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Check your shift linkage now !

BillyBob

BillyBob

Administrator
Jan 16, 2012
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www.streetglide.com
We were riding back from Meridian, MS
Yesterday to Jackson ,Ms on interstate 20. Luckily I was only doing about 70 when all of a sudden I couldn't shift into 6th gear . So then I try to down shift and that doesn't work either.

I looked down and the whole linkage system, Had come apart . I was able to pull over on the interstate, reassemble temporarily and make it to the next exit.

After multiple calls to HOG,-they were useless - all the calls seem to go to Mexico - they could not find my membership, they could not find interstate 20, and they could find Mississippi ( I understand not knowing where Mississippi is ) and their tow limit is 100.00

I'm canceling my HOG membership tomorrow ! This is the first time I've tried using it in 16 years and it was useless!.

But I digress - long story short . I finally got it towed to back to the Meridian dealer, left it there and called them this morning. They said this is a common issue , especially with new bikes !

Mine is a 2015 with only 2400 miles on it.
2000 mile checkup was done 3 weeks ago-
In Jackson . Guess they didn't check the shift linkage. Won't be going back there for service.

Got back safe, but it was a very long night .

Everyone be safe and check you shift linkage!!




Bill
www.Streetglide.com
 
The fact that they even admit that it's a common issue then why wouldn't HD recall this issue, this can cause accident and even someone's life.....I don't get it......!!!!

HOG membership is totally useless unless you join local HOG groups and go riding or do things with them.....but who needs HOG membership for group rides......and when I ask HD dealerships if being a HOG member we get any discount and most of them will tell me "NO!". I keep getting renewal notifications from HOG and I am not going to waste my money on them.
 
Bill- I heard your "Same Useless HOG" story from a friend who had a flat traveling from Denver to KC last August. Funny, they couldn't verify his HOG number either!! It's time for a letter to Harley about this "farce" of a benefit and HOG magazine too!:mad:
 
Glad it wasn't more serious Bill ! That's a bad feeling to be stranded on the side of the road. I've had to use HOG once and it wasn't a pleasant experience. It just expired, won't renew. I replaced my linage a few months after I got it, when it was still in the "mods" stage. Haven't had any issues with it since.
 
Glad you got it off the road safely and was taken care of, Bill

This is NOT uncommon... never happened on my 14SGS, but it did on my 15RGS less than 200 miles after a service call that required them to take it off. They replaced it under warranty... but I still took it all apart, inspected it and re-installed with blue loctite... For some reason, you really have to crank them down to get them to hold with no play in any part of the linkage.
 
I feel your pain Bill had this happen while I was at Sturgis last year. I got mine to put back together enough to get it to the dealership in Rapid city. When the service writer tells you they ordered in a hundred of these to have on hand for the event it makes you think why. Haven't changed mine out yet but looking for a more reliable and bullet proof set up. Happy you made it in safe but I still worry about mine.
 
Bill, I am sorry to hear your story. This seems to be a regular occurence. I constantly check mine, but would not be suprised to have the same breakdown. As for HOG....I quit with them in the early 90's. I never saw the point, but then again, I am not a joiner. I bought a new 2014 and got a membership with my purchase, but do not intend to renew. Can anyone think of a way we, as bikers, and other Harley websites can start a lawsuit against Harley? Are there any lawyers on this website? Being stranded on the side of the road is a serious issue in todays world and totally unacceptable on the "Rushmore" bikes. I get a "rush" out of riding, not being stranded on the side of the road. The more I type the hotter I get. Pi$$ on just passing along sympathy to our fellow riders.....let's do something!
 
Guys, I am very new to this bike. Can you show me what I need to check? I do hear some rattling around the shifter but cannot find anything that need tightening. If I disassemble, do all the adjustments hold? I don't know how to adjust this but want to put blue lock tite on it.
 
trublupsu94 said:
Guys, I am very new to this bike. Can you show me what I need to check? I do hear some rattling around the shifter but cannot find anything that need tightening. If I disassemble, do all the adjustments hold? I don't know how to adjust this but want to put blue lock tite on it.
Click to expand...

Never mind. I think I got it. I took the front and rear shifters off and put lock tite on all three bolts that hold the shifters on and the one on the backside where the rod connects. The rod itself seemed plenty tight. But it took nothing for me to losen the. Up to put lock tite on. Went around the block and the noise was gone. I think I was about to be one of the folks that had this issue. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Check your shift linkage now !

trublupsu94 said:
Never mind. I think I got it. I took the front and rear shifters off and put lock tite on all three bolts that hold the shifters on and the one on the backside where the rod connects. The rod itself seemed plenty tight. But it took nothing for me to losen the. Up to put lock tite on. Went around the block and the noise was gone. I think I was about to be one of the folks that had this issue. Thanks for the heads up.
Click to expand...

Thanks all. Yes it's just the little screw that holds the foot lever onto the rod that goes to the transmission . We could tell it was never in there all the way, there was no wear or grease in Half the screw.

I will probably fill out a complaint on the NTSB online. That's the only way a recall
Can be started.

Thanks all!!


Bill
www.Streetglide.com
 
Thanks. I will say IDF out was this easy for me to do, everyone should check theirs. Was a 10 min job start to finish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
While you're down there look at that front spark plug wire where it contacts the fuel tank. This is another b.s. issue that Harley is ignoring.
 
My just came off today on my way from Ireland. Was in 6 gear and I could not down shift. We put it back on and road on. Check it loctite it!!


2014 Switchback
2014 SGS
 
CrBear said:
Glad it wasn't more serious Bill ! That's a bad feeling to be stranded on the side of the road. I've had to use HOG once and it wasn't a pleasant experience. It just expired, won't renew. I replaced my linage a few months after I got it, when it was still in the "mods" stage. Haven't had any issues with it since.
Click to expand...

What did you replace it with??
 
Make sure and check the lever on the inside of the shift shaft that the relay rod attaches to , this is as prone to loosening as the shifter levers are. I know a guy whos new 15 RG didn't get 500 miles before it striped the splines on the shift shaft and had it replaced.
 
Shouldn't Harley be picking this up and doing something about it?

Two people in my group have already had it happen to them.
 
They know about it but I'm being told older models did the same thing. I would think they could come up with something a little different. I now carry spares with my tools just in case.
 
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