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Harley has loud clunk when shifting

43K views 47 replies 20 participants last post by  Rebeldog1 
#1 ·
I have a 2004 RK classic Harley with about 9,000 miles on it. When the engine gets warmed up, the shifting get louder and louder. I would say that it sounds like two big pans being clunked together. It's kind of embarassing when people stop and look. My Harley dealer says this is normal. Is that true? Do Harley's clunk when they shift?
 
#4 ·
It is because HD is light years behind the world in technology. HD cares more about selling T-shirts etc. with the HD name on it than making a quality bike. I remember when HD was in the racing buisness. The good old days are gone and HD is not the same company. Best looking bikes in the world though, but other than that, good luck.:cool:
 
#6 ·
It is because HD is light years behind the world in technology. HD cares more about selling T-shirts etc. with the HD name on it than making a quality bike. I remember when HD was in the racing buisness. The good old days are gone and HD is not the same company. Best looking bikes in the world though, but other than that, good luck.:cool:
Stepping on the soapbox...

Have you ever actually owned a Harley... grayfeather? Harley's Davidson motorcycles have never been as good as they are today... ever. The Fatheads may not like it because RUB's are buying them... who cares. I assume we all buy what we want... or perceive we want.

The guy has a question about his bike and you answer him by commenting on his penis and bank account. While it may not of been your intention to insult him personally, your comment sounded that way.

Some of my metric owning buddies kept telling me how undependable Harley's are when I was in the market for another bike... keep in mind they have never owned a Harley either... like yourself. They were Yamaha & Kawasaki owners. My brother had a 92 FXR that he beat all to hell for years and it kept on running until he got rid of it. I don't know how many miles the bike actually had on it, but the mechanically recorded miles were around 50k and he drove it a couple of years after it broke. I wouldn't doubt it if that bike had 80k to 100k miles... and then the engine was running strong when he got rid of it.

My bike performs flawlessly everyday... not on the weekends... or once a month... or twice a year... but everyday. It drives a minimum of 1500 miles a month (closer to 2k). It's a work of art visually and it sounds like a perfect VTwin concert going down the road. That... grayfeather... is why I purchased my Harley. :cool:

I now step down from the soapbox.
 
#31 ·
I'm with you


Same here. I have an 2001 Sporty and 2000 Ultra and only 1st gear clunks when going into it. They shift better than any of the metrics, about a dozen, that I've had. I'd have another dealer look at it. Warm or cold mine are fine.
 
#8 ·
Tx, thankyou for pointing out my rude remark. I withdraw my rude remark and appoligize.
No problem... :cool:

If I were to purchase a HD I would have to spend mega bucks to get it performing like a Factory Victory. I'll shut up now:)
I can't argue with you there... :D (I'll shutup there too...)

Ride what you like. Thats why there are so many Brands of Beer...and Bikes. Have fun.
You mean there is more than Miller Lite out there? :eek:
 
#13 ·
I have seen some HD riders that... hmmm... for lack of a better way to put it... have issues. It's really funny when you think about it... I suppose we all have issues.

Don't feel isolated... it's not about the brand of bike... it's about the brand of people... and they all have a few a**h**** riding them.
 
#15 ·
Ok...Ok...I feel the luv and everything but, I think one important element has been left out here. Only two of the three B's have been mentioned. :confused: Ya know....Bikes....Booze....and....Babes! Or are we getting so much older that the babe factor becomes less and less important with every passing year? Not me bucko. Even with a sweet thang at home I'll still window shop as long as I don't touch the merchandise all is good. ;)
Now, about that beer....lite?? light??? (ponder""") If I don't drink a light / lite beer, does that make my brand of Pilzner heavy?? :eek:
Capt.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Only if you can name all seven seas.
North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Artic, Antartic, and Indian. Yeah, I looked it up on Yahoo.:)


As far as the meditation goes, thanks but I don't think that will work because I hate my job. I didn't always hate it though. I'm on nights and that's my fault but now I hate it. They laid off some, scared a few to other departments and brought in temps to fill the spots and not only do I have to wrench on machines now I have to run not 1 but 2 machines for the same amount of money, before I didn't have to run anything. I can't train someone to run one of the machines because then the other would have to set and the 2 machines are needed to run at the same time, one makes part of the part and the other finishes it and they are both pieces of **** and the one needs constant attention. Even if I wanted to I couldn't train anyone for one or the other becuase there is nobody there who I can put on there that won't bust it up so why make more work for myself? Mostly I work with older women who have no desire to learn how to run them. I have a boss who I never see, which sounds good but isn't. They have 9 mechanics on daylight and 2 on second shift and 3 on nights and we are loosing one and they have no plans on movin' guys off of daylight. If they would re-bid the shifts I would get days because I have more seniority than all but 2 other guys but they won't do that. When they first bid the shifts they told us there would be no 12 hour people in my job classification then 3 months later they gave 3 guys 12 hour shifts which means 3-4 days off a week. I work nights so I get off friday morning and I'm back to work sunday night which pretty much leaves me with saturday being my only full day off. I used to have to grind stuff and sharpen stuff but I absolutly refuse to do carbide tooling and the one machine all the tooling is carbide and i don't have a diamond wheel and I don't see the company ponying up to buy me one so I ain't gonna sharpen carbide or borrow someone's diamond wheel. I suck at grindin' anyhow. I can carry a .0005" tolerance and that's about it and most the carbide tooling in the one machine is +/- .0002. Sorry to hijack the thread and bitch so much but I hate my job. Maybe I can go to school and be a Harley tech or somethin'.
 
#25 ·
Naw dude... I am sorry. I was just kidding with you about the meditation. I feel your pain with the job. Only you can change it. Go to college and change your career or find another factory. It sounds like your employer is doing the "Lean Manufacturing" logic... doing more with less...
 
#26 ·
Naw dude... I am sorry. I was just kidding with you about the meditation. I feel your pain with the job. Only you can change it. Go to college and change your career or find another factory. It sounds like your employer is doing the "Lean Manufacturing" logic... doing more with less...
Naw it's cool. I'm kinda waiting to get laid off so I can go to school and do something else. Might be awhile before that happens and I won't quit because 11 years at the same place will give me a fair severance check and with 3 kids it be tough to just up and leave a decent paying job when the only jobs here that seem to pay is prison guard and Pennsylvania doesn't charge enough state taxes to pay me to work there.:D No schooling if ya quit. I've seen too much of our equipment ship off to Mexico, China, and India also.

Yeah they are doing the Lean manufacturing deal there and although it does kinda work they seem to forget you need people willin' to do the work other than sit at a scope or make boxes all day. There is a shortage of motivated people at that place who are willin' to learn something. They keep folks by seniority not by what they can do so now I'm stuck with older women who have been there 9+ years and have done not much more than inspect and us few that are willing to do the jobs. We do have a couple older women that will run machines but not nearly enough of them.

The plus side is I'm about 2 hours away from the York PA Harley plant. Wonder if they are hiring? I told my wife my next job will be different.
 
G
#28 ·
Hate to tell you this, How would you like to hang off the side of a building two floors up, with a welding torch in one hand welding plates on the side of a building in 20 degree weather! I'm a fabricator, we do things most people hope they never have to do. Or maybe you would like to crawl into a 24 in. steam line 30 ft. to weld a crack that one of your boys missed the first time!
Don't get me wrong, I love my job, If you want adventure, become a welder/fabricator. you will make good money, just may not live all that long!

HOLLYWOOD
 
G
#30 ·
Yes Viginia... There IS a 'Clunk'..... ;-)

Got that right! :eek:



And even though this original question is (!) almost a year old now, still deserves an answer. Yup, they sure DO 'clunk' - every Harley I've ever known (12 so far). I've gotten so used to it now I think if I went to shift into first and didn't get a clunk, THEN I'd be worried?! :rolleyes: I have however noted a reduction IN the sound of the 'clunk' after installing Automatic Primary Chain Adjusters in every past H-D I've had in this decade. For the Blockheads & Fatheads I went for the factory unit, good up to 2005 (a retrofit from 2006 and later). These are VERY nicely made and work very well - H-D definitely did they're homework on these at least. :cool: For older Shovelheads and the like, I use an Hayden M6 unit. It works but feel it's a pain in the arse installation-wise for the amount paid. Nuff' said.
 
#36 ·
Guys, I bought a new C90T Suzuki last year (1500 cc's), and I have to tell you - those who think metrics are way ahead of Harley haven't ridden my bike. I can wake the dead when I shift because it's so loud when I shift. I think it's just the nature of the beast. The trannie is way under a car, and we can't hear it. Probably, and I've never stuck my head under my stick shift, I'd hear the same thing if I could get close to it.
 
#37 ·
ahhh...I love my 08 Road King Classic. And really, by buying its gas guzzling self, I am really supporting Iran....but who cares....we will end up rolling over that country soon anyway....

j/k

I love my Road King Classic and it does clunk when I shift...so does my neighbors 07 Softail Cusom....
 
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