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Cyclonemaniac
| | Posted on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 12:12 pm: | 
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I'd do the simple things first. Check primary tension, clutch cable and ramp adjustment. To expand a little on Natexlh1000's statement, sometimes i rock the bike fore and aft a little. That also seems to help "find" neutral. If finding neutral or general shifting quality continues to deteriorate, then it may be time to go deeper and check the detent plate and drum.
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Djkaplan
| | Posted on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 01:37 pm: |
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Try getting into neutral from second gear; you may find it easier to tap down than nudge up. It's also easier to get to neutral if you do it while the bike is still moving.
For some reason, finding neutral is very easy on my M2. The rest of the tranny sucks, though - it's definitely coming out this winter.
Looks like I'll be giving Al another call. |
Mmmi_grad
| | Posted on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 01:48 pm: |
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my hot neutral problem is not something as simple as rocking the bike or coming from 2nd , Ive tried all of that. The chain is not too tight. SOmething is moving or changing when its hot , i wish i could its the chain but i cant as far as the clutch adjustment well I can try to change that but i mean at this time it is really really hard to get into neutral when its hot , way past the point for tricks or voodoo  heh ill be shocked if a clutch adj helps that much. I dont have any clutch problems. |
Jackbequick
| | Posted on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 03:19 pm: |
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Mmmi_grad - So have you adjusted the primary chain, the clutch adjuster screw, and the clutch cable length recently?
Doing any one of the three had little effect on my shifting problems but when I did all three, in that order, the shifting became normal and pleasant.
Not doing any one of the three because you don't think it will help, might not help. :>
Neutral was described as being hard to find in every road test I ever read on the earlier tubers (I have a 2000 M2). I found it to be "tricky" at best.
In time, I got good at it and no longer consider it a problem. I either try to hit it rolling from either 1st or 2nd, failing that or from a stop I move my foot forward until the shifter is near the center of the arch on my foot and that seems to give me better control on making the light, short, movement needed.
Jack |
Mmmi_grad
| | Posted on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 09:24 pm: |
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Thanks Jack
That does make Harley sense, ill redo everything and see. I can live with tricky, but working ok at highway and cold temps to totally sparking anger in town is something that just is not Harley or from what I know Buell to me. I got work to do
later |
Denfromphilly
| | Posted on Monday, November 07, 2005 - 01:15 pm: |
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My neutral is easy to find when I run 15-50 in the primary and harder to find with 20-50 or 75-90. If the fluid is too full, more than about 26-28ozs, where the primary chain is immersed in oil, neutral is a real challenge. Synthetics shift easier than dyno in my experience. |
Mmmi_grad
| | Posted on Monday, November 07, 2005 - 05:32 pm: |
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Den how does that oil compare to the stock Harley stuff that is recommended.
How does oil over the chain have anything to do with finding neutral in anyway.
thanks |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Monday, November 07, 2005 - 09:32 pm: |
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Too much oil makes a crude torque converter out of set of clutch plates.
It will drag a bit more than it should.
If the clutch drags, neutral will hide from you.
You will resent neutral for having abandoned you when you needed it the most.
In time, you will come to dislike neutral for being so stuck up all the time in front of your friends.
Remember, neutral will always be there for you.
(usually when you shift into second too quickly) |
Denfromphilly
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 10:32 am: |
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The latest synthetic I used was Screaming Eagle Synthetic from HD. It shifts nice and crisp, is quiet. I think that 15-50 Mobil 1 shifted a little bit easier and neutral was easy to find. I had 75-90 Mobil 1 in it and didn't like it as much as 15-50M1, neutral was hard to find and it clunked a little more. Thick oil or too much seems to make the clutch have too much friction. Makes a BIG difference in my bike. |
Billfish
| | Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2005 - 11:55 pm: |
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I've ordered the Baker Drum. The way I see it, it's worth it; I won't have to worry if the retaining clip is going to pop off causing more expensive damage. The stock drum has given me well over 5 years of lackluster performance, it's time to give the Baker Kit a shot. Thanks all for your input. Bill |
Billfish
| | Posted on Thursday, December 08, 2005 - 10:51 pm: |
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Update,
It's a good thing I decided to convert to the Baker Kit. OCBueller and I have discovered a soon to let go clip(cracked and split) and the detent plate cocked at an angle because the pins on the stock drum have worked their way outward. |
Mmmi_grad
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 11:48 am: |
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how many miles on your bike Billfish? |
Billfish
| | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 04:18 pm: |
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I've got 9,700 miles on my M2.
Believe me, as I sit here holding this cheap designed to fail clip in my hand, I'm glad I took the time to to look. |
Notrt
| | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 06:00 pm: |
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R Collins here, Bill...
Have you got that kit in there yet?
What's your take on it if it's in?
I've been thinking about it from time to time.
All the best and Merry Christmas, too..
RC a/k/a "notrt" |
Billfish
| | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 08:47 pm: |
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Hello Rich, Merry Christmas!!!
Yes, I have installed the Baker Kit.
I'm VERY impressed with the design. Eliminates the stock "designed to fail clip".
I haven't road tested it yet. I'm still working on some other small projects with the bike. But I can tell you right now, just sitting on the bike and shifting the gears; right off the bike shifts 100% better.
I can show you my stock shifting drum with the protruding pins (causing the detent plate to be forced to an odd angle), plus the clip. The clip is cracked almost all the way through.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Bill |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 10:11 pm: |
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Hey post a couple of pics, eh? |
Notrt
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 07:22 pm: |
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Hello Bill, and a very Merry Christmas to you and to your family, too!
I'd be really interested in seeing how that all went in for you. Bear in mind, my S1W still has the overly-"long" oem second gear, and I'm wondering if doing that gear change and doing the switcheroo with the Baker product would be a sensible project for our friends up the road in Berlin...orm, for _____?
I'd sure like to have a smoother shifter, lose the occasional third-to-fourth false neutral on upshifting, and end up with a "closer" second-to-third gear shift, too...
My steed is sitting under wraps with this sub-25 degree weather; I ride the K-75s in this sort of weather. Thank God for the 'stich and for Gerbings heated gloves...
I'm still looking for a cheap XB for morphing into a track bike...or, in lieu of that, for a good, already tweaked out SV-650...the quest continues---
warmest regards
RC} |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 09:54 pm: |
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Don't forget the kawasaki EX500. I hear that those can be made very fun on a track for small amounts of money. |
Billfish
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 01:09 am: |
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OK, Here we go. I'm going to try and post a pic of the "designed to fail clip". (there is a crack almost all the way though the clip....hope it shows up in the pic)
Plus a shot of the stock shifting drum and detent plate. (showing how some of the pins have worked their way outward & have cocked the plate at an odd angle)   |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 02:01 pm: |
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Woah! Was it visible with the clutch still installed?
I did my clutch over last summer and looked in there but saw nothing broken back there. |
Billfish
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 07:29 pm: |
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Nate,
This was not clearly visible until Steve(OCBueller) and I removed the clutch basket assembly. Needless to say this clip was on the verge. It's clear now why the bike shifted so badly.
Today, just before dark, I was able to take a 20 mile shake down run through a few local twisties. The bike shifts GREAT! It's such a pleasure to ride now. 
I'm very lucky the thing didn't let go, it was just hanging in there by a thin thread. That would have turned into a very expensive repair. |
Sloppy
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 08:09 pm: |
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Bill:
I'm looking at getting the Baker 5-speed Drum and I'd like to hear your input. How's the shifting performance at full throttle? I have a problem with hitting false nuetral's with mine. Did you replace any of the gears for worn dogs? Thanks. |
Billfish
| | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 10:06 pm: |
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Hello Sloopy,
None of the gears/shifting dogs showed wear. I will have to go back in and perform the suggested modification from Baker outlined by Orion. Go back to the diagram(posted by Orion in this thread) that shows grinding off a little metal from the shifting arm. This will cure the false neutral that occurs while upshifting from 3rd to 4th and from 4th to 5th. After I perform this I can give you a more accurate answer.
I can say, at this point shifting from 1st, 2nd, & 3rd is a delight compared to the stock setup. |
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