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A couple of small issues riding in hot weather

ballmead

ballmead

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Apr 10, 2010
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I went for a ride on Sunday and it was hot, around 33 degrees celcius or 91 degrees farenheit (for our UK and American friends)
The whole engine/frame and subframe of the bike gets hot as hell and I now see why people complain about the "hot seat"
Also I had a few issues selecting neutral at the lights.
I am running mineral oil as part of my mechanics run in procedure and was thinking that it was maybe getting too hot?? Maybe I should change it to semi-synthetic?
Any advise? I doubt there is anything to fix the "hot seat" but the hard to find neutral issue bugs me the most.
 
If you change oil try running Motul 5100 4t esterTechnosynthetic 10w40 they also do a 15w40. I've ran this oil for 15k and the bike loves it + smooth shifting & alot cheaper than the fully-synthetic race oils.
 
ballmead said:
Yeah mate I'll look into replacing the bike with some better quality oil. I suspect this is my problem, so Motul 5100 it is.
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That's what I have used since the engine break in was done. It does seem to work very well. The bike clunking back into 1st (if you put in nuetral) at a light will still be there, but clicking into nuetral is no problem. I always leave the bike in gear at lights anyway so that is not a problem for me. There is no getting around the fact that this motor kicks out lots of heat, so when it is hot outside, stop and go traffic will be a warm experience. Small price to pay for thr FZ-1 fun factor. If you want to ride a leg and foot toaster, try an older model FJR (2001-2005). Now that's hot!
 
ballmead said:
Yeah mate I'll look into replacing the bike with some better quality oil. I suspect this is my problem, so Motul 5100 it is.
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Yes Motul 5100 4t 10w40 technosynthetic. From what i gather it sits between semi-synth & proper full-synth race oil. Some guys run Mobil1 but it's expensive and not 100% convinced about running it in a road bike, track bike or race bike yes as you would change the oil after every meet. So with the Motul you get better shifting and protection, there are other brands out there but once you find something that works you tend to stick with it. Ive used the Yamalube stuff in the FZ1 and didn't really think much of it. Good luck
 
I put full synthetic in after 78 miles on the ODO after buying her. Also, run some Engine Ice and get rid of the stock coolant. This will drop the running temp on the bike by about 7 - 10 degrees F. :D
 
FZ1inNH said:
I put full synthetic in after 78 miles on the ODO after buying her. Also, run some Engine Ice and get rid of the stock coolant. This will drop the running temp on the bike by about 7 - 10 degrees F. :D
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Cheers for the heads up about Engine Ice, next time i change the coolant i will give it a whirl.
 
'Water Wetter' in the cooling system also works well.. Available at Repco/Supercheap/Autobarn..

Bloody expensive considering how much comes in a bottle but it does work..
 
Really? Hard shifting is normally an oil thing. Mine has more miles then yours, I've been running a full synthetic for quite some time. I use Castrol 4T racing oil or mobile one, both are the same price at my local Walmart, so whichever one they have 4 quarts of is what I use. :) is your clutch adjusted properly?
 
ballmead said:
Well I changed the oil today to Motul 5100.
I used 10W50 as it's getting hot here now.
The hard to find neutral is still there :(
Any other ideas?
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Considering that your bike is a 2010 I would take it in for warranty. There should not be any issue finding neutral and if there is then the dealer should find and fix the problem under warranty. This is the first time that I have heard of this issue. definately not "normal".
 
x2 double check clutch. Transmissions will loosen up with km's. I used to have a SV1000, when i got it it had about 600mls on the clock and i remember tr being a PITS to find neutral but after 5-7000mls it was fine. Other than that maybe a shift fork problem although it would be jumping out of gear & hitting false neutrals?.
 
I've done 3000 klms now and the bike changes gears flawlessly, it's just hard to find neutral now for some weird reason. I'm going to take it to my regular mechanic first for a quick check of the clutch adjustment, gear selector etc and if he finds nothing then it's off to Yamaha for warranty work.
 
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I would definitely check the clutch adjustment.

I've just fitted a pair of shorty levers,and experienced the same problem as you're describing. I cured it by adjusting the clutch at the lever. 1/2 turn on the adjuster is enough to make the difference
:tup:
 
I will be going for a ride tomorrow morning with a couple of workmates (the benefits of working afternoon shift)
I will definitely try adjusting the clutch a little.Maybe the cable has stretched a bit and it's not disengaging 100%
 
MallyX said:
I would definitely check the clutch adjustment.

I've just fitted a pair of shorty levers,and experienced the same problem as you're describing. I cured it by adjusting the clutch at the lever. 1/2 turn on the adjuster is enough to make the difference
:tup:
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I'm a goose, all it took was a 1/2 turn out of the adjuster on the handlebar and Voila! Neutral is back.
 
ballmead said:
I'm a goose, all it took was a 1/2 turn out of the adjuster on the handlebar and Voila! Neutral is back.
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HaHa is alright mate we all do blond things now and again. Last oil change i did snapped the oil fill cap in half by over-tightening it and had to wait 3 days for a replacement. Had to have a few beers after that!!!. :beer:
 
ballmead said:
Well I changed the oil today to Motul 5100.
I used 10W50 as it's getting hot here now.
The hard to find neutral is still there :(
Any other ideas?
Click to expand...

When you come to a stop at the traffic lights, I find it makes it easier if you start downshifitng before you get to a complete stop and you let the clutch out with each downshift. Sometimes I come to a stop with the gear stuck between 2nd and 3d. If I wait a few seconds I can feel the gear coming unstuck, or I start releasing the clutch out slowly until I feel it engage. Then is easy to go to neutral.

As far as the clunk when shifting from neutral to 1st at the lights, it almost all goes away if you pull the clutch for a few seconds before shifting to 1st. I usually do that when the light on the other side becomes orange. When my light turns green, I shift into first almost with no sound at all.
 
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