Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,698
Likes: 11
From: Longview, Washington
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
Spoke with a service writer at the dealer. Said he had one yesterday doing the same thing.
Told me that the shifter shaft may be too tight in the bushing. They take it out, polish it up, lube it up, and then it will work correctly. I have my doubts so we'll see.
They offered to pick it up on Wedensday since they have another pickup here already. It's a 60 mile one way trip so i'm glad to let them do it.
They'll also be working on the cruise contol for the 4th time. Ugh! Trying to keep smiling.
On a positive note . . . we rode over 500 miles this weekend. Saturday up the Columbia Gorge and Sunday out toward the Oregon Coast. Lots of twisty roads. GREAT FUN!!
If you're from Portland, Oregon you know what I mean about the roads around Vernonia and Mist off highways 26 and 30.
Thanks for eveyone who posted trying to help me with the downshift issue. If the fix works I will let everyone know. BTW, I heard that some guys are drilling and installing a grease fitting in that boss. This must be the reason????
Steve
(from Longview)
Told me that the shifter shaft may be too tight in the bushing. They take it out, polish it up, lube it up, and then it will work correctly. I have my doubts so we'll see.
They offered to pick it up on Wedensday since they have another pickup here already. It's a 60 mile one way trip so i'm glad to let them do it.
They'll also be working on the cruise contol for the 4th time. Ugh! Trying to keep smiling.
On a positive note . . . we rode over 500 miles this weekend. Saturday up the Columbia Gorge and Sunday out toward the Oregon Coast. Lots of twisty roads. GREAT FUN!!
If you're from Portland, Oregon you know what I mean about the roads around Vernonia and Mist off highways 26 and 30.
Thanks for eveyone who posted trying to help me with the downshift issue. If the fix works I will let everyone know. BTW, I heard that some guys are drilling and installing a grease fitting in that boss. This must be the reason????
Steve
(from Longview)
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 634
Likes: 8
From: Plum & Nearly
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
ORIGINAL: sifularson
Started having a problem downshifitng my 07 Road Glide today after riding over 400 miles with weekend.
Let me try to describe the issue. I'm going to call the dealer in the morning but I could use some feedback from forum members before I talk with them.
Here's what it started doing . . . Noticed it first when I had to stop quickly from 4th gear and was not able to downshift through the gears as I normally do. If I stop in a higher gear than 1st gear, I can't click down shift through the gears to get to 1st. When I try to take off, I'm in 3rd or 2nd rather than 1st. The shift lever goes down and stays down just like if it was in 1st, but it's not. BTW, I normally downshift through the gears so don't chide me for stopping in a higher gear. This is when I have to stop quickly and do not have time to downshift normally. This is a new behavior because I've always been able to click down through the gears when stopped. I have over 5000 miles on the bike so I know how it acts normally.
Seems like all this started happening after things got good and hot. We were riding pretty hard on some real twisty roads. Next thing I know it won't downshift normally. Felt like a real idiot when I tried to take off and I was in 2nd. Had to let out the clutch and then try to downshift again to 1st.
Hope this all makes sense. It is hard to describe really.
Has anyone had a similar problem? I could really use some help.
Hey Greg and Zach . . . What do you think?
Steve
Started having a problem downshifitng my 07 Road Glide today after riding over 400 miles with weekend.
Let me try to describe the issue. I'm going to call the dealer in the morning but I could use some feedback from forum members before I talk with them.
Here's what it started doing . . . Noticed it first when I had to stop quickly from 4th gear and was not able to downshift through the gears as I normally do. If I stop in a higher gear than 1st gear, I can't click down shift through the gears to get to 1st. When I try to take off, I'm in 3rd or 2nd rather than 1st. The shift lever goes down and stays down just like if it was in 1st, but it's not. BTW, I normally downshift through the gears so don't chide me for stopping in a higher gear. This is when I have to stop quickly and do not have time to downshift normally. This is a new behavior because I've always been able to click down through the gears when stopped. I have over 5000 miles on the bike so I know how it acts normally.
Seems like all this started happening after things got good and hot. We were riding pretty hard on some real twisty roads. Next thing I know it won't downshift normally. Felt like a real idiot when I tried to take off and I was in 2nd. Had to let out the clutch and then try to downshift again to 1st.
Hope this all makes sense. It is hard to describe really.
Has anyone had a similar problem? I could really use some help.
Hey Greg and Zach . . . What do you think?
Steve
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 101
From: Portland, OR
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
Happens to me too. What I do is let the clutch out just a little, then click down to first gear. Sometimes you will have to let the clutch out ( just a little) to get all the way down to first.
( let the clutch out a little, then take it back in )
( let the clutch out a little, then take it back in )
ORIGINAL: sifularson
Started having a problem downshifitng my 07 Road Glide today after riding over 400 miles with weekend.
Let me try to describe the issue. I'm going to call the dealer in the morning but I could use some feedback from forum members before I talk with them.
Here's what it started doing . . . Noticed it first when I had to stop quickly from 4th gear and was not able to downshift through the gears as I normally do. If I stop in a higher gear than 1st gear, I can't click down shift through the gears to get to 1st. When I try to take off, I'm in 3rd or 2nd rather than 1st. The shift lever goes down and stays down just like if it was in 1st, but it's not. BTW, I normally downshift through the gears so don't chide me for stopping in a higher gear. This is when I have to stop quickly and do not have time to downshift normally. This is a new behavior because I've always been able to click down through the gears when stopped. I have over 5000 miles on the bike so I know how it acts normally.
Seems like all this started happening after things got good and hot. We were riding pretty hard on some real twisty roads. Next thing I know it won't downshift normally. Felt like a real idiot when I tried to take off and I was in 2nd. Had to let out the clutch and then try to downshift again to 1st.
Hope this all makes sense. It is hard to describe really.
Has anyone had a similar problem? I could really use some help.
Hey Greg and Zach . . . What do you think?
Steve
Started having a problem downshifitng my 07 Road Glide today after riding over 400 miles with weekend.
Let me try to describe the issue. I'm going to call the dealer in the morning but I could use some feedback from forum members before I talk with them.
Here's what it started doing . . . Noticed it first when I had to stop quickly from 4th gear and was not able to downshift through the gears as I normally do. If I stop in a higher gear than 1st gear, I can't click down shift through the gears to get to 1st. When I try to take off, I'm in 3rd or 2nd rather than 1st. The shift lever goes down and stays down just like if it was in 1st, but it's not. BTW, I normally downshift through the gears so don't chide me for stopping in a higher gear. This is when I have to stop quickly and do not have time to downshift normally. This is a new behavior because I've always been able to click down through the gears when stopped. I have over 5000 miles on the bike so I know how it acts normally.
Seems like all this started happening after things got good and hot. We were riding pretty hard on some real twisty roads. Next thing I know it won't downshift normally. Felt like a real idiot when I tried to take off and I was in 2nd. Had to let out the clutch and then try to downshift again to 1st.
Hope this all makes sense. It is hard to describe really.
Has anyone had a similar problem? I could really use some help.
Hey Greg and Zach . . . What do you think?
Steve
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,532
Likes: 7
From: Rochester N.Y.
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
In response to your thoughts on making the primary greaseable , I did mine when it was almost new and the shaft felt like it was tightening up then.
If you disconnect the front link on the shifter , the shifter should fall on the floorboard (if there is not a heel shifter).
I suppose if the shift shaft doesn't return to it's neutral position , the next gear may not select at all.
I just grabbed a 1/4x28 (I think) grease fitting and drilled the primary (with the shaft out) for the proper size tap.
After to tap was run through , I cleaned the burrs inside the primary shaft hole.
I noticed the older bikes had this done already , and it seemed like a good idea for durability , so 20 minutes , and $2.00 later it was done.
Here's a shot of mine.
Surely can't hurt to do it if you think it's a problem.
I setup the fitting aimed forward so it looked like the bikes I had seen years ago.
Hope you get it figured out.
Good luck.
Mick
If you disconnect the front link on the shifter , the shifter should fall on the floorboard (if there is not a heel shifter).
I suppose if the shift shaft doesn't return to it's neutral position , the next gear may not select at all.
I just grabbed a 1/4x28 (I think) grease fitting and drilled the primary (with the shaft out) for the proper size tap.
After to tap was run through , I cleaned the burrs inside the primary shaft hole.
I noticed the older bikes had this done already , and it seemed like a good idea for durability , so 20 minutes , and $2.00 later it was done.
Here's a shot of mine.
Surely can't hurt to do it if you think it's a problem.
I setup the fitting aimed forward so it looked like the bikes I had seen years ago.
Hope you get it figured out.
Good luck.
Mick
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,661
Likes: 2
From: Monroe, Louisiana
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
Never rode a bike you could shift down from 4th or 5th all the way to 1rst at a dead stopwithout manipulating the clutch. Sounds normal to me. I'll be surprised if they find anything wrong. Now if the shift lever is staying down (not springing back up) then something is wrong.
Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,698
Likes: 11
From: Longview, Washington
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
THIS FORUM ROCKS!
Yes, I'm yelling so everyone can hear it.
Thanks to all your replies to my request for help. I found the problem and fixed it myself. Let me explain.
I installed an extended shift lever a while back and I must have put it on too tight. Actually, I really didn't like it so I was removing it to put the stock lever back on. As soon as I loosened it, the lever came back up where it should be. It now springs back after every shift just like it should. The service writer at Latus also said that was the problem. I also think it got tighter when the engine heated up after a long day of riding.
Thanks for the info about installing a grease fitting. I'll be doing that soon. In the meantime I removed the shaft and applied a nice coating of never seize.
PROBLEM SOLVED!!
Thanks everyone for helping. Now I can sleep at night.
Steve
Yes, I'm yelling so everyone can hear it.
Thanks to all your replies to my request for help. I found the problem and fixed it myself. Let me explain.
I installed an extended shift lever a while back and I must have put it on too tight. Actually, I really didn't like it so I was removing it to put the stock lever back on. As soon as I loosened it, the lever came back up where it should be. It now springs back after every shift just like it should. The service writer at Latus also said that was the problem. I also think it got tighter when the engine heated up after a long day of riding.
Thanks for the info about installing a grease fitting. I'll be doing that soon. In the meantime I removed the shaft and applied a nice coating of never seize.
PROBLEM SOLVED!!
Thanks everyone for helping. Now I can sleep at night.
Steve
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
ORIGINAL: SG 1
Never rode a bike you could shift down from 4th or 5th all the way to 1rst at a dead stopwithout manipulating the clutch. Sounds normal to me. I'll be surprised if they find anything wrong. Now if the shift lever is staying down (not springing back up) then something is wrong.
Never rode a bike you could shift down from 4th or 5th all the way to 1rst at a dead stopwithout manipulating the clutch. Sounds normal to me. I'll be surprised if they find anything wrong. Now if the shift lever is staying down (not springing back up) then something is wrong.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
I haven't owned a bike where if I stopped in a 3rd or higher that it shifted cleanly down to 1st without working the clutch a little to get the dogs to engage...
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,577
Likes: 1
From: Lake Jem FL (pop 35)
RE: Downshifting problem . . . I need advice . . HELP!
ORIGINAL: Mick
In response to your thoughts on making the primary greaseable , I did mine when it was almost new and the shaft felt like it was tightening up then.
If you disconnect the front link on the shifter , the shifter should fall on the floorboard (if there is not a heel shifter).
I suppose if the shift shaft doesn't return to it's neutral position , the next gear may not select at all.
I just grabbed a 1/4x28 (I think) grease fitting and drilled the primary (with the shaft out) for the proper size tap.
After to tap was run through , I cleaned the burrs inside the primary shaft hole.
I noticed the older bikes had this done already , and it seemed like a good idea for durability , so 20 minutes , and $2.00 later it was done.
Here's a shot of mine.
Surely can't hurt to do it if you think it's a problem.
I setup the fitting aimed forward so it looked like the bikes I had seen years ago.
Hope you get it figured out.
Good luck.
Mick
In response to your thoughts on making the primary greaseable , I did mine when it was almost new and the shaft felt like it was tightening up then.
If you disconnect the front link on the shifter , the shifter should fall on the floorboard (if there is not a heel shifter).
I suppose if the shift shaft doesn't return to it's neutral position , the next gear may not select at all.
I just grabbed a 1/4x28 (I think) grease fitting and drilled the primary (with the shaft out) for the proper size tap.
After to tap was run through , I cleaned the burrs inside the primary shaft hole.
I noticed the older bikes had this done already , and it seemed like a good idea for durability , so 20 minutes , and $2.00 later it was done.
Here's a shot of mine.
Surely can't hurt to do it if you think it's a problem.
I setup the fitting aimed forward so it looked like the bikes I had seen years ago.
Hope you get it figured out.
Good luck.
Mick