Hey all,

I've found some different opinions on this, but nothing really specific to the M8 Touring line up.

It's my Ol' Lady's 2017 Road Glide Special. Almost 10k miles.

Recently she's complained about Neutral being hard to find. We've been running Syn3 in it, but I'm not married to that oil. It's also her third Harley so it's not her first rodeo either.
No complaints until this last day trip we took.

TIA

 

I have my clutch adjusted on the loose side at the clutch basket. I also run a lighter primary fluid. 15W40 Rotella T. Not saying it will help your situation. But I don't have any trouble finding neutral.

 

I've been thinking maybe the fluid should be swapped to a different weight/type. I have always ran Mobil 1 V-Twin oil in previous bikes, but not on these ones.
I have heard different reports of these new bikes not liking 20w-50 for anything but the engines. Maybe it's true....?

 

I run Mobil 1 V-Twin in my M8 primary, no problems shifting or finding neutral. Make sure the fluid level is not too high in the primary, sure fire reason to have trouble finding neutral.

 

Have you checked it for transfer?

 

I doubt it's the oil unless it's way too full. It truely takes practice. Alway from first gear, let clutch out to make sure it snatches in and really in first, re-clutch and pop it up into neutral.

Read your owners manual on oil. When SYN3 first came out, they put it in for that extra $$. It's a few more dollars a quart but they charge $10. It must be harder to pour out of the bottle for them.

A few years ago, in the manuals was changed back to formula + as #1 choice and SYN3 as second. From a engineer standpoint, you do not want the engine oil detergents or anti-friction additives in the primary or transmission without filters.

Detergents keep particles in suspensions to be caught in the oil filter. In the primary and transmission, you want it to settle and stick to the bottom. It will stay there in a gray buildup.

 

never ran anything but Formula+ in trans and primary in the dozen Harleys my wife and I owned .. finding neutral has not been a 'problem'..she's got a 2020 CVO now and it came with SYN3 all around, and she has almost 5000 miles on it and never mentioned any trouble..granted Harleys have never been 'snick it into gear as smooth as silk' transmissions but once you get accustomed to the technique it's second nature....you could ride it and see for yourself if you notice any change..or try a different fluid I guess...I'd be surprised if there's a 'problem' but it's possible I suppose

 

Before you do anything remove the derby cover and check the primary fluid level. Proper fill is when the bike is upright the fluid should just barely touch the clutch basket. If it's over filled it makes finding neutral much harder. If it's over filled (primary) check the transmission fluid level, if it's low then you have the typical fluid transfer problem.

 

yep and 99% of finding neutral is guys just dumping what the book says for oil capacity in the primary. I have never yet seen 2 bikes take the same amount..( or book amount).. most take 8-12oz less than manual says . As long as it hits ring gear you’ll never have a problem.. overfill? Nothing but headaches. Also using synthetic oil in primary is exactly what your not supposed to do.... friction modifiers are ok in your motor if you need to spend the extra money.. but actually not good for clutchs ....
its what works doing many bikes and years all the way back to 60s... Do as you feel works.

 

As most people said make sure oil level in primary is correct and I like Formula+