Clutch Problems on Street Glide

[iron cg]

Hey there, I have been stranded on the side of the road twice now because of a "clutch problem" . It was picked up and taken to the dealership; picked up a couple of days later, and the next day , I'm broken down again !! The mechanic told me the first time , that he adjusted the cable and clutch plate, and everything looked good . Some of the reactions when it was failing were no ability to change gears, very little power, and stalling constantly . After it stalled it was near imposs ible to find nuetral , and finally not being able to start it at all or keep it running if it did turn over . This is a 2011 Street Glide Trike, with only 7,000 miles on it . I want to feel safe coming down to your rally, but getting a little nervous about this kind of problem . Not safe for a female to be stranded on the side of any road !! Has anyone else experienced problems with their clutch ? If its an internal problem , what will that mean to fix it ? Thanks, Iron Cowgirl

[eagle1]

you might replace the OEM pressure plate & springs with a heavy-duty items.
i know there are guys who are more famular with this than me. i did this on a '74 FXE back then. but don't know the venerabilities of the wet clutch. your local bike shop could handle this if your dealer is a distance from you.

[msocko3]

Is this the same dealer and technician making the clutch adjustment? The problem sure sounds like they are either adjusting it wrong or the jamb nut isn't being torqued properly and is backing off.

[iron cg]

Thanks for the info. eagle 1 and msocko3 , it's the same tech, and is the only tech that I request to work on my trike. He has a very good reputation at the dealership, so I trust him . I did switch out the shift linkage with a Kuryakyn brand, which is probably better then the one they took off ; don't think that would cause a problem though . Replacing with the heavy duty parts sounds like a good thing regardless .

[HDHoggly]

I gotta believe the tech is missing something and needs to make sure the clutch was assembled correctly at the factory. The heavy duty parts may give the clutch a harder clutch pull. May not be an issue for you, but could suck in heavy traffic.

[iron cg]

Thanks for your input HDHoggly , rode this trike all last season without any problems , and of course ,I've got to ride the Tail of the Dragon knowing that clutch is going to hold !! Woo hoo !!! At least now I have some questions to pose for the tech . Thanks everyone . Any other thoughts will be appreciated . With both times, there was a lot of play in the clutch lever, so it might be just the case of not making sure the jamb nut was torqued enough .

[Bikerbozo]

Iron CG, do you know if your mechanic has actually consulted with the factory on your clutch issue? Every once in a while they will actually be able to give them advice. H-D has training seminars on working on the trikes, but it seems like most dealerships are too cheap to send there mechs to them and they end up learning on there own.

[iron cg]

Not sure, but I'll be asking all those questions come Tuesday morning . Thanks so much Bikerbozo .

[Gorilla]

When was the primary last serviced? Any chance the wrong oil was added causing clutch plate problems?

[patriot]

I hope this will not steal this thread, but we are talking clutches. After my 1000 mile service, it wasn't a hundred miles until I realized I could not release the clutch. With a full pull on the handle, the trike gears were still engaged. I have a service manual and made a slight adjustment in the cable. I now can release the clutch, but I wonder if it is with factory specs. I will have my 5000 mile service soon. I will have the technician look at it. I know the clutch adjustment is part of the service but it always a good thing to mention your concerns. By the way, I think I would be interested in the heady duty clutch plate. Something to checkout.

[427dave]

I have not had any problems with my clutch and getting it in neutral has always been a breeze. Then I took the trike in for service. They claim they had to replace the clutch (under warranty) because it did not feel right to the technician. Now I have the same problem as iron dg has. Can NOT get it in neutral, it does NOT disengage completley. It gets worse as it warms up. I did catch the tech putting 75w-140 gear oil in the primary. They said they drained the gear oil and replaced it with 20w-50 Amsoil. Back again tomorrow to see if they can fix clutch and reverse.

[iron cg]

Wow 427dave , its very frustrating to keep taking it back, and still comes back not working after riding it 10 miles down the road . Good luck tomorrow ! Iron Cowgirl

[eagle1]

i think you have a "burr" on the clutch HUB assembly causeing the clutch disc's to bind.
if you go to ronnies micro fiche. com, select 2011, and select last bike on list (street glide) then under the engine breakdown 3 one is the clutch. item 21. is the
pressure plate..
when you go to the dealer tell them you would like the clutch package dis-assembled and inspected. because of the numerious problems you have had. . then if you still continue to have problems

the best thing i'd do is call barnett and tell them your story & see what their solution would be

[iron cg]

Will be interested in what you find out 427Dave with your clutch. I'll be posting to tell what they find out about mine also . The mechanic took it out on the road and it didit with him, so he at least got a feel of what I was explaining to him .