Any help on this would greatly be appreciated. I took my 99' Road King out for a run tonight, about 30 miles round trip, no issues. I got back into town stopped at a light. All the sudden my bike wasn't rolling when I let off the clutch. Clutch lever still has torque to it. However, I can roll in any in gear freely - I can cycle through my gears without issue(making me think it's more of a clutch issue than tranny issue, god I hope) I'm thinking the first place to start is pulling the derby cover tomorrow and loosening the hex nut all the way and seeing if the clutch will disengage and if it'll prevent me from being able to roll - I have no leaks, there's some grinding noise if I ship from N into 1st but no such issues with any other gear. Any advice would be greatly appreciated or general feedback as to what the issue might be. Thanks in advance.

 

Go to youtube and watch setting the clutch for an older Harley like yours. I assume your's is stock since there are many options people stick in these bikes that make thing different and complicated.. Actually what you describe as loosen it makes too much play for the lever to be able to pull in the clutch to disengage it. Make sure you understand it before you mess with it or take it to a good mechanic.

 

Doing this will cause the clutch to be engaged, go ahead and try this, and try rotating the rear wheel with the bike in gear.

If the rear wheel can`t be rotated, perform a clutch and cable adjustment according to the service manual.

If the wheel can be rotated, look at the clutch while you rotate the rear wheel, if the clutch is not rotating it probably means the front pulley is loose.

If the clutch is rotating, it may be a loose compensator nut.

 

Update: Pulled the derby cover, loosened the hex bolt, no difference. Rolled the wheel - clutch plates not rotating with the wheel - I can confirm the clutch moves with the clutch lever - so I have clutch, so I guess it's time to start working my way back past the clutch. I'll start at the front pulley and work my way from there.

 

Doesn't seem to be pulley related, I got good chain tension. Time to start looking at the trans?

 

The front pulley has nothing to do with a chain, the pulley drives the belt.

I think you are mixing up your nomenclature.

When you loosened the hex nut, did you back off the clutch adjuster stud?

You did have the bike in gear when you rotated the rear wheel, correct?

If the clutch does not rotate (transmission in gear, clutch engaged) with the rear wheel turning, it is most likely a loose front pulley.

 

Forgive me, car mechanics, i'm somewhat experienced - motorcycle mechanics i'm a newbie. I peeled off my saddle bag, lo and behold, no belt. I suppose that " slick patch " I felt my back wheel slide around on last night about a minute before the issue occurred was my belt shredding or something to that effect. Either way, no belt, no drive. Makes sense. Next step is getting that belt. I apologize for wasting your time over such an obvious issue. Cheers, ride safe.

 

No apologies needed. Glad you found the problem.

Be sure you have a genuine HD Service Manual before you start the job, and don`t hesitate to ask questions as you work on that project.

 

I think that your front belt pulley came loose and stripped the splines (You can turn the rear wheel and nothing in the primary turns with it?)

If so, you probably just need a new pulley because the splined mainshaft from the tranny is of a much harder metal. You'll find the pulley's splines are gone.

 

See post 7...