Downshifting - is the manual correct?

[rfespinosa]

I think it's a shame that manuals have such stupid things in them, it discourages reading the rest of it, and at least 50% of it is good information.

 

[jpcfjr]

Rode my FJ1200 for 180,000 miles and NEVER had it apart (checked valve adjustment 2 times) and never had the 2nd gear will be junk by 20,000 miles problem. If the shift feels good, keep doing it. If you miss a shift or doesn't want to go in, stop doing that. If you miss a shift and you don't normaly, don't assume you are having a bad day. Pull the shifter off the pivot, clean everything and re-grease the pivot (no, don't spray your favotite lube at it and call it a day). My old FJ1200 is still running strong and I still have the original 2nd gear, clutch, fork seals and yes, the original rear sprocket in it.

Um, what's a sprocket? I looked all over the manual and there is nothing there about a sprocket.

 

[Pepperell]

Ok, I confess; I once downshifted at 17mph!! Fortunately, the engine and transmission held up ok, altho I may have reduced their lifespans by 10's of thousands of miles.

If I downshift at 15mph will I lug the engine?

Signed,

Anxious in Pepperell

Who says the Japanese have no sense of humor? This has probably been a running joke with their tech writers since 1970 or so!!

 

[kevins]

Rode my FJ1200 for 180,000 miles and NEVER had it apart (checked valve adjustment 2 times) and never had the 2nd gear will be junk by 20,000 miles problem. If the shift feels good, keep doing it. If you miss a shift or doesn't want to go in, stop doing that. If you miss a shift and you don't normaly, don't assume you are having a bad day. Pull the shifter off the pivot, clean everything and re-grease the pivot (no, don't spray your favotite lube at it and call it a day). My old FJ1200 is still running strong and I still have the original 2nd gear, clutch, fork seals and yes, the original rear sprocket in it.

Um, what's a sprocket? I looked all over the manual and there is nothing there about a sprocket.

I guess my point was that if you listen and feel what the bike is doing and what feels wrong, most all components will last much longer.

 

[jpcfjr]

Rode my FJ1200 for 180,000 miles and NEVER had it apart (checked valve adjustment 2 times) and never had the 2nd gear will be junk by 20,000 miles problem. If the shift feels good, keep doing it. If you miss a shift or doesn't want to go in, stop doing that. If you miss a shift and you don't normaly, don't assume you are having a bad day. Pull the shifter off the pivot, clean everything and re-grease the pivot (no, don't spray your favotite lube at it and call it a day). My old FJ1200 is still running strong and I still have the original 2nd gear, clutch, fork seals and yes, the original rear sprocket in it.

Um, what's a sprocket? I looked all over the manual and there is nothing there about a sprocket.

I guess my point was that if you listen and feel what the bike is doing and what feels wrong, most all components will last much longer.

kevins, please tell me you knew I was joking...because I don't have a sprocket on my bike, get it? Damn, if you don't put one of those jiggly smiley faces on your post people take you seriously. Shit! :yahoo:

Downshift whenever the hell you want. Quite frankly, while I like having a tachometer, the only real time to use it (especially since I have a gear indicator) is to make sure the idle speed is at 1,000 when I do my TBS's. Otherwise it is a complete waste of space, weight, and materials. IMHO

edit: Just realized we were really talking about the speedometer. Might as well get rid of that pos too. It's too small to read and basically if you are going faster than everybody else, that's the right speed.

 

[Ken45]

basically if you are going faster than everybody else, that's the right speed.

If "everyone else" includes a cop, it's probably not the right speed

Ken

 

[jpcfjr]

basically if you are going faster than everybody else, that's the right speed.

If "everyone else" includes a cop, it's probably not the right speed

Ken

Why you have to get all technical on me?