So I've been riding like crazy now that I have the bike all back together. I am having a few issues and maybe you guys can shed some light on it.

Before I took the bike in for the wheel swap, it would pop like crazy on decel, cough out the carb, and surge at lower speeds, typical lean symptons.

Also had shifting issues, Sometimes stuck in neutral when trying to go from 1 to 2, and 2 to 3 also was sometimes hard. 4-5 is fine. Downshifting was somewhat of an issues from 4-3 and lower as well, would grind or hang.

Well I had all this looked at when they swapped the wheels. They said the A/F mixture was off on the carb, and they fixed it. Bike runs great now, but idles higher than I think it should, it idles around 1400rpm after it is warmed up completely.

They said they found no issue with the clutch or primary, and the bike actually shifts much better now which is odd since they didn't do anything. However, I still get these issues after it gets real warm, after an hour or so of riding, not as bad as before, but still some shifting hiccups.

The shifting could be completely my problem, this is my first Harley, do I need to "slam" it into gears harder instead of using a softer foot when shifting like I do on other bikes and ATVs? Also, the clutch pull is much tigheter on the Dyna than what I am used to on other machines.

Any input is appreciated

 

Anybody have experience with an easy pull clutch kit? Maybe that will help, just grasping at straws

 

1400rpm in idle is a bit high. Are you reading this on a tach? Are you sure the tach is accurate? Check your vacuum hoses to make sure you have no cracks. It may not hurt to replace them. As far as the clutch issue, how many miles are on the bike? Have you changed the trans fluid? It wouldn't hurt to put synthetic in there. Are you in alot of stop and go traffic? That will make it run hotter and shift a little less easier. You may also need to adjust the cable.

 

my fxdx did the same thing, mine is cold blooded, dont really want to run when first started without choke. and once warm it idles at about 1000 after riding. 1400 is way to high. shifting mine catches every once in a while and goes into neutral between gears. almost normal for these bikes. adjust the clutch and cable and it will help alot. good luck man

 

Thanks. I'm afraid to play with the idle screw, last time I did I ended up having all the issues that were fixed when I took it in, I'm tempted to take it back and let them know it is idling high now. However, if I can find any place around me to do a proper Dyno tune, I may just do that after I get new pipes and I'm assuming if done properly all will be adjusted when done

 

If it's your first Harley you may need to be a little more direct on the shifting. These gears move almost twice as far on the shaft than the Jap bikes. No need to slowly put it in gear, you actually doing more wear to the transmission.

But, do make sure your use and timing as well as adjustment on the clutch is right. After 2nd gear I rarely use the clutch to shift. I guess that comes from my old racing days and habits.

 

So if I am understanding correctly from what I have read, there are two different "idle" adjustment screws on the carb, one is the idle AF mixture and one is just the idle speed. So I should be ok to tweak the idle speed screw without messing up my AF ratio that I just paid to have adjusted correctly?

 

Don't be afraid to hit the shifter with authority. Unless you're just stomping it, I doubt it'll hurt anything.

 

"...there are two different "idle" adjustment screws on the carb, one is the idle AF mixture and one is just the idle speed. So I should be ok to tweak the idle speed screw without messing up my AF ratio that I just paid to have adjusted correctly?"

Hey, Apollo!

1400 rpm idle speed on your motor is definitely too high and needs to be turned down a bit. You don't mention what carb you're running, but if it's the OEM CV carb, then adjusting the idle speed is fairly easy - turn the idle adj screw (the phillips screw near where the throttle cables attach to the side of the carb) counterclockwise til you reach the desired speed. You may not have to remove the A/C if you use a long-handled screw-driver. The lower idle speed might even help shifting into 1st gear - less of a clunk.

The A/F mixture screw is much harder to get to (it's at the bottom of the CV carb and you have to use a mirror and tiny screwdriver to get to it), but if your shop has properly done the fine-tuning you probably don't need to mess with it anyway. Hope that helps. Ride safe.

 

Thanks buddy! I will adjust it after work tonight, it is indeed the stock CV carb.