When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So....this might be a strange question, but I'm just not sure if this is "normal". When I shift my bike into 1st gear, it really "clunks" (best word I can think of) . Is that a Harley thing, or is there something wrong with it?? Just wonderin', cause my Kawasaki never did that.
MIne does, generally, too. However, I notice that if I hold the clutch in a wee bit longer, and am going the right speed for 1st gear, it tends not to. I think the engine running higher will tend to do that, as it's grabbing, instead of slipping into the right gear.
On takeoffs I try to always start the bike in neutral. I then will hold the clutch in and if possible roll the bike backwards and forward
a couple times. Usually falls into 1st gear with out the clunk.
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.