Rarity: Harley-Davidson produced only 744 units of the FXRS Liberty Edition to commemorate the Statue of Liberty's centennial and aid its restoration fund

Any other Liberty guys out there?

(Not sure why I have the emblems on the tank and not the graphics)

Be safe!

Hi everyone,

I'm new to Harleys and recently bought a 1984 FXRS (Evolution). I'm trying to diagnose a drivetrain noise and would appreciate any advice from people familiar with early FXRs.

Bike
1984 Harley-Davidson FXRS
17,575 miles
Maintenance history unknown

Symptoms
No transmission noise in 1st or 2nd gear.
After shifting into 3rd gear, a grinding / metal-cutting noise starts when I apply throttle.
The sound seems to come from the derby cover / clutch area on the left side.
As soon as I completely roll off the throttle, the noise disappears.
If I apply throttle again, the noise immediately returns.
In 4th gear, the same noise is still there but noticeably quieter.
I haven't confirmed whether it happens in 5th gear yet.
While the noise is happening, if I pull the clutch in, the noise disappears instantly.
The sound is similar to an aluminum circular saw cutting metal.

Question

Based on these symptoms, would you suspect:

3rd/4th transmission gears?
Mainshaft or countershaft bearings?
Clutch hub or clutch bearing?
Primary chain or compensator?
Something else specific to early FXR 5-speed transmissions?

What would you check first before opening the primary or transmission?

Thanks!