what up ladies and gentlemen....wanted to see if any of ya'll have had a problem downshifting when coming to a stop. I try to downshift while moving, but many of times, i end up not being able to. so i'm stopped and I try to downshift and it doesn't go. what i figuredi could do is slightly release the clutch, then it'll bump just a lil into gear, step down on the pedal, release the clutch, have the bike bump a lil, and so forth until i'm in 1st. Pain in the a%* since i haven't mastered smooth downshifting. at a light, i'm pulling/releasing the clutch 3-4 times just to get it back in first. any help very much appreciated. thanks.

 

Try to rev just a little while shifting down...
and try to not come to a stop in 5th! If you use the 'all paws down' 'technique' to slow, you can downshift while slowing (you dont have to change one at a time... just keep the clutch pressed, and as you slow, shift down so that you're always in the right gear). Ideally, at every moment your bike should be in the correct gear to have enough power available... e.g. if you're slowing but have to quickly accelerate to get away from a car turning into you.

Still, the bike should let you shift down when stopped... only gets stuck once in a while... change the oil if it's too old.

 

hmmm... sounds like an interesting case. how old is your bike? i haven't had a problem downshifting but here's a couple of pointers. make sure that your clutch cable isn't loose. also make sure that you let off the throttle almost all the way (or all the way if you want). also try messing with shifting while your bike is idle maybe ur gears could be stuck ... like ampfp said could be old oil. if you can, try to avoid having to engine brake. i know it would sound reasonable especially if your trying to engage or anticipate quick slow and go's but when i took the MSF they always tell you to just use the brakes on the bike since they're meant to slow you down. idk correct me if i'm anybody... just trying to help

 

Not being able to downshift while moving coming to a stop? Do you mean the bike actually gives you problems coming to a stop while moving, or more like you just forget until you're actually stopped?

 

It happens to me too every now and then too. As I'm coming to a stop, I'll try to downshift, and the shift pedal won't budge, with the clutch fully engaged. Eventually, I'll be able to downshift completely, but sometimes I'll have to step down a few times, and then I'll be able to start downshifting.

 

i've had the same problem: the shift pedal won't move, even at a stop when the clutch is fully engaged. what i've been doing is lettting the clutch out halfway while kicking the pedal down (or up). it's a pain in the ****, but i can always get it back into gear...

don't know what's causing it...

 

same here. every now and then I will have the same problem. only happend twice though so, not really a big issue for me.

 

Yep, same here.

 

Check that u haven't overtightened the chain, it may be putting things in a bind.

 

That's pretty normal. You have to downshift as you're slowing down...it's a pain to do it once you've already stopped (as you found out). I don't think anything's wrong...just have to get the hang of how and when to do it. Give it some practice and you won't even notice it anymore as it will be second nature.