When my bike has not been rode for a few days it is very hard to shift form 1st to 2nd. Some times it can be hard from 2nd to 3rd, but not every time. I can shift from neutral to 1st without any problems. No load clunks, nothing else out of the norm. After shifting one time it is not a problem the rest of the day, but the next day it's the same thing. Just wondering if this is normal. None of the other bikes I have rode has ever been this way. Thanks in advance for all of your help.

 

Try some Ex-Lax ..

Wait, you said 'Shift'..
Have you tried Synthetic oil ? I thought my bike shifted harder then it should but was told it was fine by the dealer. He recommended Synthetic oil. Having used this for years on my Honda I had them changed the oil. It appeared to help.
Seems smoother but then for the extra $50 I spend it could just be me wanting it to.

 

My 2010 Ultra is hard to shift 1st to 2nd till it warms up,I hope it gets better in time.

 

Do you still have the heel shifter in place? I found when I removed mine it made it harder to move from 1 to 2. Once I put a spacer on the shaft, it shifted like brand new.

 

No, I was told that since my bike had so many miles on it (35,000) that I should not change to synthetic's.

It is a 2000 model so I would think it is prob as good as it gets. Just hope it does not get worse.

No I don't have the heel shifter but not sure this would be the cause since it only does it when the bike is cold.

 

If your linkage is all tight and your clutch is properly adjusted it could be the forks. If you or someone used too much force shifting into gear these forks will bend making shifting problematic.
Oh, by the way putting synthetic oil in at any time will not hurt , especially in the primary or tranny.

 

I was having a similar problam with my 99 RKC, at times I had to reach down with my hand and yank it from 1st to 2nd, my bike has a shift pawl adjustment, once that was adjusted correctly it worked/workes just fine.
I am not sure what year they went away from the pawl adjustment but it might be worth checking into.
Terry

 

I had a similar problem. Mine turned out to be gunk build up on the shaft that the shifter is connected to. I pulled it out, cleaned it, and re-greased it. It works fine now. Might want to take a look at it, seems to be a common issue.

 

Also agree with medic, insufficient grease on shaft will make shifting hard.

 

I guess the thing that I don't understand is that it is only hard to shift the first time you shift it for the day. After that it is very smooth and easy. I thank everyone for their help and I will check all the mentioned items.