No, I don't think it's the belt. Maybe someone with more knowledge on this will correct me but here's my own reasoning behind the "jerking"...
Listen to the bike idle. It's not exactly a steady idle, it's the potato-potato we all love. When you release the clutch and don't apply throttle, that choppy idle is being transferred to your rear wheel.
Now listen to the typical Japaneese cruiser idle. Usually it's a steady tap-tap-tap sorta thing. That's why they'll be nice and steady in 1st without the throttle applied.


Honestly, I have nothing to back that up whatsoever. It just makes sense to me so it must be true...

 

Motorcycles are not meant to be ridden in 1st gear.

 

It sounds to me like you are expecting it to be capable of having the clutch fully engaged at just above idle and then expecting the bike will accelerate smoothly no matter how much throttle you apply. Won't work on any Harley I've ridden. Your expectations need to get in line with the actual performance.

 

You know, if you tried really hard you might be able to be just a little bit more rude and belittling to a new guy that has a very honest concern. He has no experiance on which to base his expectations, hense the question.

To the OP: Thanks for the sdditional info.
You are simply going too slow for 1st gear. It's perfectly normal on a Harley. The uneven firing order that makes the sound everyone loves is not condusive to smooth low speed running. You will have to ride with the clutch partially engaged ("riding the friction zone") to run smoothly at those kinds of speeds. Don't worry about the clutch, you aren't going to hurt it. Oils bathed clutches are VERY durable.

 

That "jerking" is you lugging the engine. As stated, you'll need to work the friction zone of your clutch if you want/need to cruize at idle.

 

Try the other hand...you might find out your a lefty,,,LOL.

 

I'm ambidextrous, so it gets jerked the same no matter which hand I use. I'll see if it jerks the same with the GF's hand tonight.

 

Thanks all, your discussion helped. I am just new to HD and expressed the same thing on my XL1200C (2007, 8k mil)). Nothing like that with the Japanese bikes! So it was a bit strange to me that the bike jumped like a horse at low speed, especially at 1st gear. A ride little above the idle did the same even for 2nd and 3rd gear. The problem corrected only when the throttle was open for a speed more than 40 mph, or so. I wonder if this jerky ride occurs only for the Sportsters 1200, or for all Sportsters, or even all HD-s? I dont know.

 

yep

work the clutch and MORE FUEL!!!

 

When I got the Forty-Eight, I was concerned as well for the same thing. It was my first HD after having owned several sportbikes. I realised that I needed to ride in the friction zone of the clutch when needed, and that took care of that.

When I noticed that I was feeling an occasional 'bucking' at low freeway speeds, I was concerned that either I had an issue with my operation, or that there was an issue with my bike. I rode into the dealer and asked someone there I trusted. He told me that it was possible that there was a surge occuring, but it was very likely that the wind blast and it being my first HD had more to do with it.

I grabbed a set of X14ied's and it was either that I got used to my bike, or the x14's smoothed things out at steady freeway speeds. Either way, we (the bike and I) are working much better now.

Practice staying in the friction zone at low speed. See how that plays out.