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[iski]

That's better than I often managed!  

Same here!

Was working in a garage at my first $$ paying job after High School for the magnificent sum of $1 an hour. Worked for 2 brothers - back alley small town garage. Worked on everything from cars to trucks to tractors to motorcycles.  Both brothers had Harleys (an Electra & a Duo Glide) & I used to look at them sort of like a dog looks at a ribeye through a butcher shop window.  One Saturday (worked til noon on Sat.) one of them says  'crank that up & move it over here.'  Was parked outside, they were doing an oil change inside.  So I get up over the kick start with 1 leg - all 155 pounds of me - & give it a sharp kick.  Got about 3/4 of the way down.... Had kick started a few Hondas & Kawas but never a Harley.  Up on a center stand (I think), so when it threw me up & off the bike did not fall over. Much laughter of course. I got up, got over the kick start with BOTH feet & gave it all 155 pounds & a big grunt & the sucker fired right up.  Rode it into the garage.  Damn near broke my leg/knee when it threw me back, but no way was I gonna show that pain to those hyenas.

Through the following years had a variety of Japanese bikes.  Dirt then street.  But I always remembered that big beautiful blue Harley with the big old white seat & shiny chrome & throaty growl & how funny Mr. Rogers looked with his huge ass hanging over that white seat when he roared off for home after a long day.  

That bike was in neutral, BTW.  Why in the pluperfect hell would anybody try to start a bike in gear, anyway?

[Glide-man]

I always start in gear. When you start in neautal and put into 1st gear transmistion clunks like in twolaneriders video shows. Also Billys comment about harder to push when clutch is in and bike in gear.

[grc]

If you break the clutch plates loose and let the input shaft slow down before dumping it into first, you won't get that big clunk and lurch.  You can break the plates loose with a quick blip of the throttle with the clutch lever pulled in.

Btw, since changing my primary to ATF I don't even have to blip the throttle, I just pull the clutch lever at idle, wait about 3 seconds, and slip the shift lever into first.  No clunk, no lurch, no drama.

Jerry

[Twolanerider]

If you break the clutch plates loose and let the input shaft slow down before dumping it into first, you won't get that big clunk and lurch.  You can break the plates loose with a quick blip of the throttle with the clutch lever pulled in.

Btw, since changing my primary to ATF I don't even have to blip the throttle, I just pull the clutch lever at idle, wait about 3 seconds, and slip the shift lever into first.  No clunk, no lurch, no drama.

Jerry

T'is true.  Get so used to the improvement that when hopping on someone else's bike for some reason the old clunk we were used to can be a sudden start when no longer expecting it.

[Glide-man]

Interesting, I use Red Line products and clunk is less, however still there. Also bike lurchase when put into gear not much however still when starting in gear it is not there.  Just seams easier to keep in gear and start in gear. Trying to find neautral is a pain. I always value twolanerider and Jerrys advice tho so I might try to change my process.

[Billy]

Interesting, I use Red Line products and clunk is less, however still there. Also bike lurchase when put into gear not much however still when starting in gear it is not there.  Just seams easier to keep in gear and start in gear. Trying to find neautral is a pain. I always value twolanerider and Jerrys advice tho so I might try to change my process.

Finding Neutral  is easier. I stop the bike Turn off the ignition and turn back on the ignition and the trans slips right into neutral.  Billy