with the chain off the sprocket and the trans in neutral spin the input shaft by hand 1:listen for a grinding bearing,2:feel for smooth operation, any stiff or hard spots will indicate problems(i found a bent shaft in mine),then do this again while shifting up and down thru the gears with the other hand.i didn't have any indication of problems with my trans while riding(i agree with everybody else, if it doesn't clunck your not on a hd) i found the bent shaft during a rebuild.
jtmon75
jtmon75