Hard to downshift

[spanner]

I have not done anything yet. Haven't had the chance and I've been down with a horrible cold. I have noticed the lurch you mention when starting the bike in 1st gear, but I don't know if that is anything unusual from other bikes I've had. And yes, start in neutral and shift into 1st and it is very clunky. I'll give your suggestion a shot. As I move forward with this I'll keep you posted. Please do the same as you work on a solution.

I will have to trust others experience with the clutch soak method and success, but it doesn't make sense to me. If it upshifts smoothly why would soaking the clutch plate make it downshift smoothly, and why show up now and not before?

Keith

I start mine in neutral with clutch pulled and keep pulled until I select first - no clunk and lurch, also helps with that annoying "missing" during warm up.

 

[manwhoride]

Ya know, the more I read threads about shifting problems, and it seems that each thread about the problem is a different scenario. I.e. either coming to a stop down-shifting, setting at a stop and down-shifting, just shifting in general... me thinks it is just a characteristic/mannerisms of some of our beloved motorcycles. Obviously not everyone experiences this trait, but enough and rarely does the same solution work for all situations/stated problems. Clutch soaking works sometime, Zip tying the clutch handle to the handle bars in each gear for a period works for some. For me, believe it or not adjusting the adjusting ring from the #5 position to the #3 seemed to solve my problem. Explained to me by a very "in the know" forum member is that by doing what I did it gave the slave cylinder more oil by engaging more of the clutch through. :blink: I also at times will under speed hold the clutch in while coasting in gear, then change gears pull the clutch back in and do the same in another gear. I do not have any shifting problems any longer. Dumb luck, gremlins ran away, dono? I do know this will drive you nuts and our beloved motorcycle will continue to do what it does while we aren't lookin... :glare: I think this type of thread is seriously close to becoming a NERPT.. I am just glad I no longer have the dreaded shifting problems. There are idiosyncrasies to many mechanical objects that the more accustom we become to their ways the better we understand how to avoid or work around them to negate the continue effect. I'm done!! Nuff said!!! Obviously, I haven't a clue to solve your problem. :blink:

 

[OkieBikerDude]

I'm a little late to this discussion so I might have missed this possibility: Have you considered bleeding the clutch at the slave cylinder? My FJR is the first bike I've owned without a clutch cable and I have noticed some differences. A system with a little air might cause this problem. IMO

OBD

 

[Daddydukes]

OBD,

I don't see why that is not worth considering. I'll take a look at my fluid level (which I'm embarrassed to say I haven't checked since beginning this thread).

Keith

 

[road runner]

Found some who had similar problem shifting.

Read this clicky

Or this clicky

Or this clicky

Next time you ride try this. When you go to down shift pull the clutch in, blipp the throttle, down shift, then let the clutch out. If it shifts easier blipping the throttle than not, then my quess would be dry clutch plates.

Good luck; A.C.

 

[agrats84]

Did you wear new boots? I know it sounds silly but a change in your normal footwear can make a difference.

Believe it or not, this made a difference for me when upshifting into 3rd. When I use my old boots I have no problem getting into 3rd. But for some reason I have trouble with my new ones... weird.

 

[Daddydukes]

Did you wear new boots? I know it sounds silly but a change in your normal footwear can make a difference.

Believe it or not, this made a difference for me when upshifting into 3rd. When I use my old boots I have no problem getting into 3rd. But for some reason I have trouble with my new ones... weird.

Nope, no new boots. I have experienced what it's like with new boots and how you have to get used to them when shifting. But the difficulty now is on downshifts, not upshifting.

Thanks for the suggestion, but this isn't an apparel issue.

Keith