| Author | Message | ||
     Chas1969 |
My newish Uly is having a hard time finding neutral. Maybe the new transmission but the 1/2 step up/down to neutral takes several tries to get it right on. The primary chain seems snug with my finger putting up and downward force seems to be in spec with movement. The rest of the transmission seems to need a little more force to change gears as other motorcycles. So is it the primary chain, or the clutch that needs adjustment? Or is this part of a new XB transmission? Thanks for your help! Chas | ||
| Pso |
I have found that the clutch cable free play makes a very big difference in finding N on both the Uly and the Lightning Scg. that is with all the othr specs being met for the clutch and primary chain. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'd check your cable/clutch adjustment, especially if gearchanges are difficult. One thing I've found on just about every HD/B trans is if you blip the throttle as you try to find neutral, they drop in much easier. Might only be masking a problem, but it works for me... | ||
| Ikeman |
Mine was the same way for the first couple thousand miles. It got easier over time. | ||
| Mike_dinger |
Mine only has issues when I have run the bike really hard and the engine/transmission is super hot. But, as Ratbuell said, it helps to blip the throttle and/or roll the bike back or forward a couple of feet (while doing a handstand with one finger on the tip of your nose while humming "homina homina homina" backwards)  | ||
| Chas1969 |
Thanks for the advice. I will adjust the clutch cable to have a little free play. Thanks again, Chas | ||
| Atoms |
I am all about ATGATT but after a boot lace broke earlier this month I wore some trainers (what the kids call "tennis shoes" these days) on one ride instead of my boots. With the trainers on I could pretty much not find neutral at ALL. Of course I suspected that something was wrong with the bike, but the next ride, with the boots back on it back to "normal". You'd think it would the other way around - big cloggy boots should be harder to deal with the nuance of that half shift... ? | ||
| Bearly |
The service manual mentions that an over filled primary can result in a condition that neutral is hard to find. Page 1-24 from the 06 Uly Manual... "Do not overfill the primary chaincase/transmission with lubricant. Overfilling can cause rough clutch engagement, incomplete disengagement, clutch drag and/or difficulty in finding neutral at engine idle. (00199b) | ||
| Jackbequick |
The freeplay adjustment is to be able to pull the fitting on the cable out of the perch about 1/16" (.063"/1.6mm). If you can get that with an easy to moderate pull, set it up so that it takes a harder pull to get the gap. Pulling out on the cable about as hard as I could to get the 1/16" was what worked best on my M2. And it will get a looser with it all warmed up so having it on the scant side with it all cold can have you losing a little pull in with it hot. Also, I usually looked for neutral while still moving, just before I stopped. A light nudge (up from low or down from 2nd) would usually get it to drop into neutral without even using the clutch. Jack | ||
| Pso |
In addition to my first post I have found Bearly and Jackbequicks comments to also be part of my procedure. My fiance's Scg was very, very hard to find Neutral, sometimes she was not able to get into N. I first checked to make sure the formula+ fluid was correct, then I followed manual , got lots of slack in cable, adjusted clutch bolt to spec. then readjusted cable to spec. Now it is a snap to find N, cold or hot. We no longer need to blip throttle or have bike moving to tap up or down to N. Seems like the specs are very tight and any deviation is noticable. good Luck | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Change the fluid. | ||
| Chas1969 |
I lossened the clutch cable and it seems 90% better with finding neutral, latter in the week I will do some more riding and see but .... thanks for the advice!! Chas | ||
| Jmhinkle |
When mine was new, the primary chain had no slack and I couldn't find neutral for the 1st 1k miles without shutting off the engine. You might check that too. supe easy to adjust. | ||
| Jackbequick |
The holy trinity for perfect shifting, particularly on a bike you are new to or that just got serviced by a shop, seems to be to, (1), do the primary chain adjustment (as per the KV *not* as per the service manual), then, (2), back the clutch lever freeplay off (make the lever floppy at the bar) and adjust the clutch adjusting screw, and finally, (3), adjust the clutch lever freeplay. Once you've done all three and got them all in the ball park of rightness, it seems to get happiest. Some of the things are subtle, like taking the adjusting screw down just to a light touch with two fingers on the screwdriver and backing it off 1/8th turn or 1/4 at the most. Also take the all the slack out of the lever and squeeze the lever a few times (to seat the clutch plates and spring) and then adjust the lever freeplay. Once you get it all working, you'll have a feel for the subtleties and it will be easier every time. Another trick is to mark the tight spot on the primary chain (degrease a plate and use a permanent ink Sharpie) and it will be easier to find next time. Once you get it all right it will work so well you won't want to park it! And the next time will be a no brainer in comparison. Jack | ||
| Chas1969 |
*Update: I changed the primary oil last night (100 miles odo) and found some metal filings covering the magnet of the plug. Also old fluid had a sheen to it. I also checked the chain tension cold and no slop (snug) 3/8-1/2. I used 'formula +' 1 quart in per manual ... it was cold outside so most likley a little less than quart. I will take out today and see how it runs/shifts. Chas Chas | ||
| Jackbequick |
The metal filings are okay, those are bits and pieces from the clutch drum and other things wearing normally. We've all seen them and generally every time the plug is pulled. The primary chain should not be "snug" when cold. It should have a total of 5/8"-3/4" up and down travel in the tightest spot when pushed firmly with a finger tip. That is a little looser than is called for in the service manual but it solves a lot of shifting problems and keeps an overtight chain from eating up more expensive parts later. The KV is full of stuff on doing it but basically you want to find the tightest spot on the chain and adjust it so that you can push the chain up 5/16"-3/8" and down the same amount. While you're at it adjust the clutch adjusting screw (back the lever freeplay adjuster off to make the lever at the bar floppy first), then do the lever freeplay adjustment and you will have explored just about everything that can be done to get it shifting better. If it is still not shifting right or if you are hearing some "whirring" sort of noises from a too tight primary chain, you can just loosen your primary chain tensioner lock nut and back the adjusting bolt off about 1/8th or 1/4 turn or so and see if it helps. The service manual has some kind of way too high torque spec on the tensioner lock nut (it is a big nut) and some folks have accidentally stripped the threads out of the primary cover trying to meet it. Just snug it down good and forget about the torque spec in the manual. If you get the adjuster too loose it will activate the "primary chain too loose audible warning system". That system sounds just like a primary chain slapping the inside of the primary cover. :>) Jack | ||
| Chas1969 |
Thanks for the advice. I did loosen the tentioner 1/2 turn and a little less noise ... shifting is min. better. But this is from the factory a 'new' bike and time and some synth. oil may help!! So tommorrow I will pick-up a quart of Mobil 1 v-twin and put it in the primary. .... not that impressed with formula+. Chas | ||
| Etennuly |
Get some miles on it. These things really do run and shift better after the first 10,000 and even better after the second. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Check the KV about running M1 in the primary, I think it has bad effects on the stator. Syn3 works just fine for me, no stator issues. | ||
| Blake |
New Buells past even just a few hundred miles often benefit greatly from a good clutch cable lubing. The clutch cable undergoes a significant wearing-in when new. Pouring a quart of lube into the primary/transmission may result in a slight over-fill, which in turn can cause poor/sticky clutch performance. Be sure to verify the lube level per your owner's manual. | ||
| Chas1969 |
Update: Dealer is bad at set-up; I adjusted the clutch screw ccw about 2.5 turns and then cw 0.5 turns. Now neutral is like butter! |
