Right before winter I brought the bike out and started it up for a ride with no problem. Then before I left I had to turn it off and get something well when I started the bike up everything seemed fine until I put it into gear. I started releasing the clutch and giving it some throttle and all I could hear and feel was a noise that sounded like an extension ladder's rungs being hit by the catches. I said okay and turned off the motor and put it into neutral and tried once more and same thing happened. I immediately wheeled it back up and put it up for the winter. Now with the weather changing I need to get it back on the road. This was my first winter of not riding since I started riding 15 years ago and I am missing being on the two wheels. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Oh and no modifications have been performed on the bike that I know of and I am religious on changing the fluids and keeping the battery on a tinder.

 

Put it in 5th, pull the plugs, and roll it around(or use a lift and spin the tire) with the bike off and listen. Could be the plates are just sticking after sitting awhile. My dyna does that.

 

When you put it into first, make sure you push down hard enough on the shift peg and you hear that satisfying "clunk"

If you gently push down on the shift peg it won't fully engage and it'll sound like that.

 

Update: Today I rolled it around a bit with it in gear and clutch in. No problem, so i started it up and let it warm up. Then put it into first and worked fine. So I got it ready to go for a ride to test it out. Well, I put it into first and started letting out the clutch and the same dragging noise happened again. So I am back to square one.

 

pull the primary and inspect everything