SUPPORT US AND GET KURAYAKYN SHIFT LINKAGE IN OUR STORE 👉 shop.lawabidingbiker.com/products/kuryakyn-shift-linkage-for-harley-davidson-sculpted-gloss-black?variant=42108387262620 HELP SUPPORT US! JOIN THE BIKER REVOLUTION! #BikerRevolution #LawAbidingBiker #Bikaholics #RyanUrlacher 🛒 SHOP IN THE LAW ABIDING BIKER STORE 🛒 shop.lawabidingbiker.com 😎 BECOME A MEMBER AND GET BENEFITS 😎 www.patreon.com/lawabidingbiker 📹 GET PREMIUM MOTORCYCLE TUTORIAL VIDEOS 📹 www.lawabidingbiker.com/buyvideos 🎬 WATCH OUR MOTORCYCLE DOCUMENTARY FILMS HERE🎬 www.lawabidingbiker.com/motorcycle-documentary-films 💰LEAVE A FLAT DONATION 💰 www.lawabidingbiker.com/donate 📱SHOP AMAZON RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS 📱 www.amazon.com/shop/ryanurlacher 📺 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR UA-cam CHANNEL 📺 goo.gl/EtxUnW 🎙CHECK OUT THE WEEKLY PODCAST 🎙 www.lawabidingbiker.com/app ⓕ FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK ⓕ facebook.com/lawabidingbiker 🐦 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 🐦 twitter.com/LawAbidingBiker 📷 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM 📷 instagram.com/LawAbidingBiker 🙈 FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK 🙈 www.tiktok.com/@lawabidingbiker
I am so glad 😊 l have a great Sportster 883. I have had my Sportster for 25 years and 400,000 miles on the original engine and 37 back tires and 17 front ones and 3 belts in 25 years. She is my daily driver as I don't have a car. I have had my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 40 years. When she was 50 years old she needed new camshafts we split the cases and new ones and changed the sludge trap. Put her back together and now she is good for another 50 years. It's a shame that HD big twins have so many quality issues for such a expensive motorcycle 😢.
I too have never heard of shift linkage or arms coming loose or breaking in my 30 plus years of riding. Neither me nor anyone I have rode with ever had these problems you describe. Periodically check all your fasteners is good advice.
Glad it hasn't happened to you yet. check out the overwhelming comments on this video of riders it's happened to over many years. It's a widespread issue ==> ua-cam.com/video/_GJz_J8IgqI/v-deo.html
88,000 on one evo never a problem. 74,000 on the twink never a problem. 67,000 on the 2017 m8 no problem. I have seen it happen on bikes not maintained. In my shop probably done 5 in 40 years. Guess your just lucky 🤣
Yep my OEM linkage failed riding down the highway. I got lucky and the nut and bolt came loose rather than the ball socket popping. So I hand tightened and made it home. Ended up swapping with a Heim joint linkage sold by Kustom Cycle Parts on Amazon. Company out of Nebraska I believe. Anodized billet aluminum. And they will engrave so you can customize. I also replaced the shift arm, shaft and those shaft bushings that require a special bearing tool. But the end result is much more stable and failure-proof. So if Kury stops making these, there are other options.
I replaced the rod ends with heim joints years ago but retained the stock pushrod. The rod is not the weak link, the rod ends are. I bought rod ends from McMaster Carr, a huge parts house for everything industrial. I keep one of the old stock rod ends in my tool pouch in case another rider has a stock one fail on the road. I had to replace my worn out rear shift arm last summer. On six speed bikes it’s an easy replacement, older 5 speeds requires the primary cases to be removed. Check the fasteners on front and back arms with a torque wrench at each fluid change.
I had my shift linkage fail last summer half way through a 10 day ride. thankfully I did notice on my pre ride check i was getting some movement in the linkage before heading on on the ride. I recalled your video about this Ryan. on day 2 of the ride just happen to stop in a HD dealership to check things out. while there i checked with service department and picked up a new shifter linkage. Planning to swap it out once I got home. Well on around Day 5 of the ride it failed , and thankfully between myself an the buddies i was riding with , I was able to swap it out , and get back on the road in about 1/2 hour. Thanks Ryan love the videos. you save me some hardship and let me get back on my bike to enjoy the ride.
Did 100 k on evo not a problem with shifter rod but I grease it when doing service.same as my street bob 30 k & not a problem .just a tiny bit of grease does wonders .thats why I do all my own work shops skip the small things same as gear shifter & break peddles grease there pivot points .just like you should lube cables witch is another thing shops don’t do .
Bought one from you and kicking myself for not doing this in the past. No lugging or clunking like OEM, what a freaking difference. Took 10 minutes to change out.
So true. It failed on my '07 Low Rider with less than 30K on it. The replacement is so superior I recommend doing it NOW. Don't wait. In case you're wondering, low mileage because the guy I bought it from didn't ride much. .
This is another reason why I will never trade mine in for a new one. After replacing way too many parts on the one I have I don't ever want to start over from scratch...not at the premium price the Harley charges for unfinished bikes.
How many motorcycles have you had that will last you your entires adut life? Let us call that 40 years. You pay 30,000 dollars for a pretty well loaded one. That is 750 dollars a year. I've had 12 or 14 metric bikes... not one of them has lasted even 8 years. They just wear out. Nearsighted people get to bothering the vibrations of life. Stop being a bad vibration.
Just replaced mine a week ago with a billet Aluminum chrome plated one. Looks great and inspected the shift arm too all is good. 08 SG just turned 70K miles...
I feel you on the linkage failure. I zip tied my linkage in 2015, I replaced the zip tie last year 2023 in Nebraska (i run South Texas to Sturgis). No need for a shifter replacement. I just carry plenty of handcuff grade zip ties. Also bring black gorilla tape.
@@nelsongn9 yep. Zip ties really held it together Nut came off on front of primary. slid out. I zip tied as an emergency. It held indefinitely. Then the pivot above that came apart, zip tied that too. Many years ago. Might replace it some day. I have 2000 FLHTCUI. Note: 70k on Magnetti Marelli electronics. No issues. EDIT: not every issue can be fixed on the road, but for the ones that can, gorilla tape, Zip ties, and superglue is worth every square inch it takes up in the saddle bag.
I own a 2007 RG. My shift linkage is ALL stock. I have the bike since Memorial Day weekend 2007. I have over 103K miles on the bike. I clean and lube all pivot points at every service level. I have not had an issue with the shift linkage. I am now replacing inner primary seal and gasket. Also the shift shaft seal into tyranny. I will probably get a new linkage now and replace the stock one for astetics and prevent an issue this season. JRH
Haven't had the shift linkage fail but I have had the shifter shaft fail on a long ride. A lace from my wife's extra pair of boots worked find to upshift. I'd rev it, pull in the clutch and tell her to shift and she'd pull back on the shoe lace. Luckily it would still catch to down shift to get to the next dealer for repair. It's made a good story over the years!
Love your stuff here in the UK, this reminds me of my next task, I fabricate stuff like this just for myself, mines an 08 Dyna, suspension sorted, cammed, followers,oil pump etc,primary sorted throughout, these little things can be a big downer on a run, thank you😊
Had mine fail on a trip to Sturgis, it stripped coming into Missoula in the evening. Rode it through the night to Billings HD and had it fixed under warranty. Had to shift by hand all the way to the dealership.
While it's never happened to me, more about the number of miles on the bikes, but it did to one of my riding buddies on a long ride. I've been thinking about changing it anyway just for fun and making my bike more personal. This decided it for me. Just ordered on. Thanks for the discount. Very appriciated.
Replaced mine when I moved my mid controls to forward. Also put some Loctite on the threads on (Sportster) the nuts don't back off during vibration. Shaft arm - other of a different design than that. Those linkages are very beefy! I like those! Cut out Roland Sands style.
Back in 2006 my shift rod failed 2400 miles from home at a stop sign. I packed along cable ties which worked to get me moving again. Replacement has always been the number one item for my Harleys since.
I appreciate all the help that you give to people with big twins. With all the trouble with big twins across the board I just keep driving my trouble-free Evo Sportster. Amen
Iam so happy I just bought a 2002 Dyna Wide glid non running in really great shape chrome and paint really nice got it for 1300 on ebay auction. What I've found so far is broken cam gear on crankshaft got more to investigate of course but I have a good looking bike to work with.
Agreed. the stock linkage rods do fail. We always upgrade to custom rods with real Heim joints. However along with tools, I carry a complete (nearly new) stock linkage rod in the bottom of my bag.
The ball & socket joints failed after 8 years on my Road King so I went to Ace Hardware and picked up 2 heim joints installed them on the stock shift rod. Shifts just fine. Cost ? $10.
At the start of a long trip mine fell off. Tied it up with Para Cord and drove straight to the dealer. Install a Gimble bearing type and used it on my 2012 Ultra and now on my 2020 TriGlide.
05 Softail and my linkage "fell off" thankfully while washing my bike in the driveway amd not at speed in LA traffic. Was really surprised how cheap amd janky this part is compared to the replacement. I guess its fine for the low mile donut shop rider, but not for a daily rider that will see many miles.
I just went down to my local hardware store and bought two Heim joints with the same thread pitch. Sixteen dollars and done. Got a matching bolt for the rear.
Yep mine failed going thru Ark . Ball joint came apart . Good thing was my boot laces were a little long so I cut about 10 in off my boot laces a tied it on. It got me back home in southeast Texas.
I purchased one online. Aluminum with Maltese cross, “ Ebay“. When I received it, I thought it was plastic, I did the bite test 😂, it was a very cheap “Chinese“ aluminum. While on a ride, it split in half. I Thank God I had the original in my side bag and was able to change it out quickly then catch up for the ride. I learned my lesson from online aftermarket bike parts.
Thank you for reminding me to change these two items. I fixed one before on a friends bike and he had less than 8000 miles. My zip ties worked great. I’ve put over 73000 miles on my bike and everything has been replaced “except” these two items. 😂
I've got 75k on my '07 Road King and I've had no problems with the shifter parts. I'd have way more miles on it, but I gotta share the love with my other bikes. 🤷🏻♂
Was thinking of the shift shift linkage for a while now , just ben putting it off, was gonna buy factory but haven't seen one i liked and didn't know if one from the dealership would've ben same as one that came on my bike ? your video just reminded and convinced me seen one i liked. I just ordered one black and raw . thank you
Happened to me too, coincidentally on a long trip. Didn't have the tool kit, but the NAPA in the next town had bailing wire. 45 minutes later we were down the road
My first Harley was a 2003 Anniversary Road Glide and my wife and I were on a ride but headed home and was maybe 5 miles from home and that shift linkage broke. I was lucky I was in 2nd and we made it home. I have since had 2 new Harleys and it s one the first mods I make.
Oh boy are you right about the shifter shaft arm and the linkage going bad at the worst time. I had the shaft arm splines go bad on my ‘15 RG on my way to Laconia last year. Coming out of a toll booth it failed. I could only get into first and second gear. By the grace of god I was only a few miles from Manchester HD. I was able to ride to the dealer and change out the shaft arm and the linkage in the parking lot.
I just saw this video today. I have a 2023 Road glide. Do the 2023 Harley's have this same issues with these 2 parts, and if so approx what is amount of milage on the bike are we talking about that this problem may occur?
Yah, definitely wide spread. Glad you've been a lucky one. Tons of comments on this video and other shift linkage and shift arm videos on this channel. Plus, it's happened to those around me and while on trips. Some do and some don't. I don't take chances anymore and just replace it.
There's a shop called Baker Custom Inc that has a wide selection if needed... U.S based .. I want to say California.. they had a Vendor set up at Ohio Bike Week last year and were packing up when I stumbled across them ... They stopped and took the time to set me up for both my RG and the wife's Dyna ... If Kuryakin becomes unavailable.. might be a viable option., ... Ride em, don't hide em y'all
I now ride the Polaris Challenger. In all honesty I really never had any issues with the HD I owned other than scheduled maintenance. My last HD had 68k when I traded it. Brand loyalty blinds some people. There is no perfect motorcycle.
Head hoggers, has the only ultimate fix as far as I know. The free play comes from the bushing inside the bike. The kit will give you a printed bushing to completely remove the "play". Paired with a good shifter linkage it will be more solid than stock with zero play.
You should never have to replace the linkage rod , you don't need to hammer on it to shift gears. Adding a drop or two of oil to each of the the heim joint when your changing the oil, will make a world of difference in longevity. If you have to change the front shift lever, this is a good time to drill and tap a hole for a zerk fitting. They used to have them on touring bikes, but I guess Harley decided to not install them anymore. And every oil change , put a wrench on the rear shift lever clamp on the transmission bolt. If that gets loose and rounds out, it's a pita tp replace. The whole primary has to come off to remove it.,,,
The stock don't have heim joints. Pressed ball and socket. Glad it hasn't happened to you YET. So many have dealt with this over the years. Here's some comments and info to see how wide spread it its ==> ua-cam.com/video/fBrlm2KW5Xo/v-deo.html
I have an 04 Electra and I'm going through the gear shafts annually. The teeth on the inside of the shaft (closest to the motor) keep getting stripped. This time around, I noticed the bolt threads are also chewed up, so I am replacing that too. I've done the blue loctite and checked everything else. I just cant figure out why this keeps happening. I've had to make it home with zip ties several times now and I'm looking for answers!
I am trying to puchase a sculpted chrome linkage, part #9677. Your store says "full stock", but only Groove black is available for purchase. Do you actually have these or are you still out of them? thank you
Got my Kurayakyn linkage (chrome) in this week from your store and got it mounted, very pleased. Well made very good quality. Got the order in after 3 days. Got the 10 percent off too! Thank you Ryan.
I'm just going to go ahead and purchase two of them and also shifter arms and everything the whole thing the whole mechanism for the shifting things I'm going to purchase two of them and put them in the trunk in in case
Your out stock now. I saw these on jpcycles (Santoro Fabworx Shift Linkage For Harley Touring 1986-2024) they still have some linkages (K) there for $99.
Almost ALL failures ive seen are on bagger bikes with floorboards and toe/heal combo. That set up puts way more stress on the linkage. Harley has deliberately engineered these weaknesses deliberately not to destroy the transmission input shaft. If you beef those up I keep rough-housing the shifters you damage the input shaft! Big heavy boots an aggressive shifting always lead to broken linkage. Almost never see guys with bar bikes and choppers with this failure. Just my two cents good content brother..
Thanks. Yah, all the ones I've seen break around me, guys don't even have the heel shifter on and we just wear riding shoes, not boots. Thanks for the comments.
Nope, read all the comments. It's widespread for many years now. Consider yourself just lucky. Also, look at my other shift linkage videos and shifter arm videos on this channel. You won't be able to keep up with the comments of this happening to so many bikers. Ride safe.
Here is the linkage and fitment info ==> shop.lawabidingbiker.com/products/kuryakyn-shift-linkage-for-harley-davidson-sculpted-gloss-black?variant=42821840076956
Yep my OEM linkage failed riding down the highway. I got lucky and the nut and bolt came loose rather than the ball socket popping. So I hand tightened and made it home -This comment is all over the place
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I am so glad 😊 l have a great Sportster 883. I have had my Sportster for 25 years and 400,000 miles on the original engine and 37 back tires and 17 front ones and 3 belts in 25 years. She is my daily driver as I don't have a car. I have had my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 40 years. When she was 50 years old she needed new camshafts we split the cases and new ones and changed the sludge trap. Put her back together and now she is good for another 50 years. It's a shame that HD big twins have so many quality issues for such a expensive motorcycle 😢.
Rock on sportsters ! , 94k + on my 02
Ive got 135,000kms on my 09 Nightster, still mint
I’ve riding Harley since 40 years back. I’ve never had any problem like this.
I too have never heard of shift linkage or arms coming loose or breaking in my 30 plus years of riding. Neither me nor anyone I have rode with ever had these problems you describe. Periodically check all your fasteners is good advice.
Glad it hasn't happened to you yet. check out the overwhelming comments on this video of riders it's happened to over many years. It's a widespread issue ==> ua-cam.com/video/_GJz_J8IgqI/v-deo.html
88,000 on one evo never a problem. 74,000 on the twink never a problem. 67,000 on the 2017 m8 no problem. I have seen it happen on bikes not maintained. In my shop probably done 5 in 40 years. Guess your just lucky 🤣
It’s happened to me in the middle of a ride
Amen, proper maintenance and inspections of your ride, and she'll last you a lifetime.
Yep my OEM linkage failed riding down the highway. I got lucky and the nut and bolt came loose rather than the ball socket popping. So I hand tightened and made it home. Ended up swapping with a Heim joint linkage sold by Kustom Cycle Parts on Amazon. Company out of Nebraska I believe. Anodized billet aluminum. And they will engrave so you can customize. I also replaced the shift arm, shaft and those shaft bushings that require a special bearing tool. But the end result is much more stable and failure-proof. So if Kury stops making these, there are other options.
I replaced the rod ends with heim joints years ago but retained the stock pushrod. The rod is not the weak link, the rod ends are. I bought rod ends from McMaster Carr, a huge parts house for everything industrial. I keep one of the old stock rod ends in my tool pouch in case another rider has a stock one fail on the road.
I had to replace my worn out rear shift arm last summer. On six speed bikes it’s an easy replacement, older 5 speeds requires the primary cases to be removed. Check the fasteners on front and back arms with a torque wrench at each fluid change.
Correct. Pressed ball and socket/stock.
I had my shift linkage fail last summer half way through a 10 day ride. thankfully I did notice on my pre ride check i was getting some movement in the linkage before heading on on the ride. I recalled your video about this Ryan. on day 2 of the ride just happen to stop in a HD dealership to check things out. while there i checked with service department and picked up a new shifter linkage. Planning to swap it out once I got home. Well on around Day 5 of the ride it failed , and thankfully between myself an the buddies i was riding with , I was able to swap it out , and get back on the road in about 1/2 hour. Thanks Ryan love the videos. you save me some hardship and let me get back on my bike to enjoy the ride.
Just awesome story. Thanks for sharing. That's my aim, is just to help bikers know about stuff like this, so they aren't stranded.
Did 100 k on evo not a problem with shifter rod but I grease it when doing service.same as my street bob 30 k & not a problem .just a tiny bit of grease does wonders .thats why I do all my own work shops skip the small things same as gear shifter & break peddles grease there pivot points .just like you should lube cables witch is another thing shops don’t do .
Bought one from you and kicking myself for not doing this in the past. No lugging or clunking like OEM, what a freaking difference. Took 10 minutes to change out.
So true. It failed on my '07 Low Rider with less than 30K on it. The replacement is so superior I recommend doing it NOW. Don't wait. In case you're wondering, low mileage because the guy I bought it from didn't ride much. .
Uhhhhh….why doesn’t Harley fix these known problem things. They charge enough for the bike.
I know, same as BMW and others. There are just some things like this that have to be changed. I certainly wish it were not the case.
This is another reason why I will never trade mine in for a new one. After replacing way too many parts on the one I have I don't ever want to start over from scratch...not at the premium price the Harley charges for unfinished bikes.
Why don't they fix them?...$ that's why
How many motorcycles have you had that will last you your entires adut life? Let us call that 40 years. You pay 30,000 dollars for a pretty well loaded one. That is 750 dollars a year. I've had 12 or 14 metric bikes... not one of them has lasted even 8 years. They just wear out. Nearsighted people get to bothering the vibrations of life. Stop being a bad vibration.
Defective water pump 700 bucks the m8 2017 -2019 defective oil pumps,cam chain tensioners ,eco cam bearings the list goes on 😢and on😂
Thanks Ryan I bought two and the discount code is still good! I appreciate you and all you do for us Bikers!
Just replaced mine a week ago with a billet Aluminum chrome plated one. Looks great and inspected the shift arm too all is good. 08 SG just turned 70K miles...
I feel you on the linkage failure. I zip tied my linkage in 2015, I replaced the zip tie last year 2023 in Nebraska (i run South Texas to Sturgis). No need for a shifter replacement. I just carry plenty of handcuff grade zip ties. Also bring black gorilla tape.
wow. did zipties really work?? i have a 2013 ultra, always concerned about breakdowns far from home
@@nelsongn9 yep. Zip ties really held it together
Nut came off on front of primary. slid out. I zip tied as an emergency. It held indefinitely. Then the pivot above that came apart, zip tied that too. Many years ago. Might replace it some day. I have 2000 FLHTCUI. Note: 70k on Magnetti Marelli electronics. No issues. EDIT: not every issue can be fixed on the road, but for the ones that can, gorilla tape, Zip ties, and superglue is worth every square inch it takes up in the saddle bag.
I own a 2007 RG. My shift linkage is ALL stock. I have the bike since Memorial Day weekend 2007. I have over 103K miles on the bike. I clean and lube all pivot points at every service level. I have not had an issue with the shift linkage. I am now replacing inner primary seal and gasket. Also the shift shaft seal into tyranny. I will probably get a new linkage now and replace the stock one for astetics and prevent an issue this season. JRH
Haven't had the shift linkage fail but I have had the shifter shaft fail on a long ride. A lace from my wife's extra pair of boots worked find to upshift. I'd rev it, pull in the clutch and tell her to shift and she'd pull back on the shoe lace. Luckily it would still catch to down shift to get to the next dealer for repair. It's made a good story over the years!
Yup I had the shifter shaft issues as tons of other bikers have. Check this out ==> ua-cam.com/video/_GJz_J8IgqI/v-deo.html
Love your stuff here in the UK, this reminds me of my next task, I fabricate stuff like this just for myself, mines an 08 Dyna, suspension sorted, cammed, followers,oil pump etc,primary sorted throughout, these little things can be a big downer on a run, thank you😊
Had mine fail on a trip to Sturgis, it stripped coming into Missoula in the evening. Rode it through the night to Billings HD and had it fixed under warranty. Had to shift by hand all the way to the dealership.
Yeah bro, I've been there. Hand shifting to get to where you need to. LOL!! thanks for sharing.
While it's never happened to me, more about the number of miles on the bikes, but it did to one of my riding buddies on a long ride. I've been thinking about changing it anyway just for fun and making my bike more personal. This decided it for me. Just ordered on. Thanks for the discount. Very appriciated.
Replaced mine when I moved my mid controls to forward. Also put some Loctite on the threads on (Sportster) the nuts don't back off during vibration. Shaft arm - other of a different design than that. Those linkages are very beefy! I like those! Cut out Roland Sands style.
Back in 2006 my shift rod failed 2400 miles from home at a stop sign. I packed along cable ties which worked to get me moving again. Replacement has always been the number one item for my Harleys since.
That Kuryakyn shift linkage is a nice piece. I replaced my OEM shifter and also used the Thrashin Supply shift lever. A very nice setup!
I appreciate all the help that you give to people with big twins. With all the trouble with big twins across the board I just keep driving my trouble-free Evo Sportster. Amen
Rock on.
@@RyanUrlacher Yes. Thank you for this very helpful video and tip Ryan!
Ride mate not driving.
Thank you for this video. You helped me scratch Harley-Davidson off my new bike prospects.
Iam so happy I just bought a 2002 Dyna Wide glid non running in really great shape chrome and paint really nice got it for 1300 on ebay auction. What I've found so far is broken cam gear on crankshaft got more to investigate of course but I have a good looking bike to work with.
Another harley fix the videos never end. What part on a harley does not need replacing to make it work right?
Agreed. the stock linkage rods do fail. We always upgrade to custom rods with real Heim joints. However along with tools, I carry a complete (nearly new) stock linkage rod in the bottom of my bag.
Roger that. We too carry an old linkage just as a backup. Thanks for watching.
Just ordered mine up! Great imfo. Mine is good to go, but trying to be proactive, I'm getting mine while I can. Great video
Totally, I bought a 2024 Street Glide 2 weeks ago and I'm replacing it tomorrow. NO reason to get stranded. THANKS FOR SHOPPING IN OUR STORE!
The ball & socket joints failed after 8 years on my Road King so I went to Ace Hardware and picked up 2 heim joints installed them on the stock shift rod. Shifts just fine. Cost ? $10.
Im on my fourth Harley. I've never had a shift linkage fail
Yup, this has been a problem with Harley for years, only the CVO's have the shift rod with Heim joints...
Yup
42k....I get helm joints. Lol
At the start of a long trip mine fell off. Tied it up with Para Cord and drove straight to the dealer. Install a Gimble bearing type and used it on my 2012 Ultra and now on my 2020 TriGlide.
05 Softail and my linkage "fell off" thankfully while washing my bike in the driveway amd not at speed in LA traffic. Was really surprised how cheap amd janky this part is compared to the replacement. I guess its fine for the low mile donut shop rider, but not for a daily rider that will see many miles.
haven't had a failure yet, but Thanks for bringing this up so I don't have a failure out on the road.
I just went down to my local hardware store and bought two Heim joints with the same thread pitch. Sixteen dollars and done. Got a matching bolt for the rear.
The Thrashin’ shift arm is s great improvement over the stock shift arm, it makes finding neutral easy & consistent…
I changed it on my 2012 FLHTK like 9 years ago. It didn't fail but it was a POS...As for the shift shaft arm, I carry a spare in my Cruz Tool Bag..
Roosta from Chicago: My linkage went out while I was in Arkansas riding the Ozark mountains; took it to Pigtrail Harley Davidson for repair.
Yep mine failed going thru Ark . Ball joint came apart . Good thing was my boot laces were a little long so I cut about 10 in off my boot laces a tied it on. It got me back home in southeast Texas.
Thanks for sharing!!
I just changed to heim joints. Went 80,100 miles on my 08 stock joints.
Just sayn.
But, the heim joint is more solid for sure.
I purchased one online. Aluminum with Maltese cross, “ Ebay“. When I received it, I thought it was plastic, I did the bite test 😂, it was a very cheap “Chinese“ aluminum. While on a ride, it split in half. I Thank God I had the original in my side bag and was able to change it out quickly then catch up for the ride. I learned my lesson from online aftermarket bike parts.
Yah, Amazon is a beast for sure. Advertising so much knock of stuff these days. I feel your pain.
Thank you for reminding me to change these two items. I fixed one before on a friends bike and he had less than 8000 miles. My zip ties worked great. I’ve put over 73000 miles on my bike and everything has been replaced “except” these two items. 😂
Rock on!! Thanks for the comments.
I've got 75k on my '07 Road King and I've had no problems with the shifter parts. I'd have way more miles on it, but I gotta share the love with my other bikes. 🤷🏻♂
Was thinking of the shift shift linkage for a while now , just ben putting it off, was gonna buy factory but haven't seen one i liked and didn't know if one from the dealership would've ben same as one that came on my bike ? your video just reminded and convinced me seen one i liked. I just ordered one black and raw . thank you
Rock on. Thanks for your support. I don't want anyone to be stranded like so many bikers are when this happens.
I got mine in the mail today thanks 👍👍👍👍plus the two stickers bonus
Dam I missed out on that code
I changed mine to Heim joints before the first ride. I carry the stock joints in my kit in case someone needs them on the road.
Happened to me too, coincidentally on a long trip. Didn't have the tool kit, but the NAPA in the next town had bailing wire. 45 minutes later we were down the road
Thanks for sharing!!
I had the stock one fail on me out in the middle of nowhere but I managed to zip tie it back together to get home so Yes get a better one asap
Tried to purchase a shift linkage from your store. Unfortunately you dont ship to UK. Luckily I found them available from ARH Customs in the UK.
My first Harley was a 2003 Anniversary Road Glide and my wife and I were on a ride but headed home and was maybe 5 miles from home and that shift linkage broke. I was lucky I was in 2nd and we made it home. I have since had 2 new Harleys and it s one the first mods I make.
It’s good you share these valuable tips but makes you wonder why a bike that costs like a Harley would not fix all the known problems.
Oh boy are you right about the shifter shaft arm and the linkage going bad at the worst time. I had the shaft arm splines go bad on my ‘15 RG on my way to Laconia last year. Coming out of a toll booth it failed. I could only get into first and second gear. By the grace of god I was only a few miles from Manchester HD. I was able to ride to the dealer and change out the shaft arm and the linkage in the parking lot.
Thanks for sharing.
I just saw this video today. I have a 2023 Road glide. Do the 2023 Harley's have this same issues with these 2 parts, and if so approx what is amount of milage on the bike are we talking about that this problem may occur?
Just bought one Ryan. Thanks for your video. Is the sticker shift bracket you also mention one from HD or aftermarket company? I have a 2014 SGS.
The shifter shaft arm is OEM ==> ua-cam.com/video/_GJz_J8IgqI/v-deo.html
I just replaced the heim joints on mine bought from Fleetfarm !!
60,000 + miles never replaced either of these, no problems. Honestly never heard of this problem until now
Yah, definitely wide spread. Glad you've been a lucky one. Tons of comments on this video and other shift linkage and shift arm videos on this channel. Plus, it's happened to those around me and while on trips. Some do and some don't. I don't take chances anymore and just replace it.
Purchased one tonight from your store. Thank you for the discount.
Absolutely. Thanks for your support.
Haven't had any issues with my 21 RG but purchased one to match my sexier floor boards :D
Nice!! Now you won't have a problem for sure
I just ordered my linkage thanks looking forward to installing it soon
Right on! Thx
There's a shop called Baker Custom Inc that has a wide selection if needed... U.S based .. I want to say California.. they had a Vendor set up at Ohio Bike Week last year and were packing up when I stumbled across them ... They stopped and took the time to set me up for both my RG and the wife's Dyna ... If Kuryakin becomes unavailable.. might be a viable option., ... Ride em, don't hide em y'all
I’ve never had a shifter link fail, but the OEM one is definitely one of the things that I change out because it looks cheap and crap.
Thanks, Brother !! Had not thought of that. Ordered it right away.
Very cool!! Thx
I now ride the Polaris Challenger. In all honesty I really never had any issues with the HD I owned other than scheduled maintenance. My last HD had 68k when I traded it. Brand loyalty blinds some people. There is no perfect motorcycle.
Correct, no perfect motorcycle. I'm still searching.
Quality parts for sure. It's one of the first thingsnI swap out. Softbrake has some good options as well.
Awesome hoodie
Right on
shop.lawabidingbiker.com/collections/supportgear
Head hoggers, has the only ultimate fix as far as I know. The free play comes from the bushing inside the bike. The kit will give you a printed bushing to completely remove the "play". Paired with a good shifter linkage it will be more solid than stock with zero play.
Wouldn't the linkage start to feel sloppy before it fails if it's a wear issue?
Yup My 03 failed on a trip. My 2018 SG I wouldn't take it home until they swapped that part.
Happen to me shift lever came loose on a long trip “Iowa to Dallas” last 20-miles. Was Able to fix it and get home..
Thanks for sharing
Mine failed when I was 100 miles from home.. just took a string from my backpack and tied it together and got home thank goodness
That looks exactly like a tie rod end on my MTD lawn tractor! I keep spares around, they let go all the time. Jeez, come from the same factory?
You should never have to replace the linkage rod , you don't need to hammer on it to shift gears. Adding a drop or two of oil to each of the the heim joint when your changing the oil, will make a world of difference in longevity. If you have to change the front shift lever, this is a good time to drill and tap a hole for a zerk fitting. They used to have them on touring bikes, but I guess Harley decided to not install them anymore. And every oil change , put a wrench on the rear shift lever clamp on the transmission bolt. If that gets loose and rounds out, it's a pita tp replace. The whole primary has to come off to remove it.,,,
The stock don't have heim joints. Pressed ball and socket. Glad it hasn't happened to you YET. So many have dealt with this over the years. Here's some comments and info to see how wide spread it its ==> ua-cam.com/video/fBrlm2KW5Xo/v-deo.html
I have an 04 Electra and I'm going through the gear shafts annually. The teeth on the inside of the shaft (closest to the motor) keep getting stripped. This time around, I noticed the bolt threads are also chewed up, so I am replacing that too. I've done the blue loctite and checked everything else. I just cant figure out why this keeps happening. I've had to make it home with zip ties several times now and I'm looking for answers!
What if your Harley has mid controls with something like an S shaped linkage.
been riding HD's for 48 yrs. and never had any problems with shift linkage
Don't forget about the plastic clutch cable adjuster. Metal replacement from fat baggers
true that I have Brocken 2 on my bikes ,one went bad at only 5k miles .
Liked Kurayakyn, easy search, had a cart full of good chrome stuff. Tucker not so much.
Looks like you are sold out of the Chrome linkage. Any chance you will have more of this one or is that it?
Made my shift linkage 2 years ago with heim rod ends.
Looks like Locktite is your friend with those bikes!
And wheel bearing is a major one. Everyone I know had to replace them right away or had them seized up.
When do you expect to have back in stock?
I am trying to puchase a sculpted chrome linkage, part #9677. Your store says "full stock", but only Groove black is available for purchase. Do you actually have these or are you still out of them? thank you
Got my Kurayakyn linkage (chrome) in this week from your store and got it mounted, very pleased. Well made very good quality. Got the order in after 3 days. Got the 10 percent off too! Thank you Ryan.
I'm just going to go ahead and purchase two of them and also shifter arms and everything the whole thing the whole mechanism for the shifting things I'm going to purchase two of them and put them in the trunk in in case
Good call
Do you have the arm to go with the linkage ?
What about the trans lever ?
Your out stock now. I saw these on jpcycles (Santoro Fabworx Shift Linkage For Harley Touring 1986-2024) they still have some linkages (K) there for $99.
Nope, not out of stock ==> shop.lawabidingbiker.com/products/kuryakyn-shift-linkage-for-harley-davidson-sculpted-gloss-black?variant=42821840076956
What about the Harley shifters?
One of the first things I changed on my heritage
Rock on. Me too!!
Didn't you have a factor shift rod fail out Cheyenne way a couple of years ago???
GOOD MEMORY. Yes I did. It was my shifter shaft arm that failed. ==> www.lawabidingbiker.com/harley-shifter-problems/
Thrashin Supply has a nice aftermarket shift lever that changes the torque of the shift arm & allows one to find neutral easier…
Great info 💙🏁💙
71000kms on stock shift linkage and zero issues yet.
Great information ty 🇺🇸
Almost ALL failures ive seen are on bagger bikes with floorboards and toe/heal combo. That set up puts way more stress on the linkage. Harley has deliberately engineered these weaknesses deliberately not to destroy the transmission input shaft. If you beef those up I keep rough-housing the shifters you damage the input shaft! Big heavy boots an aggressive shifting always lead to broken linkage. Almost never see guys with bar bikes and choppers with this failure. Just my two cents good content brother..
Thanks. Yah, all the ones I've seen break around me, guys don't even have the heel shifter on and we just wear riding shoes, not boots. Thanks for the comments.
Ryan:
Stators have failed me on both my Superglide Sport and Buell.
I know others as well.
Your stator will fail without warning.
have a 2016 with 80 k miles not a problem, never heard of it , maybe your kicking instead of shifting?
Nope, read all the comments. It's widespread for many years now. Consider yourself just lucky. Also, look at my other shift linkage videos and shifter arm videos on this channel. You won't be able to keep up with the comments of this happening to so many bikers. Ride safe.
Are you gonna have the linkage to fit a 99 EVO heritage softtail classic with the capability of a bend for the Samson true dual exhaust in chrome?
Here is the linkage and fitment info ==> shop.lawabidingbiker.com/products/kuryakyn-shift-linkage-for-harley-davidson-sculpted-gloss-black?variant=42821840076956
are you going to buy a new roadglide since you make a lot of long distance rides?
Mine gave out. Goo thing for duct tape. Rode that way for a couple of weeks.
Rock on!! Love duct tape
Thanks for the info. Just subscribed!!
Thanks for the sub!
Yep my OEM linkage failed riding down the highway. I got lucky and the nut and bolt came loose rather than the ball socket popping. So I hand tightened and made it home
-This comment is all over the place