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Primary/Transmission/Driveline/ClutchFind answers to general powertrain, primary and transmission. Have clutch issues and need suggestions? Post them here.
Let me start by saying I am completely new to Harley Davidson and to motorcycle technology so excuse my wording or questions as they already be common sense for many here.
I have the opportunity to get a 1340 evolution engine from one of my friends who has had it sitting in storage for quite a while now and I am considering building it up for reliable riding. My question is about transmissions. What are my factory transmission options? I can't seem to find much info on which ones come on which models. Also, which ones are the most reliable? I won't be taking the bike over 70 mph much and plan to stick to all backroads in my area.
Building a motorcyle from an engine "someone had sitting in the garage for a while" is risky and very expensive unless you have lots and lots of experience.
My 2 cents worth would be to look for a reasonably priced softail, if you are so inclined, in good condition and go from there. Any homebuilt bike is hard to insure and expensive to build. Most people just end up with a pile of ebay purchases. I have purchase a few of these started projects and have helped out ( at a cost) people that have started to build and did not have the know how to finish it. When someone on a TV show builds a bike it only shows the assembly not the knowledge and the equipment used to get to that point. Unless you have the know how and a shop full of the proper equipment, don't do it.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.