Clunky shifting, missed shifts

Lonerider59

Lonerider59

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I've only got about 160 miles on the FZ so far but I'm concerned with some shifting quirks I'm experiencing. The transition from neutral to first results in a loud "clunk" and I can feel a hash engagement when the dog engages the gear. If I hold the clutch in for about five or so seconds before using the shift lever then it goes in smoothly. If I don't wait for those five or so seconds, I get the clunk every time. I have also noticed that if I shift at anything less than three grand I may miss the shift atogether or get a delayed engagement which also is accompanied by a harsh clunk that is felt.

This may just be part of my getting used to this engine and using the revs to keep things moving but I thought I would ask other members what their experiences have been, especially with a new motor.
I had a 2007 M109R that was a lot like this until I put a new shift star in it and that seemed to make a world of difference to the way the M109 shifted.

Any advice or comments abot my concerns are welcom.
 
Smooth shifting

Lonerider59 said:
I've only got about 160 miles on the FZ so far but I'm concerned with some shifting quirks I'm experiencing. The transition from neutral to first results in a loud \"clunk\" and I can feel a hash engagement when the dog engages the gear. If I hold the clutch in for about five or so seconds before using the shift lever then it goes in smoothly. If I don't wait for those five or so seconds, I get the clunk every time. I have also noticed that if I shift at anything less than three grand I may miss the shift atogether or get a delayed engagement which also is accompanied by a harsh clunk that is felt.

This may just be part of my getting used to this engine and using the revs to keep things moving but I thought I would ask other members what their experiences have been, especially with a new motor.
I had a 2007 M109R that was a lot like this until I put a new shift star in it and that seemed to make a world of difference to the way the M109 shifted.

Any advice or comments abot my concerns are welcom.
Click to expand...


I own a 2003 FZ1 and bought it 'new' in 2008. I never experienced any problems shifting. It is very smooth when shifting into any gear. Have you checked the adjustment of the clutch? Since it only has 160 miles on it, it should still be under warrenty.
 
I have an 01' with almost 12,000 miles on it. I only get a clunking noise going into first when the bike is moving more than 10 mile per hour. Although if I blip the throttle, there is no noise at all. I think you just have to blip the throttle a bit and she should go right in. At a stop light, neutral to first is clunky no matter what. I think thats just how thr tranny is and you shouldn't worry about it. Things may quiet down a little after a couple of oil changes. Billy.
 
I bought a 2007 leftover back in Aug. 08. I haven't experienced that. Can't hurt to have the dealer look it over since it's under warranty.
 
Steve F said:
I bought a 2007 leftover back in Aug. 08. I haven't experienced that. Can't hurt to have the dealer look it over since it's under warranty.
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Thats true too. Even if for nothing else but documentation from the dealer that you have experienced something you feel isn't right. This way, down the line if there truly is a problem, it was addressed previously. Doesn't hurt to let them look.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. When I take it in to get it's 600 mile oil change I'll mention it. I'm 1200 miles fro home now or I'd do the oil myself but I'm renting a condo and there is't anywhere I can do an oil change. I think I'll also change the shift lever a bit to make it fit my foot location a little better as it seems high for my foot placement as it came from the dealer. My up-shifts seem to require lifting my boot farther than feels right. I can fix that in a few minutes.
 
Lonerider59 said:
Thanks for the replies, guys. When I take it in to get it's 600 mile oil change I'll mention it. I'm 1200 miles fro home now or I'd do the oil myself but I'm renting a condo and there is't anywhere I can do an oil change. I think I'll also change the shift lever a bit to make it fit my foot location a little better as it seems high for my foot placement as it came from the dealer. My up-shifts seem to require lifting my boot farther than feels right. I can fix that in a few minutes.
Click to expand...

I also experienced some minor shifting problems in the first 1000 km period. After oil change it got really better and i had no problems since then.
But maybe you have this minor problems, because everything is new and the shifting also needs a 'break-in' period.
 
Ditto VA rider,
Got my 08 in Sept and thought the same...dang, what a clunky, miss-shifting to second tranny, but what did I know; never had a liter bike and only been on my XR650R since 06. Changed the oil at 600 and there was noticeable improvement; 1600 miles at New Year's and keeps getting smoother though now wonder if its me as much as the transmission. Almost rid of the balky shifts to second and intermittent can't find neutral. Give it time; few thousand at least before you can pass judgment. It's a developing relationship for me; and I'm savoring it!
 
Lonerider59 said:
I've only got about 160 miles on the FZ so far but I'm concerned with some shifting quirks I'm experiencing. The transition from neutral to first results in a loud \"clunk\" and I can feel a hash engagement when the dog engages the gear. If I hold the clutch in for about five or so seconds before using the shift lever then it goes in smoothly. If I don't wait for those five or so seconds, I get the clunk every time. I have also noticed that if I shift at anything less than three grand I may miss the shift atogether or get a delayed engagement which also is accompanied by a harsh clunk that is felt.

This may just be part of my getting used to this engine and using the revs to keep things moving but I thought I would ask other members what their experiences have been, especially with a new motor.
I had a 2007 M109R that was a lot like this until I put a new shift star in it and that seemed to make a world of difference to the way the M109 shifted.

Any advice or comments abot my concerns are welcom.
Click to expand...


Read this: http://www.998cc.org/forum/gen-ii/613-gen-ii-transmission.html
 
Now that I've been able to get about 500 miles on the bike and lowered the shift lever about an inch things in the shifting departmet seem to be better. I still have the clunk from neutral to first but I'm living with that. What really has made a difference is RPM at my shift point. I've discovered that shifting at over 3000 and pushing it to 4000 makes things very smooth. When in heavy traffic that can be a bit of a problem but I'm learning how to keep the R's up by staying in the lower gears and letting it wind.

I also read that because the trans is stacked and not running in an oil bath, it is force fed oil and it may be that at real low RPM that oil flow isn't enough to keep the trans juiced up properly. No actual proof of that but it does make sense.
 
Don't just live with it , adjust your clutch ! You want a quarter to fit snugly in the gap at the end of your clutch lever . Your clutch is not dis-engaging totally,it is grabbing just enough to be turning the gears in the trans. while the bike is stopped ......result shifter goes to first gear and when it engages you are forcing the gears to stop . Just turn the dial at the end of your clutch lever and get the gap to be close to the thickness of a quarter (varies per bike) get it to where it just does stop the clunk. if you go to far then you will be slipping the clutch , not far enough then you get the clunk.....hope that helps;)
 
jason said:
Don't just live with it , adjust your clutch ! You want a quarter to fit snugly in the gap at the end of your clutch lever . Your clutch is not dis-engaging totally,it is grabbing just enough to be turning the gears in the trans. while the bike is stopped ......result shifter goes to first gear and when it engages you are forcing the gears to stop . Just turn the dial at the end of your clutch lever and get the gap to be close to the thickness of a quarter (varies per bike) get it to where it just does stop the clunk. if you go to far then you will be slipping the clutch , not far enough then you get the clunk.....hope that helps;)
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has anyone tried this?, how would you know if the clutch was slipping? im curious about this because i too have a problem shifting from 1st to 2nd also.
 
r1guy88 said:
has anyone tried this?, how would you know if the clutch was slipping? im curious about this because i too have a problem shifting from 1st to 2nd also.
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Well that's just adjusting the clutch freeplay, which should be checked on a regular basis anyway. I think it's kind of a given with these transmissions that 1st to 2nd shifts aren't that smooth. One thing I found out is that after I did the "washer mod" to firm up the footpegs the shifting was slightly better. I think this was due to less flex in the linkage. Also make sure you adjust the position of the shift lever so that when you move your foot you're able to easily go from one gear to another. This is critical when you're trying to upshift.
 
Noisey shifting into first is the norm on these bikes. Every FZ I've seen in person has that same sound. After doing the washer mod I am enjoying extremely positive shifts now, both up and down.
 
NJFZ1 said:
..... Also make sure you adjust the position of the shift lever so that when you move your foot you're able to easily go from one gear to another. This is critical when you're trying to upshift.
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For me, I'm farther out of the mamaYama's recommendation for the distance from the footpeg but I barely have to move my foot for upshifts and it has not posed any problems for me going between up/down.

Upon further experimentation, I've pretty much silenced the clunkiness by adjusting the lever to where it is a little bit out of comfortable reach --and has helped tremendously.

that is the quick fix, but I'm going to read up more and maybe look at the adjustment to see if I can't get the lever back in a more relaxed position.
 
rough shifting

I have a new 2010 FZ1 and it too shifts a bit rough at times. My previous bike, the Honda 919 Hornet was very smooth shifting and very forgiving. The Yamaha takes a little more consious effort to get smooth uphsifts. Downshifting not as bad. I have only 1200 mi. and it seems th have gotten better but still persists.
 
"Locked and loaded" is the term I have always applied to the FZ6 and the FZ1 shifting. I've grown to like it and as I've said in the past that "clunk" sound seems to tell everyone around you something's about to happen, which is usually "this is the last time you're gonna see me."
 
My FZ1 2003 Bee is up in the 170,000s Kilometers and I hardly use the clutch for upshifting and frequently do clutchless downshifting with no problems at all.

I am on the original clutch and I treat it like my wife, many riders thrash their clutch (wheelie lovers stuff theirs religiously)

Like all good bikes learn the feel of the bike, be gentle but positive, eventually the anxiety will wane and you will become friends with the monster between your legs (The bike that is)

All of this comes with time, practice and patience and one day you will hop on your ride and it will feel like part of you and that feeling will last forever and you will have entered the world of bliss.

May that time not be too far away.
 
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