No More Clunk
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
C'mon now; the "OH CRAP" in caps, and "something broke" are sarcastic/ironic phrasing. No surprise that many of the replies took a similar approach and tone.
Enjoy the "clunkless" shifting and fondly remember the clunk; like some might miss the "good ol' days" when you wouldn't take a Harley out without a couple extra spark plugs, a quart of oil, and a good tool kit.
Carl
Enjoy the "clunkless" shifting and fondly remember the clunk; like some might miss the "good ol' days" when you wouldn't take a Harley out without a couple extra spark plugs, a quart of oil, and a good tool kit.
Carl
Kind of like when I installed my VPC to reduce the effort pulling in my clutch lever. It felt like I broke my clutch cable the first time I used it (the pull was so easy).
It really felt like I broke my cable. My grandma can pull my clutch lever with one finger. Yet I get great bite (no clutch slip) when banging the gears. Sarcasm? No.
Trying to share a "new find" like the fix for the problematic stock tensioner, then getting all these insulting replys,..... kind of makes a guy not bother to share "new finds" with anybody.
Why bother? No one is interested.
You try to help then get pissed on. Screw that!
In case you haven't noticed, I also run one of the new found tensioners that the OP "tried" to let you know about. Shifts are so smooth you often think you didn't shift (until you let the clutch out).
Keep your clunks and enjoy them. I shall stick to silly off topic posts.
No one seems to give a **** about improving their bikes.
Tech forum? My ***.
.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 415
Likes: 0
From: SE Missouri
Laugh, but seriously, I thought I was damaging the bike putting it into gear. I've even thought about starting it in gear. It sounds so abrupt. I'm glad to find out this is the standard. I don't remember my 97 FLHTC doing it, but that was about eight years ago. Thanks for all the sarcasm I feel more at ease about slamming this thing into first gear. No more ***** footing around.
Thread Starter
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 37
From: Boise Idaho
I think you guys have misunderstood me, the clunk never bothered me and I'm not the one that said it's a problem.
All I'm saying is it's gone and either the oil or the tensioner stopped it!!
All I'm saying is it's gone and either the oil or the tensioner stopped it!!
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
Laugh, but seriously, I thought I was damaging the bike putting it into gear. I've even thought about starting it in gear. It sounds so abrupt. I'm glad to find out this is the standard. I don't remember my 97 FLHTC doing it, but that was about eight years ago. Thanks for all the sarcasm I feel more at ease about slamming this thing into first gear. No more ***** footing around.
You can also accept it and live with it. Tell everybody how "normal" it is.
Your choice.
But as with anything in life, it ain't "normal" just cuz someone told you it was. I can't believe it took the aftermarket three years to come up with a fix.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 602
Likes: 51
From: central MN
You don't have to live with it. You can make it right.
You can also accept it and live with it. Tell everybody how "normal" it is.
Your choice.
But as with anything in life, it ain't "normal" just cuz someone told you it was. I can't believe it took the aftermarket three years to come up with a fix.
You can also accept it and live with it. Tell everybody how "normal" it is.
Your choice.
But as with anything in life, it ain't "normal" just cuz someone told you it was. I can't believe it took the aftermarket three years to come up with a fix.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 555
Likes: 1
From: San Diego
that was totally funny... i thought man i wished my bike didn't sound like the motor was falling out every time i put it in first...
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,570
Likes: 2
From: East Tennessee
You guys seem to think the clunk is a problem. If mine dont clunk, it stays at home. I race high perfomance boats and if my outdrive don't clunk when I put it in gear, I don't race. If you have ever seen a boat zinging down the lake at 90+ mph and you see the drive and/or 600-1000 HP engine blow all to hell, you would understand why the clunk is so important. When I hear the clunk, I know it is ok to bring my 730HP power plant up to full throttle.
Throughout the years I have been racing, I have saw a lot of newbies come into the sport and most all of them have attempted to get rid of the clunk. Some have used Redline gear oil to pad the gears and get rid of the clunk and it usually works. That clunk on boats is the same the clunk on bikes. It tells you that your gears have engaged properly. If you don't hear the clunk, you don't know if your gears engaged properly or your gear oil silenced it.
If the clunk was a problem, neither Mercruiser nor Harley would let them out of the factory with it. I would much rather hear the clunk than pay a mechanic to get the clunk back.
As for the original poster, I believe I would have my bike checked out before I rode it much more.
Throughout the years I have been racing, I have saw a lot of newbies come into the sport and most all of them have attempted to get rid of the clunk. Some have used Redline gear oil to pad the gears and get rid of the clunk and it usually works. That clunk on boats is the same the clunk on bikes. It tells you that your gears have engaged properly. If you don't hear the clunk, you don't know if your gears engaged properly or your gear oil silenced it.
If the clunk was a problem, neither Mercruiser nor Harley would let them out of the factory with it. I would much rather hear the clunk than pay a mechanic to get the clunk back.
As for the original poster, I believe I would have my bike checked out before I rode it much more.
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 4
From:
what a pant load!!!!!
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Good posting, HalfFast (say that real fast)
I've caught a few gears that I didn't really feel or hear and was afraid what would happen when I let out the clutch. Being Halfway engaged is a recipe for disaster on most machines. Now that I'm used to the heaviness of the Harley clunk, I'm ready for the Amsoil that is supposed to reduce, but not get rid of it. I'm on synthetic now but no idea what's in the tranny.
I ride with a guy on a 1500 Honda and a guy on some big Kawasaki - they both clunk into first, so the big metrics are copycatting more than just the riding positions.
One of you said something about letting the clutch in and out - as soon as you let it out, what do you think happens? You just re-engaged the clutch and tranny shafts, re-spinning them. You pull it in and just wait a sec. or two and the clunk is lessened.
Wearing out your clutch cable won't help anything.
I've caught a few gears that I didn't really feel or hear and was afraid what would happen when I let out the clutch. Being Halfway engaged is a recipe for disaster on most machines. Now that I'm used to the heaviness of the Harley clunk, I'm ready for the Amsoil that is supposed to reduce, but not get rid of it. I'm on synthetic now but no idea what's in the tranny.
I ride with a guy on a 1500 Honda and a guy on some big Kawasaki - they both clunk into first, so the big metrics are copycatting more than just the riding positions.
One of you said something about letting the clutch in and out - as soon as you let it out, what do you think happens? You just re-engaged the clutch and tranny shafts, re-spinning them. You pull it in and just wait a sec. or two and the clunk is lessened.
Wearing out your clutch cable won't help anything.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
Hayden has been making their tensioners for years and years. Just a spring, no hydraulic wishful thinking, no yuppie BS. They are just now releasing their new model for the 2007 and newer big twins. I think they haven't made them up till now because they thought the HD auto-tension was good enough for there not to be much of a market for it. They have a proven track record.
I have yet to hear a success story of a Hayden install on a 07 or newer.
Link me to one, if you know of one.
I think they haven't made them up till now because they thought the HD auto-tension was good enough for there not to be much of a market for it.
Don't believe us? Nobody cares. Stick with the stock one.
My stock one left my chain to slap against my inner primary and cause hard shifts. I have posted pictures of the wear marks.
I have nothing to prove to anyone. I am insulted by some of these comments. As if I (and the OP) were liars.
Keep your clunk, keep your stiff shifts and keep lying to yourself how it is "normal and acceptable". Nobody cares. I'm enjoying my smooth and quiet shifts. (And it's still a Harley).