Victory Motorcycle Forum banner

A couple new issues

7K views 36 replies 15 participants last post by  depot picker 
#1 · (Edited)
I was out riding Sunday and got more or less soaked. When I got back, I was looking the bike over, the headlight looked like it had gotten water in it. It was all clouded over. At first I thought maybe the light had burned out, but that wasn't the case.

The second and more troubling of the two was while going into sixth, the bike would start breaking up, like it wasn't getting any fuel, or possibly an electrical issue. It did it a couple of times and always in sixth.

And no, I wasn't lugging the bike, but that was kind of what it felt like.


Anyone experience either of these things?
 
#2 ·
I have no suggestions on the headlight.
For the other issue, make sure your battery cables are clean and tight. Heard of several strange issues related to loose connections.

Good Luck.
 
#3 ·
My guess for the headlight is condensation after you stopped. Unless you actually saw water collecting in the housing. My kingpin would get the condensation after riding in a heavy rain.
Water possibly interfering with spark could have caused the breaking up if the rain was enough of a downpour.
I washed my bike with a hose recently, got the motor all wet. Had a difficult time starting and when it did it sputtered a little until the motor warmed up and the water evaporated. At least thats what I blamed it on.
 
#5 ·
6th gear issue

had the same problem with my 11 XC. Bike seemed to hiccup horribly after shifting to 6th gear at 3k rpm...I played around with it trying to make it happen again...turns out I was not getting into 6th gear. You must make a very positive up shift. Once I started making a very positive upshift...it never happened again.
 
#8 ·
shifter linkage.

You could also try adjusting your toe-shifter down a little so you do not have to move it up as much,thus making it easier to grab the next gear up.;)
 
#10 ·
As long as you are shifting properly there should be NO issues with it popping out of gear or sputtering and having issues. By shifting properly I mean making an effort to ensure that the transmission actually engaged the gear. I know the longer throw of the shifter on the Vic got me a few times when I first got it. I rode a GSX-R 750 right before the CR and it's shifts were a much shorter throw and buttery smooth.

I'm a picky person, I would take it to the dealer and make them look at it. When I drop that much money on a purchase I am going to make sure it is operating properly and if not make the seller fix it using the warranty provided.

Hope it all works out for you.
 
#16 ·
As long as you are shifting properly there should be NO issues with it popping out of gear or sputtering and having issues.
I don't know about sputtering, but the first time I rode an XC, I had it pop out of second twice during a short demo ride. I admit, it did cause me to question the quality of the bikes.

When I got my XR, I noticed the same thing happening occasionally. It has only occurred in second gear and *never* occurs when I use my heal shifter.

People coming from more modern machinery may not be used to kicking a bike into gear. It doesn't bother me to do it now, though I strongly recommend the heal shifter. I love to bang up the gears with it (usually with my toes). It never misses...
 
#11 ·
if you dont want to go all the way to marengo call
douglas and frye and talk to rich .you dont need to
mention my name. i have pullback bars i need to get
installed yet. if you need the number get a hold of me.
you guys are starting to scare me. i spose im going to
have all these problems too. 8 years on a honda and
now i read all of this[lol]--irv
think ill park it so nothing goes wrong.
 
#14 ·
Check your plug wires to see there all the way on or look for a crack in the wire. You might have a spot that water is causing it to short out. Trying to power threw it will not do any thing but maybe break something.

If you have condensation in the light pull the light and look for a crack or a pin hole leak. If you find something use silicon and seal it.
 
#15 ·
i did take my shifter linkage off and lube it. as much dust
as these thing seem to collect it does stand to reason
it can crud up although probably not in 1300 miles.
anyone move the linkage to the back hole? you cant adjust the rod
enough to bring the shifter down. and im sure you dont want to move the trans end linkage.--irv
 
#26 ·
You can rotate the piece at the back of the shifter rod. I have mine all the way forward and that's what I did to get the shifter down.
 
#17 ·
What does a heal shifter heal? Does it cure incorrect shifting? Is it anything like a heel shifter? =)
 
#18 ·
you mean like physician heel thyself--that means kick yourself
in the a-s![maybe not]:)
 
#19 ·
Just adding a couple comments about the shifting. I'm finding out it tends to pop out of second if i'm riding more aggressive than normal. It's done it on me couple times the few days when I was really getting on the bike.

I guess I need to remember i'm not on my Triumph or Honda and not be so aggressive and baby this thing.

All I know is i'm over how this trans works. Or doesn't in my opinion.
 
#20 ·
what about your headlamp fogging ? ever figure it out
or did it go away by itself?
i think we all have missed a few shifts. even my flawless
vtx would get a false neutral between 4th and 5th once
in a great while. i even beginning to like the reassuring
loud noises the trans makes in the lower gears. keeps
me awake.--irv

i have a friend with a 12 street glide. it has a louder clunk
into 1st than mine!
 
#23 ·
I don't know. I haven't got caught in a rain like that yet.

It just irritates the hell out of me. My 36 year old Shovelhead shifts better than my 2011 CR??? The 2011 Electra Glide I demo'd three weeks ago shifted ten times better than the CR.

That Judge I rode last Friday shifted much better.

And Victory supposedly reworked the trans? I would have hated to ride an older Victory then.

I cut splines most of the time at work, and I would love to see Victory's prints and tolerances on their gears and the trans.
 
#22 ·
Shifting softly instead of firmly can get you between gears and cause the transmission to pop out of gear. The only fix is to shift like you mean it!
 
#29 ·
cool! thank you for some real world info. did you move your
shifter back or forward? how many splines from the dot did you
have to go? i did redo the brake pedal and adjust the height,
but have gotten used to the shifter except for height adj.
--irv
 
#34 ·
Moved it forward (I"m 6"3") . Don't remember how much I rotaed the arm, wasn't much as I remember. I plan to get the Witch Docter bushings to take some of the wiggle out of the shifter and brake pedals.
 
#32 ·
Saddle...
I can sympathize with your having to switch hit. I once had, at the same time, two mid fifities cars with 4 speed column shifts: a DKW and a Hillman Minx. They had shift patterns that were mirror images of one another. Hoo Boy, did that combination ever keep my brain on its toes. Now I'm down to just one bike and that's a good thing, cuz ol' Chemo Brain could,t handle the confusion any more. So concentrating on techniques and making them automatic is much easier.
BTW, a month ago, I got an issue of Rider magazine with an extensive article bout about dark siding. Since it came out, I have not seen one posting on the subject. Could it be Dark Siding can't stand the light?
 
#33 ·
You know why pro golfers and Quarter Back and Base Ball players are pros cause they do it the same way every time. You have to be consistent in what you do if you want to be good at what you do.
 
#36 ·
as a cross reference to this thread....my "desert ride" has seen rain maybe 3x...and about a week ago - notived when getting caught in a rain...my taillight (running light) went out....brake light still works....dealer said the light was full of water....
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top