I just had a 124" build wrapped up and we used a Bandit Sportsmen clutch. The clutch itself feels great and grabs like a ****. However; I am getting a pretty violent surge forward when shifting from neutral to first.

Even before this build, if the bike was cold I've always started it while shifted into neutral and let it warm up on the kick stand a few minutes. This helped prevent that surge. With this build, I've continued this practice but it's still doing it. When the bike is fully warm, it doesn't do it at all (like after riding for a while, turning it off, then starting back up). I've tried two different high end primary fluids and neither make a difference.

Is this the nature of this particular clutch? Anything else I can try other than maybe giving it extra time during the initial warm up? Will it maybe "break in" and stop eventually? It may not hurt anything in the long run, but don't want to risk damaging the lower end. Thanks!

 

If your bike moves forwards on selecting first that suggests your clutch is dragging and not adjusted quite right. If it does that every time when you select first, then I suggest you check your clutch adjustment. If that doesn't cure it your clutch plates may not all be perfectly flat (I've had that problem with another brand bike). Hope that helps a little!

 

When the bike is already warm and I go from neutral to first, it doesn't do it at all. It's only when the bike is cold, or just not fully warmed up.

I have a hydraulic clutch and from what I understand there is no adjustment. When you say adjustment, do you mean there may be something on the actual Bandit clutch itself I can tweak?

Thanks for the reply!

 

I have to confess to not being familiar with the hydraulic clutch, so I can't comment on adjusting that. The symptoms you describe can be explained as I wrote above. I have an S&S 107" engine in my older Evo and had to pay great attention to adjusting my clutch 'just so', to minimise similar problems to yours, however my clutch is cable operated and easier for this old hand to understand! I have recently upgraded my clutch using Barnett plates in an attempt to improve things further.

That first engagement of a gear on a cold engine, having woken your slumbering beast for the first time from cold, is entirely down to the clutch plates having stuck to each other since you last rode. Spring pressure combined with the primary oil between all the plates combines to create a lot of 'stiction'. The design of the H-D primary means that engaging first gear for the first time is the first occasion the clutch plates are required to part company with each other. They don't like doing that, hence the bang! Once all is warmed up they are happy to function correctly until they are next rested and allowed to go cold. Hopefully that explains that part of your starting process.

With my S&S 107" engine I had to upgrade my primary, although not to the same degree as you have for your 124". It is indeed possible that your new clutch also takes a while to warm up from its slumbers, hence the dragging you suffer from. We could do with a member with the same clutch to call by, to tell us of their experience! How many miles have you done on your new build? If it is not many the whole thing may well get better with increased mileage.

 

The scorpion has wider clutch plates for more surface area. When the bike sits on the side stand, oil can make it's way into the clutch and with the wider plates, it will take longer for the oil to work it's way out when the primary is cool. It's hard to say whether your neutral to first gear clunk is excessive but the scorpion clutch will clunk more when cold than a stock clutch.

I own a 131 with scorpion and it clunks a little more than other bikes with stock clutches but not sure I can put a measure on it. If you want to reduce the clunk, lower the oil level and hold in the clutch for a few seconds before slipping it into gear. You can also blip the throttle with the clutch in to help free it up.

 

Try this, and pump the clutch handle a couple few times.

 

Read the Bandit installation instructions. It specifies which fluids to use and what not to use.
All above info is good.

 

Yeah I screwed up.. I referenced the Scorpion which is a different brand but both have a greater friction area.

 

I just had a long response typed and lost it from glitchy internet.

In short, thank you for the responses, I will evaluate all of the advice including checking the manual for preferred lubes. I've since talked to a friend with a 124" drag bike, and he said there is a little more surge when the bike is cold when shifting into first. To an extent, it sounds like this is normal. It makes sense that it would take a little longer for this setup to warm up and get the lube circulating.