Hi,

I am on a road trip from Seattle to Chicago. My bike started to have issues this morning (day 3): I can't ride faster than 65 mph anymore, 55 mph uphill. I can hear the rpms shoot sky-high without any speed gain (doesn't matter which gear I am in) if I turn the throttle too fast or at a certain point. My oil is pretty low (no signal yet) and I haven't changed the oil filter for a while. I also got stuck in a bit of mud on my way to the campground and had to turn the throttle a bit harder to get out of it the day before. Any ideas because I would love to avoid getting stuck in this town here. Thanks a lot!

 

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Could you please tell us what year and model bike you have so someone here could offer you some suggestions. Hope you get it resolved!

=8^)

 

It's a Sportster 883 2013 and has about 8000 miles on it. The transmission and engine got basically replaced completely 4000 miles ago due to a dealership mistake (someone forgot to add transmission fluid after draining it during a check-up -- I am still alive)

 

I hope someone has an idea before tomorrow so I don't have to take it to the closest dealership

 

honestly, id take it to a dealership. doesn't sound good.

 

sounds like a dying clutch

 

First, based on your statement, "I haven't changed the oil filter for a while", I don't understand the logic behind setting out on a trip like this without having the bike fully serviced beforehand. That leads me to believe that mechanics aren't your strong suit, and you need to get the bike to a dealer.

 

IMO, That can only be a slipping clutch. They may just need an adjustment. But if you've been slipping them for too long, the plates could be worn to the point of needing to be replaced. An adjustment, even at a dealer, should be as quick, cheap & easy as my Xwife.

 

There is no oil level warning signal on these bikes. There's a low oil pressure warning signal, but if that comes on you need to stop riding immediately because you're risking damage to the engine from a lack of oil pressure.

 

I’d vote for slipping clutch. Based on your description it sounds like the engine is decoupling from the transmission. Don’t know what else would cause that.