Hard shifting into neutral?
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Joined: May 2009
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Hard shifting into neutral?
Hi,
I have a 98 Fatboy, that is extremly difficult to shift into neutral while the bike is idling or being ridden. It does not matter if you are shifting up from 1st or down from 2nd. When the bike is not running - it will shift effortlessly into neutral from 1st or 2nd.
The clutch was replaced last season, it has less than a 1000 miles on it. I had to replace the clutch cable last week, it was seized. We adjusted the clutch and the clutch cable. Drained the primary & transmission and refilled with RevTech 80-90w synthetic. I have put 300-400 miles since replacing the cable and adjusting everything. Sometimes the shift were hard, other times they were fine.
Today I readjusted the clutch and cable. After searching on the forum here, I adjusted the primary chain. The bike now seems to shift really nice up & down through the gears, but it is still difficult to get neutral while the bike is running. It seems to roll right past neutral. I would 9 times out of 10 it misses neutral.
I heave heard of people putting ATF in the primary, I was thinking of trying ATF in the primary. What are the pros and cons?
Could there be something else causing it to miss neutral? It is a pain in the *** at stoplights!
Thanks in advance.
Wayne
I have a 98 Fatboy, that is extremly difficult to shift into neutral while the bike is idling or being ridden. It does not matter if you are shifting up from 1st or down from 2nd. When the bike is not running - it will shift effortlessly into neutral from 1st or 2nd.
The clutch was replaced last season, it has less than a 1000 miles on it. I had to replace the clutch cable last week, it was seized. We adjusted the clutch and the clutch cable. Drained the primary & transmission and refilled with RevTech 80-90w synthetic. I have put 300-400 miles since replacing the cable and adjusting everything. Sometimes the shift were hard, other times they were fine.
Today I readjusted the clutch and cable. After searching on the forum here, I adjusted the primary chain. The bike now seems to shift really nice up & down through the gears, but it is still difficult to get neutral while the bike is running. It seems to roll right past neutral. I would 9 times out of 10 it misses neutral.
I heave heard of people putting ATF in the primary, I was thinking of trying ATF in the primary. What are the pros and cons?
Could there be something else causing it to miss neutral? It is a pain in the *** at stoplights!
Thanks in advance.
Wayne
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,100
Likes: 12,643
From: South Carolina
Make sure the primary is not overfilled, too much fluid will cause this problem.
You may have to take a little more slack out of the clutch pushrod (turn rod in) to get the clutch to disengage more, but don`t over do it, you want to be sure the clutch fully engages when the clutch lever is released.
Neutral has always been tough to find on my `89, but I adjust the clutch without regard to how hard it is to find neutral.
I don`t worry too much about finding neutral when I come to a light, I leave it in gear most of the time. If I need to get it into neutral, I just blip the throttle a little and it goes right in.
You may have to take a little more slack out of the clutch pushrod (turn rod in) to get the clutch to disengage more, but don`t over do it, you want to be sure the clutch fully engages when the clutch lever is released.
Neutral has always been tough to find on my `89, but I adjust the clutch without regard to how hard it is to find neutral.
I don`t worry too much about finding neutral when I come to a light, I leave it in gear most of the time. If I need to get it into neutral, I just blip the throttle a little and it goes right in.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Ever since I put new clutch plates in my evo I've had the smae problem not being able to find neutral. Iwas told to soak the plates in ATF before installing, no luck, I ran Amsoil ATF for 2 years in the primary, no luck. I've checked the plates, everything fine. I've got friends now that are running 20-50 in the motor and the primary and say its smooth and quiet. I'm trying the HD gold bottle syn tranny fluid now. I just put in a new clutch cable too. Still a bitch. Redline in the tranny works the best. I've got a M-6 on the chain so that shold be a factor. It's that fine line, a 1/4 -1 turn back with a fine tune at the cable. It's just a bitch to find that sweet spot, and I havent found it
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 719
Likes: 35
From: SE New Hampshire
Welcome to the "cant find neutral" club. My '06 FB has done this since new, tried different lubes, different clutch adjustments, I even have a totally different Barnett carbon fiber clutch setup and still the same $hit. It is what it is, I just ride...
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