Hello all,
my name is steve and i just got a 2002 cbr600 f4i. it has 27xx miles on it and its like new

this is my first street motorcycle and after riding it i noticed that when i shift it feels very notchy. the only other street motorcycle ive ridden was an old 75 yamaha xs650 and it shifted noticeable smoother then my bike. all of my dirtbikes shifted pretty smooth but when you're riding dirt theres less traction so the transmission doesnt received much feed back.

is something wrong or is it just me? it seems like when i let off the throttle between shifts it becomes apparent..perhaps its just engine braking?

thanks guys

 

Try faster hands and feet almost all at the same time. When I am gentle I agree with you, notchy. But with a fair amount of revs, 6000 or more and fast hands and feet it seems very smooth. Change your oil if has been a while, that helps and then try some synthetic oil after a few more thousand miles and that will help too.

edit:
It sounds like this is your problem, be like Bruce Lee, fists and feet of fury, your bike will like it.

 

well i think the oil in there is fresh, but i will be changing it this weekend anyways as i just got the thing.

i dont think its gonna be bad to shift it slow right?

 

yeah my bike does that too. Perfectly normal I'd say for most folks. She's been doing it ever since I've owned her. Nothing to worry about.

Shift with authority.

 

no such thing as fresh oil...especially non-synthetic. been around thousands of years...until it was processed, refined, etc. and put into your motor...hahahhahaha j/k.

yea it's notchy stock, but shouldn't affect the feel of engaging if you're on with the throttle, etc.

i'd flip the shift lever and bust reverse shift for best feel and on par gear engagement.

 

can you elaborate on this?

 

I can elaborate. Reverse shift or GP shift is where the shift pattern becomes 6 down 1 up instead of the 6 up 1 down. There are opinions either way about what is better. It is very hard to get the reverse shift correct with the stock linkage. You also have to remove the front sprocket cover for clearance. This will also not correct the problem of notchy shifting but it will reduce the feeling of being notchy because it will make it easier to shift up in gears. I have done both Stock and GP shift patterns and changed back to Stock every time. F4i's are known for notchy transmissions. The best advice I can give you, adjust the shift lever and clutch play until it's in your comfort zone but within honda's specs. Try shifting in higher rpms (6k or more), and practice your technique of letting off the gas, clutch in, shift up, let out clutch and reapply gas. This should be almost instant and after awhile habit. I don't have to even think about shifting anymore my hands/feet just do it. Hope this helps.

 

I'd say slow shifting is bad (but not catastrophic), someone that understands how a transmission works will be able to explain it, but if the motor has time to lose alot of revs, then you need to speed things up.

 

I have heard positive feedback on this. When I ever do my clutch, I will do it.

http://www.starcycle-usa.com/servlet/Detail?no=6610

 

i wouldn't reccomend shifting slowly, especially downshifting. I've hit a couple of false neutrals inbetween 2nd and 3rd and it sucks!