Hung in 4th & 5th & lights go out.

[Fred W]

Piling on the recommendation for the shifter sticking. If it doesn't return to center you'll not be able to select the next gear.

For the headlight problem, ditch the headlight modulator. They cause more problems than they are worth.

 

[JLOJR]

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR INPUT. I'm still not sure what is wrong with the bike but I did find out Yamaha has put out a tech bulletin about lubing these pivot points when bikes come in for service, so there seems to be a lot of truth in what you guys are saying and have found out on your own. This is a very valuable site, full of hard earned knowledge with years of experience, and I hope everyone realizes that fact. Thanks again. Jack

 

[odot]

You are welcome, jack.....we aim to please. We're not happy til you are happy. If and when you are happy, chances are......

.......we still won't be happy. Just take a look around and enjoy the fun.

 

[Slardy]

Piling on the recommendation for the shifter sticking. If it doesn't return to center you'll not be able to select the next gear.
For the headlight problem, ditch the headlight modulator. They cause more problems than they are worth.

What kind of problems do the headlight modulators cause?

 

[Fred W]

Two kinds:

When they screw up they can mess up your high beam headlight, cause it not to come on, just like the symptom reported here in Post #1.

When they are working they can make people think you are flashing them to "go ahead!"

I'm sure that this will hurt the feelings of some headlight modulator lovers.

 

[Bounce]

+1 on the pivot point maint never having been done.

Clean and lube those first. Next is a flush of the clutch and brake fluids. I doubt that the fluids are keeping it 4th and 5th. If it was the fluid then it would not activate the clutch plates regardless of which gear you were in. But, with any new purchase that doesn't come with a complete maint. folder, it's best to do it since it should be done at least every 2 years anyway.

 

[wnyfjr]

Two kinds:
When they screw up they can mess up your high beam headlight, cause it not to come on, just like the symptom reported here in Post #1.

When they are working they can make people think you are flashing them to "go ahead!"

I'm sure that this will hurt the feelings of some headlight modulator lovers.

I'm not hurt at all.....

 

[Harald]

Hi Jack! The shifting issue has been beat to death and all I can say is ditto to lubing the linkage. I just did mine last month even though I didn't have any obvious shifting issues, but it sure makes shifts smoother when everything moves easily. And lube the rear brake pivot while you're at it because I've had that one hang up and when it does you'll get an ABS failure indication on your dash (and other possible problems like failed brakes and premature wear).

As far as the headlights go, I would definitely remove the headlight modulator before anything else. If you still have problems, then I suggest looking at the 2 spiders in the nose of the bike (there's one above each headlight). I had my headlights fail and it was caused by a spider meltdown above the left headlight. Check https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=124616&st=0 for my failure report. This spider is not addressed by the recall, so it's possible to still have a spider meltdown.

If you do find a spider failure, please report in this thread https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=124616&st=0 so we can track other spider failures and also file a report with the NHTSA at www.safercar.gov .

 

[SacramentoMike]

Since you're new on the forum, Jack (unless you've been here lurking for a long time), you may not realize how unusual this thread is. You've been lucky, IMO, to have attracted the attention of what I think are some of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks around here, and their input has been amazingly consistent. This is gold. It seems like a more common response is a shotgun approach with a lot of various theories about what's happening, even though all the theories may be perfectly sensible. Sounds like yours has been zeroed in pretty well.

Damn, I love the FJR Forum. Hope you get the problem straightened out. Be sure to let us know.

 

[wfooshee]

Well, I changed my mind. It ain't the shifter lever, it's low tire pressure and a failed stator. Plus the cases need to be split and the shift forks interchanged with each other. After that, he should remove the balance shafts to make the bike quieter (all that gear noise) and then put 2 tablespoons of sugar in the gas tank.

See, that's how the forum works! You get straight answers, and once the answer is out there then the comedians pile on with their crap.

 

[fudgejerkin1188]

If cleaning and lubing the shift lever doesn't sort the issue with the gears then it may be worth looking at the shift shaft itself, there are a couple of small internal springs which if they fail could cause selection issues as the internal ratchet won't centre after a shift. Ebay link is the closest I can come to finding a photo of the part. Its not the big spring in the link that causes the problem but a small spring top left in the photo (difficult to see)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Yamaha-FJR1300-FJR-1300-Shift-Rod-/130455254457?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e5fbd35b9

 

[JLOJR]

I have been told that my problem is what the dealer calls a detent spring with a price tag of 300.00 to repair and the part has to be ordered. Yamaha parts catalogue calls it a "hanger spring", part #5jw-18144-00-00, at a cost of about 2 dollars.

The dealer lubed the pivot points first before looking inside at the shifter shaft. I don't have an answer for the electrical problem but I will remove the strobe unit first before looking elsewhere.

 

[JLOJR]

Fudgejerkin1188 - looks like you diagnosed this problem correctly. Nothing like the voice of experience!!

 

[wfooshee]

Well, that's just great!

I make a joke about the right answer having been posted, then THE VERY NEXT POST comes up with something else that turns out to be right.

I'm going to go find a cliff to jump off of.

*looks at map, and studies Google Earth.....*

Never mind that cliff ****. That's too damn far.

But we weren't far off. It was the shifter not centering..... We just had the reason wrong.

 

[Bustanut joker]

and I just thought he was not smart enough to operate a mudercycle..Damn.

 

[odot]

and I just thought he was not smart enough to operate a mudercycle..Damn.

Most of us here in the forum ain't, dude.....I mean....look at me.

 

[Geezer]

Well, 300 bucks for a broken spring is pretty pricey, but it's a lot better than paying them to open the cases so I guess it's good news. I think we now know why the previous owner traded this bike in.

 

[JLOJR]

Well, I changed my mind. It ain't the shifter lever, it's low tire pressure and a failed stator. Plus the cases need to be split and the shift forks interchanged with each other. After that, he should remove the balance shafts to make the bike quieter (all that gear noise) and then put 2 tablespoons of sugar in the gas tank.

I believe the guy with the above solution is probably closer to the truth than the skilled, trained & certified Yamaha mechanics, but I found out that my problem is that I have a left handed motorcycle since the kick stand is on the left and that I need to move the stand to the right to change it over, since I am right handed. Something about the shifter having to slide to the right to work??? I couldn't find in the user manual where to reverse the shift forks so hopefully the kick stand change will offset the reversed shift forks. Salesman says my lighting problem is a result of me not paying the extra money for a dual purpose bike, day & night riding. Guess I'll have to negotiate with him or carry a flashlight.

I am a newbie to the Forum and I do appreciate ALL the answer/thoughts/suggestions expressed here. There seems to be, or is, a great relationship, not physically , between all the members. I don't believe any dealership/corporation has network so comprehesive & willing to solve others problems, or even make light of issues when you need a laugh after beating your head against the wall trying to solve an issue. Maybe Yamaha Corp should be reading this daily to improve service/dependability/design or mod changes along with customer satisfaction.

Again, THANKS to everyone for their input and you guys do make me feel better about buying this bike knowing your support and insight is just a key stroke away.

Jack

 

[Fred W]

If that spring is in fact the cause, it is certainly not a very common problem. I can't recall anyone else ever having had it.

 

[ionbeam]

I was going to post the same thing as Fred. AFAIK, this is the first spring failure reported by a Forumite. This is something that would almost have to be the result of human error, be it the previous owner or the shop (who damaged it while lubing the pivot).