03 Softail downshift problem
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Palm Bay, Florida
03 Softail downshift problem
I’ve had an issue show up on my 03 Softail FXSTI the last couple of days and I was wondering if anyone has seen this before?
This issue has happened three times in the last three days so I’m guessing now it’s not just a fluke.
The problem is:
As I’m approaching a stop light ..and I’m attempting to down shift from 4th gear, I pull in the clutch and try to tap it down to 3rd, 2nd, then 1st there is nothing there. It almost feels like there is no gear to down shift to...just nothing. As I brake to slow down for the stop...if I let go of the clutch just a little and feather the throttle a little something will grab and I’m able to then down shift. Then the problem won’t show itself for another day. I’ve ridden to work the last three days and this happened once each day.
Do you think it’s my clutch cable that may need to be adjusted?
Thanks for reading my post...
This issue has happened three times in the last three days so I’m guessing now it’s not just a fluke.
The problem is:
As I’m approaching a stop light ..and I’m attempting to down shift from 4th gear, I pull in the clutch and try to tap it down to 3rd, 2nd, then 1st there is nothing there. It almost feels like there is no gear to down shift to...just nothing. As I brake to slow down for the stop...if I let go of the clutch just a little and feather the throttle a little something will grab and I’m able to then down shift. Then the problem won’t show itself for another day. I’ve ridden to work the last three days and this happened once each day.
Do you think it’s my clutch cable that may need to be adjusted?
Thanks for reading my post...
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 210
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From: Pacific Northwest
What speed are you slowing down to before you down shift from 4th? They don't like to shift out of the upper gears if you slow down to a crawl before down shifting.
Last edited by pnw_hd_rider; Oct 6, 2011 at 03:14 PM.
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From: Palm Bay, Florida
Maybe 40 or 45 mph when I approach a stop....but I've never had my bike do this during a downshift...at least not in the 28 years I've been riding.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 210
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From: Pacific Northwest
I've had it happen only in situations where I've had to brake unexpectedly at 50+ and come to almost a complete stop without having time to think about down shifting. In my experience, it's difficult to down shift if the bike is stopped or barely moving while in 4th or 5th gear (had to ease the clutch out a bit and pull it back in to get it to down shift).
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From: Utah
Put some lube on the shaft of the shifter control where it goes through the frame. Take it off to do it and use some water proof grease (white lithium for example).
Clean out the old gummed up grease before re-assembly.
C#
Clean out the old gummed up grease before re-assembly.
C#
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Palm Bay, Florida
I wanted to give a follow up to my original post and tell you guys what the resolution was to my downshifting problem. There is a guy at my work who is an x-Harley mechanic and he told me that he worked on a bike very recently with the exact same problem. He confirmed that it is most likely crud or gunk that has built up on the shift arm and that removing that shift arm assembly, cleaning it up and re-lubricating it should solve my problem. Well last week I stopped by my local Harley dealer and spoke with the service department and they asked me how long it had been since I had my clutch adjusted.
We figured it had been about 5,000 miles so they said I was actually due for a clutch adjustment also. They also agreed that the shift arm could quite possibly need to be cleaned and lubricated and this could also be part of my problem. They offered to do a clutch alignment and clean and lube the shift arm assembly for $45. I thought that sounded like a pretty good deal so I made an appointment.
Since Biketoberfest was that weekend they also recommended that I spray a bunch of WD-40 down at the base of the shift arm as a temporary fix…which I did that night. The WD-40 sat all the next Friday, and that Friday night I sprayed it down again in an attempt to let it really penetrate down in there. Let me tell you I really noticed a big difference in the shifting on Saturday. It seemed to shift a lot smoother. My appointment at the Harley dealer was last Sunday and they also did the clutch adjustment which also helped I think with my shifting. I believe the majority of my problem was with the shift arm needing to be re-lubricated but I also believe the clutch alignment helped. They mentioned also that I had too much primary case fluid in there so when they re-filled it, they filled it to the proper level. On my first Softail (87 FXST) I was told to fill the primary case fluid to just below the opening of the inspection cover. They told me on my 03 Softail the fill level is much less than that…(another lesson learned). Anyway she shifts like new now…and I wanted to share what I learned with anyone who wanted to see how this all turned out. Again…I appreciate everyone’s input. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
We figured it had been about 5,000 miles so they said I was actually due for a clutch adjustment also. They also agreed that the shift arm could quite possibly need to be cleaned and lubricated and this could also be part of my problem. They offered to do a clutch alignment and clean and lube the shift arm assembly for $45. I thought that sounded like a pretty good deal so I made an appointment.
Since Biketoberfest was that weekend they also recommended that I spray a bunch of WD-40 down at the base of the shift arm as a temporary fix…which I did that night. The WD-40 sat all the next Friday, and that Friday night I sprayed it down again in an attempt to let it really penetrate down in there. Let me tell you I really noticed a big difference in the shifting on Saturday. It seemed to shift a lot smoother. My appointment at the Harley dealer was last Sunday and they also did the clutch adjustment which also helped I think with my shifting. I believe the majority of my problem was with the shift arm needing to be re-lubricated but I also believe the clutch alignment helped. They mentioned also that I had too much primary case fluid in there so when they re-filled it, they filled it to the proper level. On my first Softail (87 FXST) I was told to fill the primary case fluid to just below the opening of the inspection cover. They told me on my 03 Softail the fill level is much less than that…(another lesson learned). Anyway she shifts like new now…and I wanted to share what I learned with anyone who wanted to see how this all turned out. Again…I appreciate everyone’s input. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
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