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[grc]

My 08 CVO Ultra, clunks too, but it is inherent in these bikes.  I have 500 miles on my bike, and I'll wait till 1000 and drop the SYN3 then and go with Amsoil or the Mobil V-Twin.  The tranny needs a higher viscosity oil than SYN3. 

I also have a slight whine in first gear.  Was told it was normal because it is a helical gear. 

DOG

Straight cut gears (spur gears) are actually the noisier of the two types, the helical gears are quieter.  First and 5th in the Cruise Drive trans are spur gears, and thus noisier than 2, 3, 4, and 6 which are helical gears.  

As for the "clunk" when shifting, that is caused by the method used to engage the various gears.  In the older transmissions the actual gears would slide side to side to engage and disengage dogs & slots in the sides of the gears.  The Cruise Drive uses separate shifter rings, but the principle is basically the same.  The amount of free play or "slop" in the fit of the dogs to the slots is larger in the lower gears, and smaller in the higher gears.  Therefore, more "clunk" and more on-off jerkiness in the lower gears versus the higher gears.  This is done this way because there is a larger speed difference between the two gears in the lower ratios, and a tight dog to slot fit would result in many more "missed" shifts when the dogs bounce off rather than drop into the slots (the two gears are turning at different speeds until the dogs lock them together).  

One thing that exacerbates the clunk issue, especially when engaging 1st gear from neutral, is a dragging clutch.  Try this trick if you tend to get a loud clunk shifting into 1st:  Pull the clutch in, rev the engine with a quick blip of the throttle (to break the clutch plates loose), let the engine return to idle and count to 5, then move the shifter into first.  When done properly, you won't get any clunk or jerk.  This is because the two gears have had time to slow down and there is no longer a large difference in speed between them when the dogs engage the slots.

Jerry

[2k]

Straight cut gears (spur gears) are actually the noisier of the two types, the helical gears are quieter.  First and 5th in the Cruise Drive trans are spur gears, and thus noisier than 2, 3, 4, and 6 which are helical gears.  

As for the "clunk" when shifting, that is caused by the method used to engage the various gears.  In the older transmissions the actual gears would slide side to side to engage and disengage dogs & slots in the sides of the gears.  The Cruise Drive uses separate shifter rings, but the principle is basically the same.  The amount of free play or "slop" in the fit of the dogs to the slots is larger in the lower gears, and smaller in the higher gears.  Therefore, more "clunk" and more on-off jerkiness in the lower gears versus the higher gears.  This is done this way because there is a larger speed difference between the two gears in the lower ratios, and a tight dog to slot fit would result in many more "missed" shifts when the dogs bounce off rather than drop into the slots (the two gears are turning at different speeds until the dogs lock them together).  

One thing that exacerbates the clunk issue, especially when engaging 1st gear from neutral, is a dragging clutch.  Try this trick if you tend to get a loud clunk shifting into 1st:  Pull the clutch in, rev the engine with a quick blip of the throttle (to break the clutch plates loose), let the engine return to idle and count to 5, then move the shifter into first.  When done properly, you won't get any clunk or jerk.  This is because the two gears have had time to slow down and there is no longer a large difference in speed between them when the dogs engage the slots.

Jerry

You got to be some kind of friggin engineer! 

[mark]

Ditto on using a different tranny fluid.  I switched to Redline v-twin with shockproof and the bike shifted much better and finding neutral wasn't a challenge any longer.

[gstrickland]

same for my new 110 anniversary Road Glide, had it serviced last week for the 1000 mile inital, had the dealer use my redline products and the banging into first stopped immediately with the shockproof tranny oil.

[Keats]

I will take the "clunk" any day verses the "non shift/ stripping " engagement that my 1998 Road King exhibited.

Never seem to know what gear that bike was in when sitting.   Sometimes a click, sometimes a clunk and sometimes silence.  I hated the 5 speed gearbox.

Now as far as I can tell you my "clunk" on my 2008 Ultra did get better with Redline Shockproof, but certainly did not go away.

I love this six speed with the context of my previous Harley's.

[CVO2FIXUP]

 Pull the clutch in, rev the engine with a quick blip of the throttle (to break the clutch plates loose), let the engine return to idle and count to 5, then move the shifter into first.  When done properly, you won't get any clunk or jerk.  This is because the two gears have had time to slow down and there is no longer a large difference in speed between them when the dogs engage the slots.

Jerry


[/quote]

   This is what I wanted to add. I run Red Line in the tranny, and it made a huge difference in the smoothness of the shifting and noise. I to hold the clutch in for a few seconds before engaging first gear. 6 times out of 10 I get absolutely no "clunk" at all. The other times I get a slight click. Once you get used to doing this it becomes second nature.

  I do cringe at guy's who start there bikes, rev them up and slam the tranny in to first before the RPM'S drop.  They seem so happy while doing this, while I get goose bumps.

[Rooster]

Changing the primary tensioner to the Hayden unit helps also and shifts smoother in every gear for me, and also helps finding neutral as well.

[dlaws01]

I think something must be wrong with mine, it don't "clunk".   

[FlaHeatWave]

'Glad that I read this post as it reminded me to bring a qt. of Redline to my Indy for the '05 SEEG (haven't tried Redline in the 5sp yet.)

Have had Redline in the '09 SERG for the last 2 changes and won't run anything else. I was really surprised at the difference that it made!!!
'Wish the CruiseDrive would take a dump so that I could justify a DD7

'Put the SE 6sp gearset in the '01 Switchblade when we stroked it to 103, it shifts like a jap bike, I think it's got Syn3 in it to boot!  (snick, snick, finds neutral by itself...) Quietest / best shiftin' HD tranny ever!!!