good evening riders.
i know that when you try and start your bike in gear with the clutch depressed it may not start because it drags a little because its still in gear. but lets say you try to depress the clutch while its in gear (not running) will it still feel like its in gear?my 2011 Wide Glide does.not sure if its normal or not? or do you always need to have it in neutral when starting and or moving it when not running? and also when its cold outside and you start your bike should you let it run for a little bit before trying to put it in gear? the other day i started it and didnt really let it warm up too much and while having the clutch depressed and putting it in 1st gear to take off it was hard to get it in gear,you could hear the gears in motion before it actually went into gear.

sorry about the stupid questions and thanks in advance.

 

Your bike should push much easier when in neutral. Yes, it's a good idea to let it warm up a little bit, usually until the heads are warm to the touch. Sometimes your clutch plates will stick when cold, this is normal. After a few revolutions they'll loosen up. If you're grinding gears when shifting into first, you may want to check your clutch adjustment...
Welcome from a fellow Okie...

 

Thanks for the reply.where are you at here in OK? im actually in Norman.
i noticed just yesterday that it felt like it was still a little bit in gear when the bike wasnt running and i tried to move it. but the clutch plates being cold and sticking sure eases my mind,lol
also it only grinded into first when it was cold a couple of weeks ago i guess it was.

thanks man.

 

There are no stupid questions! I start in neutral 99% of the time. It feels like the bike wants to move forward slightly when starting in gear, even after adjusting clutch lever & clutch pack.
Nice lookin' WG there too.

 

Sounds like your clutch might need adjusting.
I always leave my bike in first gear when I shut it down, so it doesn't roll.
I always shift to neutral before starting, just seems to me there's less stress on everything when starting it in neutral.

 

i was told by the H-D place here and they said always start it in neutral. i didnt know about the cold clutch plate thing.that sure helped.
and thank for the compliment. its a 2011 and i have done a lot of stuff to it in the last few months. the big shots staggered makes it sound like a dragster.

i had to wait until the kids were gone and the house was paid for to finally get a nice Harley. i worked at an H-D dealership in 82 when i was 18 and my Dad rode an old shovelhead when i was a kid. Dads shovel was black with flames.

 

I learned a little something too about the cold clutch plates...thanks hdgzr!

 

+1 Sounds like tour clutch isn't disengaging fully.
I have to warm-up my bike do to having a carb, so I put her in neutral when I cold start.
Clutch in to start when she's warm (after a short stop).

 

Actually it's the cold oil in the primary causing the plates to stick. Here's something you could try. Start in neutral, hold in the clutch while it's warming for about 15 -30 seconds, blip the throttle and see if the rpm's drop just for a second. If they do, shift into first with a firm pressure on the shifter. This works great on both of my Dyna's.

 

Cold thick fluid between the plates causes drag. Perfectly normal.