2020 M8 Downshifting issues
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Essex UK
2020 M8 Downshifting issues
Hi everyone,
Looking to see if anyone has experience of the problem I am having. Have searched the forums and found some possible hits on the same issue, but nothing definite.
Bike is a 2020 Sport Glide with 8000 miles.
Since i've had it, it has a recurring but intermittent downshifting issue.
When downshifting, I encounter an issue where the shift lever will depress, but no gear will select. The lever will return back to position. You then have to depress the lever again, sometimes once, sometimes a few times, and eventually it will click into gear. Selecting the next lower gear, again randomly, it may go straight in or need a few presses. It will happen randomly, Yesterday for example, it will downshift fine for a while then randomly have this issue, then be fine, then reoccur.
Also, again randomly, in first gear, you can sometimes press the shifter down, instead of having the 'hard stop'. After one or two pushes, the shifter stays put and you can not press it down.
Upshifting is fine, neutral is easy to find, no whining or jumping out of gears, or worn clutch symptoms. I have stripped and greased the external linkages and adjusted the clutch as per the service manual.
The bike was serviced by Harley at 5k miles, I have engine/primary/transmission specific oils ready to change, but have been reluctant to change before stripping things down.
I am wondering if this is a problem with the shifter pawl - could it be 'skipping' over the selector drum? I am certainly no expert with gears, but if the shifter is moving down in 1st, would that point to either a faulty pawl or drum?
i do like to do work myself, in this case it would involve buying the tools for the primary removal and/or pawl removal, so was just looking for some advice on an area to concentrate on.
Many thanks.
Matt
Looking to see if anyone has experience of the problem I am having. Have searched the forums and found some possible hits on the same issue, but nothing definite.
Bike is a 2020 Sport Glide with 8000 miles.
Since i've had it, it has a recurring but intermittent downshifting issue.
When downshifting, I encounter an issue where the shift lever will depress, but no gear will select. The lever will return back to position. You then have to depress the lever again, sometimes once, sometimes a few times, and eventually it will click into gear. Selecting the next lower gear, again randomly, it may go straight in or need a few presses. It will happen randomly, Yesterday for example, it will downshift fine for a while then randomly have this issue, then be fine, then reoccur.
Also, again randomly, in first gear, you can sometimes press the shifter down, instead of having the 'hard stop'. After one or two pushes, the shifter stays put and you can not press it down.
Upshifting is fine, neutral is easy to find, no whining or jumping out of gears, or worn clutch symptoms. I have stripped and greased the external linkages and adjusted the clutch as per the service manual.
The bike was serviced by Harley at 5k miles, I have engine/primary/transmission specific oils ready to change, but have been reluctant to change before stripping things down.
I am wondering if this is a problem with the shifter pawl - could it be 'skipping' over the selector drum? I am certainly no expert with gears, but if the shifter is moving down in 1st, would that point to either a faulty pawl or drum?
i do like to do work myself, in this case it would involve buying the tools for the primary removal and/or pawl removal, so was just looking for some advice on an area to concentrate on.
Many thanks.
Matt
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,863
Likes: 7,981
From: poway
Based on what you wrote.
I would guess that either the shift arm mechanism is not returning to center, or the shift pawl is getting hung up on something.. Not sure about the sport glide tranny top cover accessibility but you might be able to pull the cover and observe the mechanism function.. Rear wheel off the ground and while rotating it the rear wheel observe the mechanism.. One thing can try while riding when the problem occurs is lift a little on the lever and try down shifting again. That will tell you if the pawl is not centered on the drum correctly.
Have you owned the bike since new? Maybe it was crashed an some of the mechanism was bent?
Also, again randomly, in first gear, you can sometimes press the shifter down, instead of having the 'hard stop'. After one or two pushes, the shifter stays put and you can not press it down.
Have you owned the bike since new? Maybe it was crashed an some of the mechanism was bent?
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Essex UK
Thanks for the reply. Haven't owned the bike since new, had it a couple of years. I should be able to take the cover off, think if i take the oil return line off from the left side and the preload adjuster from the right, along with the side covers should give enough access. I plan to get it on the lift next week. If memory serves, I did test the pushing up on the shifter and it seemed to work.
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Essex UK
No, when decelerating. But it will happen the same regardless if the bike is at a standstill, and regardless of revs.
Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Essex UK
Ok, had time to put the bike on the stand for a quick play.
There is axial play on the shifter pawl shaft, a few mm in and out. No idea if this is normal.
I can recreate the problem shifting by moving the wheel back and forward.
When the downshift is normal, there is an audible click when the shift lever is released and returns to its centred position.
When the problem occurs, there is no audible click, the lever can be depressed, it just moves down and returns under spring pressure. Turning the wheel has no effect on it in this state (as in the small amount of rotation possible in gear).
If i pull the lever attached to the shift pawl out towards the primary, you get the audible click, and the next press on the lever will select the next gear down as usual.
Is this suggesting the shifer pawl/bushings are worn and/or binding?
There is axial play on the shifter pawl shaft, a few mm in and out. No idea if this is normal.
I can recreate the problem shifting by moving the wheel back and forward.
When the downshift is normal, there is an audible click when the shift lever is released and returns to its centred position.
When the problem occurs, there is no audible click, the lever can be depressed, it just moves down and returns under spring pressure. Turning the wheel has no effect on it in this state (as in the small amount of rotation possible in gear).
If i pull the lever attached to the shift pawl out towards the primary, you get the audible click, and the next press on the lever will select the next gear down as usual.
Is this suggesting the shifer pawl/bushings are worn and/or binding?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,863
Likes: 7,981
From: poway
Ok, had time to put the bike on the stand for a quick play.
There is axial play on the shifter pawl shaft, a few mm in and out. No idea if this is normal.
I can recreate the problem shifting by moving the wheel back and forward.
When the downshift is normal, there is an audible click when the shift lever is released and returns to its centred position.
When the problem occurs, there is no audible click, the lever can be depressed, it just moves down and returns under spring pressure. Turning the wheel has no effect on it in this state (as in the small amount of rotation possible in gear).
If i pull the lever attached to the shift pawl out towards the primary, you get the audible click, and the next press on the lever will select the next gear down as usual.
Is this suggesting the shifer pawl/bushings are worn and/or binding?
There is axial play on the shifter pawl shaft, a few mm in and out. No idea if this is normal.
I can recreate the problem shifting by moving the wheel back and forward.
When the downshift is normal, there is an audible click when the shift lever is released and returns to its centred position.
When the problem occurs, there is no audible click, the lever can be depressed, it just moves down and returns under spring pressure. Turning the wheel has no effect on it in this state (as in the small amount of rotation possible in gear).
If i pull the lever attached to the shift pawl out towards the primary, you get the audible click, and the next press on the lever will select the next gear down as usual.
Is this suggesting the shifer pawl/bushings are worn and/or binding?
I'd be more inclined to believe that the shaft snap ring popped out of it's grove and when downshifting the shaft is moving enough for the pawl to bind. You should not have 2mm axial play. Should be something like 0.3-0.5mm.
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4th Gear
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Thread Starter
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Essex UK
Quick update. Decided to take the inspection cover off first so i could observe the pawl action before stripping things down.
When the issue happened, the pawl would not drop into position fully, and pushing the lever down meant it would just drag over the shift drum nubs. You could reset it by a gentle touch down on the pawl, or moving the gear lever back a hair so it would drop down.
The spring was undamaged, and was pushing the pawl down fine most of the time. As a bit of a shot to nothing, i covered everything up, took the spring off the pawl and gently filed a hairs breadth of metal off the inside of the pawl.
Haven't road tested yet, but spent 10 minutes moving the tyre back and forth and going up and down the box without a single hang up, where as before it would not drop down fully about 5-10% of the time.
Will report back after a road test.
When the issue happened, the pawl would not drop into position fully, and pushing the lever down meant it would just drag over the shift drum nubs. You could reset it by a gentle touch down on the pawl, or moving the gear lever back a hair so it would drop down.
The spring was undamaged, and was pushing the pawl down fine most of the time. As a bit of a shot to nothing, i covered everything up, took the spring off the pawl and gently filed a hairs breadth of metal off the inside of the pawl.
Haven't road tested yet, but spent 10 minutes moving the tyre back and forth and going up and down the box without a single hang up, where as before it would not drop down fully about 5-10% of the time.
Will report back after a road test.
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