Hard to change down?

[bones135]

Hey all, had an issue riding home today where i found it hard changing down to 2nd & 1st gears. Also a bitch to get from neutral into 1st, clunks & jerks a little & you need to do it 3 or 4 times to actually get it in gear?
Still under warranty so waiting on a reply but thought id ask around here for any ideas.
Cheers

[FJRider]

Clutch .. ??

[bones135]

Clutch .. ??

Doubt it...That seems fine, no issues up & down through upper gears, just a bitch mainly into 1st.

[BMWST?]

sounds like the clutch could be adjusted a little to give a little less drag .A little more of a a rev matching blip on the throttle may make those 2nd and first gear downchanges a little less ornery.Try to snick neutral while you are still rolling sometimes it makes it a bit easier

[FJRider]

Doubt it...That seems fine, no issues up & down through upper gears, just a bitch mainly into 1st.

A similar Yamaha issue ..

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/154630-Problems-getting-bike-in-neutral?highlight=Bike+hard+neutral

[bones135]

sounds like the clutch could be adjusted a little to give a little less drag .A little more of a a rev matching blip on the throttle may make those 2nd and first gear downchanges a little less ornery.Try to snick neutral while you are still rolling sometimes it makes it a bit easier

Cheers for that, yea ill have a go at that & see how it goes......makes sense when ya think about it......must be tired,lol

[bones135]

[QUOTE=FJRider;1130446101]A similar Yamaha issue ..

Cheers too mate, yea kinda sounds the same huh.....ill have a shot at clutch adjust & see, cheers :Punk:

[BigAl]

As said try adjusting clutch cable a little, my R1 is also harder to select first when hot.

Is the oil due to be changed?

[bones135]

As said try adjusting clutch cable a little, my R1 is also harder to select first when hot.

Is the oil due to be changed?

No, oils damn near brand new....was done a couple of months back, probably not even 1000ks.
But yea ill definately give the clutch a look at,
Cheers

[Mom]

Cheers too mate, yea kinda sounds the same huh.....ill have a shot at clutch adjust & see, cheers :Punk:

It will be your clutch. I had an old YaY Maha and it was an absolute pig to get into neutral. Eventually a good mate convinced me to have a crack at fixing it. The clutch basket was warn and was not allowing the plates to move freely and the clutch springs were out of tolerance. The plates were fine. A bit of a rub with wet and dry sandpaper fixed the grooves in the basket and new clutch springs put paid to the rest of the problem. No more difficult to find neutral and no more gear changing issues. It had got so bad I was only using the clutch to stop and start LOL

[bones135]

It will be your clutch. I had an old YaY Maha and it was an absolute pig to get into neutral. Eventually a good mate convunced me to have a crack at fixing it. The clutch basket was warn and was not allowing the plates to move freely and the clutch springs were out of tolerance. The paltes were fine. A bit of a rub with wet and dry sanpaper fixed the grooves in the basket and new clutch springs put paid to teh rest of the problem. No more difficult to find neutral and no more gear changing issues. It had got so bad I was only using the clutch to stop and start LOL

Lol thanks......least its not THAT bad, haha. Ill try the adjust first & go from there. Just odd how it started without warning just kinda....NA....NOT GOING IN THERE, kinda thing....well least i know where to start & not as bad....(i hope) as first thought.

[Hawkeye]

Have you changed the oil your using? I was using semi-synthetic and tried synthetic. It became almost impossible to get neural when the engine was running. Also gears became much harder to change. I went back to semi-synthetic and issue disappeared again. Not an R1 but worth mentioning

[BigAl]

Good point, you should be using a semi synthetic like Motul 5100.

[bones135]

Definately a good point....was told to keep using a synthetic that had been put in by Red Baron.....starting to wonder now....

[Banditbandit]

I'd be looking at final drive chain tension ... I have no idea why, but on many bikes the gear change has been much smoother (especially in the lower gears) when I adjusted the chain ... and other people I have suggested that too have found it worked.

Some techie should be able to tell you why - but give that a go .. I know from experience it is worth it ...

[bones135]

I'd be looking at final drive chain tension ... I have no idea why, but on many bikes the gear change has been much smoother (especially in the lower gears) when I adjusted the chain ... and other people I have suggested that too have found it worked.

Some techie should be able to tell you why - but give that a go .. I know from experience it is worth it ...

Oh yea??? sounds odd but hey ill try all the suggestions till i find something that works,lol
Cheers

[FJRider]

Oh yea??? sounds odd but hey ill try all the suggestions till i find something that works,lol
Cheers

Sounds like you're clutching at straws ... come on ... Time to man up. <_<


Split the casings ... and go for the real fix ... :laugh:

[bones135]

Sounds like you're clutching at straws ... come on ... Time to man up. <_<


Split the casings ... and go for the real fix ... :laugh:

Haha hell yea...if i can do anything without getting dirty....or fucked up, then i will. Chances are...splitting ANYTHING & i will get f****d up

[bones135]

Well plan on taking it to Tauranga Red Baron for warrnty check. Noticed last nigh, adjusted clutch on bars but no diff.....however did notice you click from neutral into 1st & it clunks as if gone in but neutral light still on & still in neutral...generally goes in 2nd or 3rd try.
Same with trying it from neutral up to 2nd???
Pulling whats left of my frekkin hair out.....

[Banditbandit]

Well plan on taking it to Tauranga Red Baron for warrnty check. Noticed last nigh, adjusted clutch on bars but no diff.....however did notice you click from neutral into 1st & it clunks as if gone in but neutral light still on & still in neutral...generally goes in 2nd or 3rd try.
Same with trying it from neutral up to 2nd???
Pulling whats left of my frekkin hair out.....

Yeah ... know that one well ... I'd tighten the chain ... I'd be interested to see what happens if and when you do tighten the chain ...

(I know it sounds like bullshit - but sometimes it does cure your problem ... don't ask me why - I just know it can work)

[carburator]

on a brand new r1? take it back and get it looked at!
my 08 shift's like butter, hell don't even use the clutch except for getting off the line
the 12 has performed the same..

you do need to give them a solid kick into first when warm but every bike ive had does that.

you are disscribing more of a drum/ selector issue..

[bones135]

you do need to give them a solid kick into first when warm but every bike ive had does that.

you are disscribing more of a drum/ selector issue..[/QUOTE]

Thats what im thinking, the chain idea sounds good & easy but i cnat see how....theres no load on the chain, its just a pig to select 1st.

[Banditbandit]

Thats what im thinking, the chain idea sounds good & easy but i cnat see how....theres no load on the chain, its just a pig to select 1st.

Yeah Yeah ... I know ... I have no idea why either ... I just know that getting the chain tension correct has solved this issue on a number of occassions on a number of different bikes ... and not just on my bikes either ...

[bones135]

Well with it still having a warranty ive arranged to take it to Red Baron at the Mount next week, let them sort it.....good bunch of guys & saves me getting my hands dirty :niceone:

[BigAl]

With any luck they'll change the oil and that will fix it.

[Matt_TG]

I'd check that there's no air in the clutch lines. Bleed it, then bleed it again, then again.

My (old) Yamaha wouldn't shift down at all into first from neutral, going up and down back to 2nd was all good. The slave cylinder seal was rooted and I replaced that but it wasn't until I bled the clutch fluid of air did it really make a difference. Smooth as silk now - we as smooth as the old FJ can be!

[caspernz]

No, oils damn near brand new....was done a couple of months back, probably not even 1000ks.
But yea ill definately give the clutch a look at,
Cheers

As a somewhat stoic observation...a couple of months back, not even 1000 kms...that'd be your problem right there :facepalm:

There'd be cobwebs in them crankcases, maybe even little spiders nesting in your selector drum :killingme

[imdying]

The clutch basket was warn and was not allowing the plates to move freely and the clutch springs were out of tolerance.Definitely check that out.


I'd be looking at final drive chain tension ... I have no idea why, but on many bikes the gear change has been much smoother (especially in the lower gears) when I adjusted the chain ... and other people I have suggested that too have found it worked.And this :yes: Even lubing the chain improves the gear shifting on most bikes.


Well plan on taking it to Tauranga Red Baron for warrnty check. Noticed last nigh, adjusted clutch on bars but no diffGenerally (because I've never had the pleasure on an R1, the arm at the box that translates from clutch pull to pushing the push rod, is a little worm drive type thingy. If you've got one of those, disconnect the cable at the lever completely, then undo the lock nut on the worm drive thingy, and wind the adjuster screw all the way in (it'll bottom against the push rod). Then wind it out a smidge so it's not binding on the push rod any more, then lock the lock nut, then reconnect the cable and take up the slack (because that's the perches adjustments only purpose, not to adjust the clutch). I know that seems like a pretty minor difference, but it lets the actuators angles and shite work the way they were intended, and allows it to give the most push it can on the push rod.

Just remember when you have it adjusted properly like that, the clutch will feel quite different at the lever, so before you take off the first time, let the clutch lever out slowly so you get a feel for the new 'bite' point. Otherwise if it starts to bite when you just let the lever out like it's supposed to, and you're used to the bite not taking up till let the lever say halfway out, you might get a surprise!

[GSF]

Definitely check that out.

And this :yes: Even lubing the chain improves the gear shifting on most bikes.

Thirding this. Was riding a week ago and the bike was shifting like a dog, hard to select first, popping out of second into neutral under load - stopped to have a look and my chain was flapping around like crazy thing.
Tightened it up to spec and problem was instantly solved. Probably the quickest and easiest thing to knock off the list of possibles!

[mossy1200]

does the bike try and move forward when in first gear with the clutch pulled in when you lift the revs above 4 or 5k. if it does the clutch may be dragging which could be incorrect oil or a wharped pressure plate. If not its sounding like a warrenty issue.

[bones135]

does the bike try and move forward when in first gear with the clutch pulled in when you lift the revs above 4 or 5k. if it does the clutch may be dragging which could be incorrect oil or a wharped pressure plate. If not its sounding like a warrenty issue.

It kind of jumps slightly forward when kicking it into 1st but it hasnt actually gone in. Have not tried revving it in that position, got some time today so ill check that, the chain idea & look at the other suggestions.....still picking its a warranty issue though :facepalm:

[bones135]

Well turns out it was the gear selector spring was broken...all fixed & sweeeeet as now :Punk:

[FJRider]

Well turns out it was the gear selector spring was broken...all fixed & sweeeeet as now :Punk:

You can chuck away that handful of straw now ... :laugh:

[Mom]

Well turns out it was the gear selector spring was broken...all fixed & sweeeeet as now :Punk:

GOOD NEWS! Opps, did not mean to shout.

[BigAl]

Good stuff bones, must catch you on a ride sometime.

[bones135]

Cheers guys......& Mom, thats cool im used to being shouted at,lol Good to have it up & running again....shame the weathers turning crap :doh: