Hi Guys,

I'm having a bit of difficulty putting the bike into first. If I'm still moving it downshifts with no problems, but it makes a horrible noise. I know from my car that vehicles hate moving down to first if you haven't come to a complete stop. But if I do that it just won't go down to first. I'll either stick in 2nd or neutral. For some reason it only seems to be a problem when the bike has been running for awhile, as it goes from neutral into first easily after I've started it. My older brother recommended revving it a bit and rocking back and forth, which works sometimes, but I just want to check that there isn't something wrong. I dont think its the clutch adjustment as it engages too soon, if anything

Allan

 

hey Alan :-)

That sounds exactly like the problem, if it is engaging too soon means it probably isn't releasing fully when you pull the clutch lever in ... imagine trying to put a bike in first without the clutch, you would feel very high resistance and then bang as it went in and stalled ... now when you say if anything it engages too soon that to me means no sooner do you begin to let the clutch lever out you feel bite, in that case I suspect clutch drag :-)


Jules

 

Jules is rite...it sounds like the clutch adjustment

 

+1

 

I am absoultely certain these guys know more than me. I have that same problem occasionally if I dont let out the clutch partially (in gear) or completely (in neutral) before I shift to first if I'm coming down from 3rd or 4th.

 

Perhaps I didnt explain properly. What I mean is I barely need to touch the clutch lever before I have clutch and can change gears. Its probably driving with the clutch partially engaged which is probably horrible for my fuel efficiency. I think I should have said disengaging too soon? But basically the bike only engages (starts moving forward) when the clutch handle is almost entirely released (I OVER adjusted it trying to fix the problem)


EDIT: Also it never stalls when I get it into first, and there is no creep with the clutch lever pulled.

 

Ah, I see ... so you could even be riding with clutch slip ... which will wear your clutch out and cause high heat build up making your problem even worse ... ruling out clutch problems then it could be gearbox problems, problems with the "dogs" on the gears themselves, chipped or worn dogs, maybe bent or worn selector forks or a worn shift drum ... how is the chain and sprocket adjustment ... do you know the bike's history, was it abused, wheelied, race starts that kind of thing??

Jules

 

how many miles or km are on the bike? sounds like it needs a new clutch and basket or shift fork problems

 

sounds like you need a new clutch. theres a great how to thread around here that i used. it may have been for an f2 maybe? either way almost same thing.

 

it's a possibility, however we need to rule out most of the simple-easy-to-test things first before we go replacing parts. sometimes it's something simple we can miss that can be solved with just a bit more communication