u/a-more-clever-name

I had it bookmarked for about a week as a waypoint for my current expedition and I was floored when SRVSurvey indicated that it was undiscovered.

I felt like a child I was so happy! I probably loitered for about 20 minutes just looking at it. I’ll see if I can post video of the true spectacle it was.

And yes, it pulled me from Supercruise and spanked me a bit. But, I think some minor hull damage was worth it.

I was running a TBR for a long time. I was loud, and sounded okay. Even with the silencer, it was a lot. Then that eventually blew apart and turned into a megaphone and I had to hodge podge parts together and make it work since I wasn’t super keen on forking out more money after spending TBR money. Finally opted for the Delkevic since my bandaid eventually gave out, and man… I love it. I think this is one of the best exhausts for this bike.

So, this is my first Harley. It’s a ‘97 Fatboy that my uncle gave to me since he’s too old to ride and it was otherwise just sitting. It’s the first bike I ever got a ride on when I was a little kid, so between that and the fact that it was gifted to me, this has a lot of value. My uncle is practically the only person who’s owned it for the entirety of its life with the exception of the original owner who had it briefly but passed away. It’s been meticulously maintained and garaged, but has definitely been ridden a lot. While the odometer reads around 68,500 miles, it has somewhere closer to 300,000 on it (the gauge apparently isn’t water proof and are prone to failure).

ANYWAY, to my issue: I can’t ride the goddamned thing because I can’t get the clutch to disengage and so when I put it in gear, she just rolls forward when the clutch lever is pulled in.

Now, I’m not coming to you all completely clueless. I’m more scratching my head and cursing.

I’ve gone through the service manual and followed the procedure as prescribed and watched this video to ensure I understood what I was reading: https://youtu.be/IyW6oi6e\_U8?is=p7DyQjQDc-96zJEo

I’m currently sitting at 3/4 turn and have the cable set at roughly 1/8” and when I turn the bike on and put it in gear, it doesn’t drag. When I turn it off, put it in neutral, restart it, and put it back in gear it rolls like I’m giving it throttle despite the clutch lever being pulled all the way in.

Before I go opening the primary all the way up, I’m trying to get a handle on some leads as to what the problem is.

My current theories are:

1. Maybe I need to go a full turn or more. But at what point is that too much? I live in a desert area and ride often. The push rod and clutch cable are brand new. From my understanding, the clutch is also newer.

2. Clutch pack height/thickness. Maybe it has too many plates? Something like that?

3. Incorrect or too much oil. When I first opened the inspection cover, a lot of excess oil came out. Like, so much that it filled half a pan. I don’t have an actual quantity, but it was a lot. Now the oil level sits as prescribed in the service manual. But, what the manual says for this bike versus what’s in the video conflict a bit. What I see is that the oil level is basically at the bottom of the inspection cover opening. It’s also worth noting that my clutch sits differently in the primary than what’s shown in the video. A buddy suggest that the oil might be too thin and I need a thicker one, I’ll have to verify when I get home. My uncle always kept extra oil for it and I’m pretty sure he gave me primary fluid, I just don’t remember the weight.

4. Spring tension? I feel like this is unlikely and would drag me down the rabbit hole of frustration.

Those are my current theories. For added context, this is my third motorcycle. My second one was a full and total rebuild (you can see it in my profile) and I do all of the maintenance on my bikes and while I don’t know everything, I am savvy as far as DIY goes. I think it likely is an issue of me not being familiar with the bike and just need to learn it, but I think this is a point where it would do me good to ask for some advice.

So, yea, there’s my conundrum. Let me know what y’all think.

I’m looking to see if I’m able to make contact with the owner (or former owner) of the Fleet Carrier ATC Archimedes (V3Z-8TQ).

On 2 April 2021, I dropped into Sagittarius A* with my Type-7 after months in the black during an exploration expedition that started on 23 October 2020.

By the time I dropped in, my ship was severely damaged from so many various run-ins with stars, heavy planets, and all sorts of things from exploring. My AFMS was fried and I was out of everything.

Being a new Commander at the time, I knew nothing of how to really do much. So, as excited as I was to reach the Center, I had no idea if I was going to make it back.

But then I spotted it: the ATC Archimedes.

With full services. I was ecstatic.

I repaired, restocked, and sold all the data I had on me. I took the day to hang out and really let the experience sink in as I flew around the Center before docking one last time and then setting course for home at Fozard Port.

It’s a long shot, but if you’re in here Commander, I just want to say thank you. Your carrier saved me that day and I wouldn’t have been able to write out the story I have in this game over the years of it wasn’t for your carrier.

Cheers to you, and wish you the most! See you in the black!

o7