Starting my 14 TG In Gear

[Alan Oakley]

Maybe everyone but me knew this but I have been told that a 14 TG must be in neutral in order to start. I learned this morning, however, that information in incorrect. I learned by engaging the clutch and at the same time engaging the foot and hand brake, the 14 TG will start in gear....I don't need to be concerned about finding neutral....just a an FYI......ride safe.

[bulkness]

You don't need to engage both brakes just one or the other. Tony

[lboos]

Maybe everyone but me knew this but I have been told that a 14 TG must be in neutral in order to start. I learned this morning, however, that information in incorrect. I learned by engaging the clutch and at the same time engaging the foot and hand brake, the 14 TG will start in gear....I don't need to be concerned about finding neutral....just a an FYI......ride safe.

Alan,
Yes, you can start it that way but it is harder on your batt. esp. on a cold start.
on most Harleys on the 1st start of the day if your in 1st gear and the clutch in when you hit the starter the bike try's to move forward some, causing a strain on the batt.
after the eng. is at normal oper. temp. not near as bad, But, the best way is to be in neutral and have the clutch in, and that's on any year.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

[Fusionfool]

Alan,
Yes, you can start it that way but it is harder on your batt. esp. on a cold start.
on most Harleys on the 1st start of the day if your in 1st gear and the clutch in when you hit the starter the bike try's to move forward some, causing a strain on the batt.
after the eng. is at normal oper. temp. not near as bad, But, the best way is to be in neutral and have the clutch in, and that's on any year.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

You are not wrong, one should try not to start in gear. Battery, clutch, and starter are put to extreme conditions and can become issues. For two wheel it was an easy thing to remember since I normally put in N when stopped, but now with three wheel, I leave in 1st since the parking brake is not very good. Now I am retraining myself to turn Ign look for N before starting.

[msocko3]

You are not wrong, one should try not to start in gear. Battery, clutch, and starter are put to extreme conditions and can become issues. For two wheel it was an easy thing to remember since I normally put in N when stopped, but now with three wheel, I leave in 1st since the parking brake is not very good. Now I am retraining myself to turn Ign look for N before starting.

The biggest thing I would worry about when starting in gear is whether or not the brakes are on enough to keep the trike from rocking forward too much and bumping into anything that is close. I wouldn't sweat the starter or battery, you should hear the 120" HQ build I have in my 06 Ultra start, I'm still using the stock starter and a stock replacement battery. The clutch is doing what a clutch does, it isn't being hurt any by starting it in gear, even though the plates are stuck together a little bit.

[lboos]

Alan,
It's your bike, so start it any way you like, on a "cold" Harley the clutch does not do what a clutch does right until the oil's are up to temp., if so why all the big clank and lurch forward when you put it in 1st gear, the clutch operates best when the bike is up to normal oper. temp....in fact their is even more strain on the batt. and starter on a cold bike starting it in 1st gear with the parking brake on as it is stopping the bike from moving forward at all.
Not trying to upset anyone, we all have opinions, this is just mine .
How about some one else jumping in here and give us your opinion, I may be all wrong, like I have many times before .

[rhino 2]

Starting any bike, trike in neutral is more for safety,
Not a mechanical one.

[msocko3]

Starting any bike, trike in neutral is more for safety,
Not a mechanical one.

If starting it in gear was damaging good old Mother Harley would have it in the owners manual with bold print not to do so.

[Moe55]

Starting it in gear is a strain on everything that has been pointed out. However stalling it at a stop light in heavy traffic it is nice to know how to start it in gear.

[msocko3]

Starting it in gear is a strain on everything that has been pointed out. However stalling it at a stop light in heavy traffic it is nice to know how to start it in gear.

So isn't a cold start in neutral and the big bang and jump when you put it in gear. You have a clutch pack spinning fast with stuck clutch plates so its like putting it in gear with the clutch out. Either way you start it stuff is taking a hammering, a person has to do what is comfortable for them.

[Moe55]

If you stall it at a light it is nice to know how to start it without having to find neutral. By the time you get to a light it should be warmed up. There is no other time that I think it should be started in gear for all of the reasons that have been posted on this thread.

[lboos]

If you stall it at a light it is nice to know how to start it without having to find neutral. By the time you get to a light it should be warmed up. There is no other time that I think it should be started in gear for all of the reasons that have been posted on this thread.

Moe, you are 100% right,....... even though msocko3 is most of the time right, he is wrong on this, I think he gets his info. from the owners manual that comes with the new Harley which is for the "inexperienced" driver on how to ride his new bike with out going in to a lot of tech. stuff.

And I know how hard it is for msocko to admit he is wrong [because I have had to do it so many times ],..... I think they call it the agony of defeat .

[Sloufoot]

Moe, you are 100% right,....... even though msocko3 is most of the time right, he is wrong on this, I think he gets his info. from the owners manual that comes with the new Harley which is for the "inexperienced" driver on how to ride his new bike with out going in to a lot of tech. stuff.

And I know how hard it is for msocko to admit he is wrong [because I have had to do it so many times ],..... I think they call it the agony of defeat .

What M3 is trying to get across is the fact the stock starter is doing fine starting a 120" engine with higher compression that any of you have with the 103" engines.
When you start in gear the small sticking of the clutch plates mostly go away when the first movement of the engine turning over. Thus the same drag is on the starter as being in neutral as in gear.
I wish someone had a 120" with a kick starter, & one of the 103"'s with the same. You would understand.
What you can do though is take an amp draw test of the starter in gear, & one in neutral......Solve it for yourself & then you don't have to believe anyone but yourself.......

[msocko3]

Moe, you are 100% right,....... even though msocko3 is most of the time right, he is wrong on this, I think he gets his info. from the owners manual that comes with the new Harley which is for the "inexperienced" driver on how to ride his new bike with out going in to a lot of tech. stuff.

And I know how hard it is for msocko to admit he is wrong [because I have had to do it so many times ],..... I think they call it the agony of defeat .

My advice or info isn't from an owners manual, its from experience I've gained over the years working on everything from stock cars to race cars and into motorcycles.

A few of my exploits.

This one was kind of mild 468 Big Block Chevy making a little over 700 hp running injected methanol, good for 9.30's in the quarter. I was crew chief and tuner.


This one was a fun ride, 540 Big Block Chevy blown and injected running methanol, making 1,700 hp on a mild tune. Good for 6.70 quarters at a hare under 200 mph. I also performed crew chief, tuner and engine builder on this one. I think I kind of know my way around mechanical things when I can build and tune a $30,000 engine and spin it at 8,000 rpm through the top end.




On to motorcycles.

I do all my own work.















I've had my fair share of primary's apart.



The list can go on and on, I have and can admit when I'm wrong. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with people, my knowledge is based on experience, not from a book. Take from this what you want, it makes no difference too me, my life goes on. I know what I've accomplished over the years, I know what I can do.

I'm done with this thread.

[HDB0B]

FWIW The Water Cooled 103 has higher compression heads than the regular 103.

THIS is why the WC103 needs the 259SE cams and the regular 103 needs the 254SE cams.

ONLY when you stall the cycle in traffic should you use the clutch/brake start in gear option.
Safest (Proper IMO and how I do it) starting procedure is IN NEUTRAL, HAND OFF THROTTLE (hovering finger over shutoff switch), Brake applied.
If something bad should happen I have it under control.

Bob

[Moe55]

My advice or info isn't from an owners manual, its from experience I've gained over the years working on everything from stock cars to race cars and into motorcycles.

A few of my exploits.

This one was kind of mild 468 Big Block Chevy making a little over 700 hp running injected methanol, good for 9.30's in the quarter. I was crew chief and tuner.


This one was a fun ride, 540 Big Block Chevy blown and injected running methanol, making 1,700 hp on a mild tune. Good for 6.70 quarters at a hare under 200 mph. I also performed crew chief, tuner and engine builder on this one. I think I kind of know my way around mechanical things when I can build and tune a $30,000 engine and spin it at 8,000 rpm through the top end.




On to motorcycles.

I do all my own work.















I've had my fair share of primary's apart.



The list can go on and on, I have and can admit when I'm wrong. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with people, my knowledge is based on experience, not from a book. Take from this what you want, it makes no difference too me, my life goes on. I know what I've accomplished over the years, I know what I can do.

I'm done with this thread.

I am not questioning your comments at all in fact I agree with what you said. All I was trying to get across was that it is nice to know how to start it in gear if you have to.

At this point sorry that I commented at all on this thread.

[tom w]

can I agree with both of you? I run a little ol 110 with high flow heads. a little more than stock compression . on a cold start it helps it to start easier if you put it in neutral and yes I understand why. however, after that (the rest of the riding day) it will pop just fine by pulling the clutch in. do you wish we all still had kick pedals only. no question what gear it needed to be in.

cool rod pics !

[msocko3]

I am not questioning your comments at all in fact I agree with what you said. All I was trying to get across was that it is nice to know how to start it in gear if you have to.

At this point sorry that I commented at all on this thread.

That post wasn't directed at you. I understood where you were coming from, its all good. Like you said, its nice to know you can start it in gear if you have to. FWIW I bet I started the 2010 Triglide I had in gear 95% of the time, it was just one less thing between me and going for a ride , I even start my 2012 Wing in gear.

[GARYD]

I push mine to start.

[tom w]

I push mine to start.

up hill I would bet.