Trying to be the politically correct ember that I am, I already tried the searches for softening the clutch in the Softail Forums and the results were too old and outdated; most info I read was based on personal opinions and not on personal experiences.

I recently purchased a 2011 Deluxe for my wife as an early retirement gift; an upgrade to her 2008 Nightster. I spent quite a bit of $$ trying to get that XL1200N just right for her by replacing the suspension, bars, seat, levers (adjustable ones) and clutch devices to soften it. Having spent so many hours researching, and trying different combinations, I found the right combination for her.

So as the title states, I needed to soften up the clutch pull so that it would be more comfortable for her to ride with me. Knowing which combinations worked and didn't, I went ahead and ordered parts.

First on my list was the AMP Research EZ-Pull, since it required the least amount of mechanical work. Although the number of new bikes that it will fit has diminished (since 2003 the company has taken up a new field of research ), I did a little investigating and found that the factory levers and clamps have not changed over the years, so it will fit directly without additional parts. Once the part arrived, installation was a breeze...

But wait, what's going on? Yeah, it went in nice and soft, but why isn't it releasing? After several hours of tinkering, and many conversations with Tech Support, I got it working, only to go bad again after 2 hours of riding. I ended up removing it while on the road so I can get home. As it turns out, HD did in fact did soften up the clutch by installing a softer pressure release spring, so the EZ-Pull could not use that added pressure to release on its own. So, if you have a pre-2003 Big Twin HD, this will work like a charm, without hours of labor. 2004-2006 XL's will need additional parts; thanks to EFI and the clutch safety switch, it will not work on 2007's and up XL's.

Back to square one. I had tremendous success with the Muller Power Clutch on all my other bikes, including 2004 XL883, 2005 XL883L, 2008 XL1200N and 2009 Buell XB12Scg. So I bit the bullet and placed the order.

Upon its arrival, I got out all the tools and began taking it apart. The steps are simple, but if you have no mechanical experience, don't do it alone. You can mess things up easily.

Get the bike as upright as posible. If you have a jack, that's better, but rememberthat you'll need access to the drain plug that is right between the rear shocks. If you don't have a jack, place a puck under the kickstand, but be careful that you don't push away from it.

With a catch pan uderneath it, remove the tranny drain plug (5/8") and while it's draining, loosen up the clutch cable adjuster while looking up at the lever making sure to not loosen too much (halfway in on the lever should be enough).

Next, open up the primary cover by removing the 5 Torx 27 screws in a star pattern. (some oil may spill, but not too much if the bike is upright). Next, you must loosen the center lock-nut (11/16") counterclockwise while holding the threaded adjustment screw with a 7/32" Allen key. Now loosen up the adjustment screw a few turns, so as to release pressure from the clutch spring.

You may need to loosen or remove the exhaust depending on what tools or even exhaust system you have. I did not have to remove the exhaust, as I have some modified allen keys, with rounded ends.

Remove the tranny gear cover by removing all 6 3/16" allen bolts, noting that the shortest 2 go on the top. (again, some fuild will drip, but you already drained it earlier.) Upon removing the cover carefully, you'll see the old ramp held in place iwth a large snap-ring inside the cover. Remove it and pull out the complete assembly taking note how it's all assembled. Replace all the parts, but re-use the ball bearings. Reinstall the tranny gear cover with a new gasket, since one it's been pressed, it cannot be reused as it will leak. Also reinstall the drain plug, and refill the tranny with fresh fluids (the fill hole is located above and behind the gear cover; you'll need a 3/8" allen to get it open.

Back to the primary side, you'll need to start by tightening up the clutch cable back to where it originally was set at, and lock it in place. Now start tightening the set screw until you start feeling pressure; Press the clutch lever several times to allow the new parts to set it, readjusting the set screw; back off the set screw 1/8 turn and tighten the set screw locknut. Readjust the clutch cable adjuster to allow about 2/3mm of play travel. Be sure to retighten all hardware, including the exaust.

Now go out in heavy traffic and test your new best friend!

P.S. I know I didn't take pictures, but my hands were greasy and didn't want to stop to clean up after each step. Hope these steps help you get some confidence on a simple do-it-yourself.

 

this makes the ez pull clutch harley uses even easier?