Tough downshifting my '07

I love my '07 but somethings not right when downshifting. I have to push reallly hard to get it to downshift mostly from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd but it can also at times be hard from 5th to 4th and 2nd to 1st. Upshifting is always smooth as silk. Any clues what this could be before I decide on which dealer to take it to?

I've had it just over a week, changed oil and filter at 100 miles and again at 900 it has 1400 miles now.

I've had lots of new bikes the last few years and never had this happen.

It does not always do it but most of the time.

Thanks,

Steve

daddysbike said:

I love my '07 but somethings not right when downshifting. I have to push reallly hard to get it to downshift mostly from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd but it can also at times be hard from 5th to 4th and 2nd to 1st. Upshifting is always smooth as silk. Any clues what this could be before I decide on which dealer to take it to?I've had it just over a week, changed oil and filter at 100 miles and again at 900 it has 1400 miles now.

I've had lots of new bikes the last few years and never had this happen.

It does not always do it but most of the time.

Thanks,

Steve

Click to expand...

Clutch not releasing fully is the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe some air in the system? A simple bleeding might solve that.

daddysbike said:

I love my '07 but somethings not right when downshifting. I have to push reallly hard to get it to downshift mostly from 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd but it can also at times be hard from 5th to 4th and 2nd to 1st. Upshifting is always smooth as silk. Any clues what this could be before I decide on which dealer to take it to?I've had it just over a week, changed oil and filter at 100 miles and again at 900 it has 1400 miles now.

I've had lots of new bikes the last few years and never had this happen.

It does not always do it but most of the time.

Thanks,

Steve

Click to expand...

I'm just wondering if you are getting the clutch fully disengaged?

Form my perspective I just love this bike (I have a 07'A) except for how heavy the clutch is. I had some of the same problems as well in that I was used to using just two fingers for the clutch and as a result it was hard to get good down shifts. That coupled with the heavy throttle return spring and I'm not as smooth as I want to be.

I plan on fixing the throttle return spring as soon as I get the G2 throttle sleeve and I plan on also getting the Gen 1 cutch slave cylinder to cut down on the pull pressure. The other aspect that needs to be corrected is maybe a change in the clutch lever as well.

Just some ideas, let us know how it comes out!

it's a motorcycle, not a baby. Use more force and quit babying it.

ur welcome

What's your idle rpm set at? This has caused shifting problems in the past, especially of you are letting off the throttle more downshifting than upshifting. IIRC you want 1000rpm at idle.

Do not have this problem on mine, but man oh man. Why does this clutch requires so much force to squeeze. Never had a bike before that needed more then baby grip. Time to go back to the gym :assassin:

Daddysbaby:

I had the same problem with my '06A. The dealer disassembled the clutch and re-soaked the clutch plates. When they felt this had not fixed the problem they then disassembled the slave cylinder, cleaned same and put it all back together. It shifts perfectly now.

Dave

I bled the clutch when I got home last night, took it out for a 3-4 mile test ride shifting up and down alot and believe the problem is gone. Every shift up and down was smooth as it should be......until the final shift into 1st. That final shift was hard leaving me a little unsure but I guess I'll find out when I go for a real ride next time.

My neighbor who is a mechanic pumped/held the clutch lever while I let the fluid out, he said he could defintely feel the air go out. We did it a few times but he said he only felt it on the first time. If you have air in you clutch believe me you'll know it.

I've never felt that before and riding 25,000 miles every year know what a smooth shift should feel like. I couldn't ride today, had to take the van in to check engine light??

I'll know for sure when I do my 130 mile daily commute Thurs or Friday if not raining.

Thanks for the bleed suggestion.

For what its worth I called a local dealer to ask about clutch and talked to Service, they said don't use synthetic oil, whats up with that? that's 2 out of 2 Yamaha dealers that say its not good. whatever.

Steve