I have been riding a 2008 FLHTCU with a stock 96ci and 6 speed for around 6 years now. I am currently parked for the winter at just under 160,000 kms. My transmission has become very clunky, whinny, difficult to shift at times, quite a lot of creep has developed in my clutch lever while under load and neutral is impossible to find over this last riding season. I'm fairly confident that a tranny rebuild is in order. In regards to driveline work, 3 seasons ago I swapped out the original compensator for the Screaming Eagle unit and I tossed the stock clutch in favor of a Barnett Scorpion.

My questions stem from an offer that I've been made for a completely different transmission. A buddy has a 2007 bagger write-off that he salvaged the engine from but has no need for the 5 speed tranny. He knows the history of the donor bike as it belonged to a friend of his (I don't know the model off hand). The 5 speed has 27,000 kms on it and is in prime shape.

I'm not a dumb guy and I've always pulled my own wrenches. With that said, a transmission swap is outside of my wheel house and as a result I do have some questions. My questions are likely obvious but are as follows:

- Would anyone recommend the 5 speed over the 6? I've read that the 5 speed may be the better transmission...?

- Would this be just a simple tranny swap that could be completed over the course of a day or is there more to it than that?

- What difference might I expect to see in fuel consumption going from a 6 speed to the 5? Are the final drives drastically different in terms of ratio?

- I can get this 5 speed for a song and a dance, making it extremely affordable but what other expenses might I expect when doing such a swap? I'm a single father of 2 little girls and money is tight - I'm really trying to avoid the unexpected costs if I can.

- Would simply rebuilding the stock 6 speed make more sense?

Thanks for the help and advice. It's very much appreciated!

 

2007 Touring had a 6 speed so maybe it's an earlier bike?

Long story short, any earlier (than 2007) 5 speed will not simply bolt on to your present power train.
There are major differences in the engine crank, trans output shaft, primary housing, and clutch/chain configuration between present day and anything before 2007.

In lieu of actually knowing your 6 speed needs a rebuild, I would look closely at your clutch/clutch basket for those getting into neutral issues.
Excessive clutch basket run out and improper (or not enough) clutch plate deflection are the most typical reasons neutral can be hard to find.
However, if there is noise and/or vibration in the drive line it could be an actual trans bearing issue (output bearing)... so look at that too. Very common issue for those years.

 

As lp points out above, a 5-speed transmission will not fit your bike, the engine and trans casings are simply not compatible, which sinks any hope of success, so I suggest you pass on the 5-speed. There are secondhand 6-speed trans available on Ebay, if you want a quick and simple replacement, however it would be wise to visit a local indy to get an opinion on the likely problems with your current one.

The only bike I have had transmissions problems with was a BMW twin, which 'lost' 4th gear. The labour costs alone, of getting the darned thing stripped and rebuilt (diagnosis was very simple), made a secondhand trans dirt cheap.

 

Thanks folks! You made short work of that. I appreciate the help!

Cheers!

 

From the problems you have stated it sounds like the clutch is out of adjustment & not fully disengaging.

 

Inner primary bearing is a common thing we see and replace, main drive gear bearing isn't unheard of either. The actual gear pack and shifting mechanisms in these transmissions can take a pounding without failure, it's usually seals and those two bearings that go.