Shifting Problems

SO, I haven't been riding too much this summer. But the past two times I went out I encountered a problem. When I ride aggressively, and shift gears up, it stays at the next gear for a second and then drops back down. For example, I engage 4th gear from third and it drops back down to third. Now, maybe I am not engaging the shifter lever all the way? All regular maintenance has been done. I just changed the oil. I'll keep an eye on her and see if its my riding style. Otherwise, it is a 2000 with 47,000 miles on it. I'll take my go pro next time I ride, just in case I encounter the problem.

 

I don't want to start a big hairy oil discussion, but what kind of oil did you use with your change? Did you encounter the problem at all before you changed the oil. Have you changed anything else in the period prior to the problem's occurrence? Just some questions to ask.

 

Your boots are the culprit!!! You need to let the shift lever index to get the next cog - Try this; load the shift lever before you touch the clutch, at that point, pull the clutch and the nudge the lever into the higher gear, all while reducing the throttle by a cunts hair remember to mover your big moose foot (or is it camel toe??) out of the way so the shift lever returns. At that point, you should be in the next higher gear. You know if you were doing clutchless shifts like they do in road racing, you would load the shift lever and basically just back off the gas a cunts hair and you should pick up the next gear. This is done at full throttle with really no remorse or conservation for the bike mind you...

This should apply to you only if you dont have the need for oars with your moose shoes...wut ever you do, dont ride in flip-flops, cause I will find yah and punch yah in your bread basket!

 

I used Castrol Motorcycle oil 10w 40, i believe.

Hopefully thats the issue. Thanks.

 

I'd check out both suggestions 1st, its pretty easy to tap the gear lever when your getting in to it. And if your bike has been sitting for a while, new oil wouldn't be a bad idea anyway.
There are a few other things that can cause this problem, like the selector & worn puppies (dogs) & springs. Nasty, usually 2nd gear for some reason, but it can happen in other gears. Usually thrashed high mile sports bikes though (or New Moto Guzzi's) & 40000 odd clicks isn't high. This sort of symptom of anything amiss usually don't just happen when your giving it some, it happens pretty much all the time.

 

notorious bike for eating second gear was the old FJ1200/1100 bikes of yore. If your giving her the berries and she slips out from your first to second change/your shift forks and other parts are usually fucked...I have a Factory Pro-Shift kit on my Inter-shlepter btw, had it for 18 years or so, bike shifts as good and precise as my Swiss watch winds...

 

Try riding with a pair of soft top shoes so you can "feel" if you've topped out the shift lever when you up shift. Just to make sure you're not short shifting, or being sloppy and not getting the shift lever completely up.

If you're shifting correctly and it does it in more than just one or two gears, then I would start to consider that the shifting forks are either worn or bent, or both.

The last thing I would try before tearing into it would be to change the oil again, just to put my mind to rest about it being oil related. Personally I don't think that, but digging into the gear case is no fun job.

Yep, the FJ's were known to round off the 2nd gear engaging dogs unless you're were careful with full power 1st to 2nd shifts. Mine is still fine, but only has 60,000 miles on it.

 

Far out!!! :hippie: I always thought that the original FJ design was way kewel...They were known to run a little hot too. My viffer has 78,000 and I usually short shift it in the lower gears (when I do glance down at the tacho - its maybe 4/5 to 6000 RPM.) That final shift from 5 to 6 gear I save for going a least the TON (90-100 mph) and that is maybe 8000 to 9000 RPM... anywhooOOOooooo :wacko: cheers

 

I've only had my bike for 2 months and it's never popped out of a gear but I did not like the clunkiness of the shifting. The moon and stars had to line up for a silky smooth 1-2 shift (even when just cruising). I was to the point I was already looking at other bikes cause clunky tranny shifting bugs the heck outta me. So last night I installed the Factory Pro evo star shift kit as a last resort. It fixed the clunkiness 100%. Feels like a different transmission and I will be keeping my 98 for much longer than I previously thought.

 

Kewel Beans!!! I was commuting for a while in work boots on my viffer and my ninja high-5 and was unhappy the way the shift lever was talking to my boot. I knew I should be wearing my boots but just wanted to try something different, going back to my regular riding boots was the way to go...

Run a good quality synthetic motor oil. My little EX shifts like a dream and its quiet too...Cheers :vtr2:

 

I have to commute in dress shoes so riding boots was not really an option for me although I wish it where. I put 10w40 Honda HP4 in when I made the shifter change and who knows, that might have made as big of a difference as the parts change. Both combined is amazing.