Harley Davidson Forums

Softail Models Standard, Custom, Night Train, Deuce, Springer, Heritage, Fatboy, Deluxe, Rocker and Cross Bones.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

1997 Softail shifting

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 04:28 PM
Share
  #1  
Shinerunner1964's Avatar
Shinerunner1964
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Default 1997 Softail shifting
1997 softail won't go into neutral while running
 
Reply
0
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 04:35 PM
Share
  #2  
Uncle Larry's Avatar
Uncle Larry
Seasoned HDF Member
Veteran: Army
15 Year Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,631
Likes: 57,165
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Default
First thing I'd check is the clutch adjustment.
 
Reply
1
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 04:39 PM
Share
  #3  
Shinerunner1964's Avatar
Shinerunner1964
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Default
It has been adjusted, it's not dragging, cable has also been adjusted.
 
Reply
0
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 05:39 PM
Share
  #4  
Uncle G.'s Avatar
Uncle G.
Seasoned HDF Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,333
Likes: 3,883
From: Upstate New York
Default
Originally Posted by Shinerunner1964
It has been adjusted, it's not dragging, cable has also been adjusted.
Did you go inside the derby cover and perform the clutch pushrod adjustment? If not, you haven't adjusted the clutch.
 
Reply
1
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 06:10 PM
Share
  #5  
Shinerunner1964's Avatar
Shinerunner1964
Thread Starter
|
Stage III
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Default
Yes, we did go inside the derby cover.
 
Reply
0
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 07:46 PM
Share
  #6  
dibe's Avatar
dibe
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 465
Likes: 5
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Default
Welcome to the club. My 92 likes to do that too. It gets a little better once warmed up. I find it shifts into neutral the best when coming to a stop, bump it down into first gear, and then kick it into neutral. Good luck.
 
Reply
1
Old Jun 20, 2017 | 07:56 PM
Share
  #7  
misfitJason's Avatar
misfitJason
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,851
Likes: 1,389
From: Florida
Default
You need to do a shifter pawl adjustment. If that doesn't do the trick then you have to start checking parts for wear
 
Reply
1

Trending Topics

Old Jun 20, 2017 | 08:04 PM
Share
  #8  
smitty901's Avatar
smitty901
Seasoned HDF Member
Veteran: Army
15 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 23,004
Likes: 11,441
Default
Also check the chain adjustment in the primary not hard to do.
 
Reply
1
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-8

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jun 21, 2017 | 06:27 AM
Share
  #9  
Uncle G.'s Avatar
Uncle G.
Seasoned HDF Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,333
Likes: 3,883
From: Upstate New York
Default
Originally Posted by misfitJason
You need to do a shifter pawl adjustment. If that doesn't do the trick then you have to start checking parts for wear
Originally Posted by smitty901
Also check the chain adjustment in the primary not hard to do.
Both of these.
 
Reply
1
Old Jun 21, 2017 | 07:56 PM
Share
  #10  
hspring03's Avatar
hspring03
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,891
Likes: 54
From: Mansfield, MA
Default
It's an Evo. they do that sort of thing....
 
Reply
0



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:15 PM.

story-0
10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

Slideshow: Not every motorcycle can be a design icon, and these machines prove that bold styling doesn't always age gracefully.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-18 10:29:31


VIEW MORE
story-1
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-10 17:18:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-4
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-5
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-9
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE