Picked up my bike (2010 SG) from the HD today. Had a new outer primary/crankcase cover installed. Drove back to work fine. When i left work this evening i came to a stop sign and when i tried to shift from 3rd to 1st my shifter wouldn't catch 2nd gear. I sat at the stop sign for a few minutes playing with the shifter. I tried to up shift and downshift, even let the clutch out a few times and it still wouldn't catch. Finally i had to pull out in 3rd gear, once i got down the road i was able to down shift and up shift. I called the dealer and let them know. I have little experience as this is my first Harley, but i did however read that the primary has to have the right amount of oil (too little or too much will cause it not to catch? Since they had to install a new primary/crankcase cover, they had to change the fluid so maybe they didn't put the right amount. Anyone else ever experience this or have knowledge on this?
Thanks,

 

From your description it sounds like you roll up to stop signs, stop and then down shift. You'll find that it will work better if you down shift as you're coming to a stop hitting first just before you stop rolling. Tranny is happier if it's turning over while you're shifting.

David

 

I'll be honest, i occasionally do it. I try to stop in 1st gear most of the time. If this happens again (hope not) what can i do to get my bike into 1st, without having to take off in a different gear?
Thanks,

 

Usually letting out the clutch a little will spin the tranny enough to catch the lower/upper gear. You don't have to be moving... so you're right that something isn't right. Not operator error.

Sometimes this happens with a misadjusted clutch but they probably didn't even touch that. Weird.

 

the tranny shifts gears most easily if it is turning...the slight movement of the gears against each other allows them to slide part and the next gearset to engage.

so I want to you think like this ( and they teach this in an MSF course):

if you are just "coasting"- then you are less in control than if you have the bike in gear and can use power to accelerate( say away from a dog) or by closing the throttle slow the bike.

Think about having the bike in the proper gear when slowing.

So addressing the illness not the symptom...


so when you slow, click down through the gears so that you are in 1st gear when you stop.
for safety you should use right foot on rear brake, left foot on ground

left hand holding clutch in, right hand on throttle.

watch your mirrors for mr magoo, pick where you will go if a car is coming from behind and not stopping.
use you rt foot to flash your brake light unless you have a BAL or similar

sitting there in N with both feet down is like sitting duck

mike

 

Make sure the shifter was replaced on the right spline and is tight. If it is too low it will bottom out on the footboard and not shift.

 

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions!! I am taking the bike back in tomorrow to have them check everything just in case (This would be my 3rd time taking the bike back for issues they have not fixed the first time). I appreciate you all helping me out!

 

Take it somewhere else. They are not the only bike shop in town. It took me a couple of issues to find a good indy. I also started to diagnose and do my own work. It beats 100hr.

 

At least you were RIDING this evening!!!

 

When stopped and trying to change gears, gearing down, can be a pain at times. Even letting the clutch out some will help but not always.
I would ride it for a while making sure you down shift going to a stop and see if that helps. If it does help you found the problem most likely.
What ever you do DO NOT STOMP ON THE SHIFTER trying or apply force to make it move.
If you have done this it could be the problem.

Is this your first HD?