Hey guys, I posted here a while back complaining that my first gear was popping. The problem is, when I am in first gear, sometime I will hear a loud clunk and the bike will jerk real bad. It kinda feels like the clutch is slipping, but after the loud clunk she will go just fine. It does not do it in any other gear.

I was told to check the chain in the transmission. I checked and tightened it. It did not fix it all.

What else could be wrong with it?

 

How old and how many miles has she done?

 

you have something stuck in your gears.

actually im not sure, but i would have the entire primary inspected along with the gearbox. could be anything

 

are you talking about a clunk when you shift it into first from neutral? If so I would love to know the reason too.

 

"It kinda feels like the clutch is slipping,"
If It was slipping,the engine would rev,but she wouldn't move much,that effect would be worse in first.
From standing,are you putting her In first and the bike jumps with the clutch In?....that would be clutch drag.
If you're already moving,and this clunk happens only In first....I think you may have a worn part.I've not been inside a Harley gearbox only Triumphs...If It was on one of them I could say you might have a worn gear,selector,bearing housing.....could be anything.
Like Joe said,have a look In the primary.....If you're handywith tools look In the clutch.....If you can't find anything,bad news,It's In the gearbox.

 

Its a 99 model, with about 40,000 miles.

 

So there Is possibility of wear and tear.......think you should check It out before something major happens.
So does It engage gear and pull away o.k....and then clunks?

 

Yeah it engages fine, and takes off, but it will clunk then re-engage and go fine. All the other gears do fine, although i think there may be a funny sound coming from the transmission. This is my first Harley so I dont know what its supposed to sound like.

 

Drew

My '99 does the same thing. I wonder if it is a synchronizer issue.

My tranny realy crunches going into first from neutral, and occasionally does the slip thing exactly like you describe. So often I do the old Volkswagon trick.

First gear was never synched in the old VWs, so I got in the habit if putting it into second from neutral and then swiftly into first. No crunch.

I do the same with the Sporty, and no crunch nor slip.

If you ever get it figured out, please keep me in the loop.

Thanks

 

broken tooth on first gear, sometimes they smoothly engage but once in awhile they mesh badly and it takes the power of the engine to overcome it. your messing it up worse and worse just replace it before it breaks in half inside the transmission like my third gear did...