Hello to all I am new to this site and hope I can find and share some motorcycle knowledge. Wife and I purchased a used 2002 SPortster xl 883 custom and are having a bit of a problem. When in first gear it has a tendency of pulling when I reach about 15mph, It jolts then continues and if nothing had happened. I've read a lot of web pages and from people that have experienced the same thing but I cant get a straight answer. I also spoke to my dealership and they gave me the international sign "I don't know". I have changed the oil on the tranny, adjusted the clutch but nothing has fixed it. Now the two thing I can do to avoid this sometimes annoying issue is to shift to second before I hit 15mph or start of on second gear..both options are very annoying. Can some one please share some info on this? Suggestions? Inspections? Mods? Thank you in advanced.

 

Low speed in 1st gear typically requires a bit of feathering the clutch in the friction zone. You might also want to check the primary chain tension though.

 

I agree check your primary chain they will buck at low speeds if it's out of adjustment.

 

My wife's 02 does it.I have adjusted the clutch,primary chain and the shift pawl to no avail.I talked to a guy on here that had to have a couple gears in the trans replaced.He sent me the pics of slightly rounded dogs on the gears.Didn't seem like enough to cause it to me but he says his is fixed.I know 2 other people with the same issue.It is as common as the battery cover falling off 04 and up Sportsters.My next try will be to alter the shift pawl adjustment and not using the specs in the manual.If that fails I will pull the trans in the fall and order any slightly damaged gears.The wife won't let me touch it again until fall.Riding season around here.I have changed the fluid a few times and no metal shavings are present so I feel it will not cause major damage.

 

I checked the chain and it was good, When I changed the oil there was the typical metal shaving but nothing unusual. I upped the idle speed, It was slightly up when I bought it and I didn't feel it jerking as much but then again it's not an on going issue it sometimes does it and sometimes not. It is true you need to know how to accelerate in order not to have it jerk.

 

Sorry I thought you meant the bikes pulls out,feels like it goes into neutral and back into first.Maybe yours is just starting to do it.How many miles on your bike?All of the Sportsters with 5 speeds prior to 04 do it.At some point that is.At 15 mph you could go into second but the engine would lug a little if you really want to gain speed and rpms.Put a few thousand miles on it and let me know if it is rider error.My bike is an 06 hers is an 02.I have ridden both quite a bit and it only happens on hers.Oh and I replaced all the little springs for the shifter pawl.So don't waste money trying that.

 

It has 8k miles and was owned by a sweet lady..I doubt that she abused it buuuutttt!!!! I actually enjoy ridding it and it handles nice. My Crossbones is a lot better but I can understand when people say they enjoy there sportster. I wish I know what to fix on it but at the end of the day she's only using it to get accounted with ridding and she will graduate and buy another bigger bike that I hope does not have the same problem.

 

I joined this Harley Forum just for this fault in my 02 Sportster 883. I have 38xxx on my bike and will admitt I ride my bike Very hard. 1st gear almost always jolts and jerks at low rpms. The dealer told me it was a worn clutch so I've adjusted the clutch, and primary chain, and drained the tranny fluid and no metal flakes, so I think it is a worn dog. I'm going to replace 1st and 4th gear because I read that they coincide with one another and if you replace one you should replace the other. I'm doing this task this weekend and I will let you know how it goes.

Has anyone actually replace these gears and noticed a fix?

 

[?All of the Sportsters with 5 speeds prior to 04 do it.At some point that is.At 15 mph you could go into second but the engine would lug a little if

My 91 5 speed has never done this .....
where do you get that ??????

 

That is something. My 03 does this and also misses 4th sometimes. Just maybe a 1st/4th problem?