Author Topic: Missing Gears  (Read 5762 times)

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SimonT

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on: March 10, 2011, 10:17:29 pm
Hi Guys,

Ive been lurking here for a coupe months, and finally signed up after i got my new RE last week :). Its a new C5 and have done about 300km on it so far.

One thing thats really bugging me is the number of times it misses gears... its almost like theres a neutral between each gear, which i regularly hit. Does anyone else find this?

Am i using the wrong technique to change gears? This morning it really bugged me, and i got this bike to be enjoyable to ride, and this has tarnished it a little...

Thanks


2bikebill

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Reply #1 on: March 10, 2011, 10:21:15 pm
Welcome, and congrats on the new bike. The gearshifting does get smoother with mileage. But so will your technique. There is a kind of double nudge feel to it at first which took me a while to get used to. Shift slow and positive for a while. Lightning gearshifts without a hitch will soon arrive... ;)
Also check the clutch adjustment.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2011, 10:23:37 pm by WillW »
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r80rt

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Reply #2 on: March 10, 2011, 10:25:51 pm
Welcome and congrats on the new bike, Will is right about the shifting,
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SimonT

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Reply #3 on: March 10, 2011, 10:30:42 pm
Thanks Mate... i guess ive only been riding it a week, and everything is still loosening up....

Down shifts are smooth... just the upshifts.

im sure the clutch will get checked out at the first 500km service :)




SimonT

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Reply #4 on: March 10, 2011, 10:31:47 pm
oh and thanks for the welcomes :)


Chris-G5

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Reply #5 on: March 10, 2011, 10:40:37 pm
Congrats on the new bike!! This used to happened to me quite a bit but it rarely happens anymore. Be sure to let off the throttle fully and pull the shifter all the way up  . I've had a heel toe shifter on my G5 for almost a year which I like cause you don't get your boots scuffed up on the toe.


singhg5

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Reply #6 on: March 11, 2011, 12:04:14 am
One thing thats really bugging me is the number of times it misses gears... its almost like theres a neutral between each gear, which i regularly hit. Does anyone else find this?

Am i using the wrong technique to change gears?

Simon - Welcome to the Forum:

Congratulations on your new bike.  As others have said it will get better with more miles and one or two oil changes.  I would suggest a couple of practical points that you can try -

1.  Do not upshift early - let the bike pick up speed and rpm for a while and then upshift.
2.  Pull the clutch lever all the way in before shifting gear.
3.  With the clutch lever pulled in, upshift gear lever with foot but then keep the gear lever lifted up until after you have released the clutch lever.  

See if these help.  
« Last Edit: March 11, 2011, 12:23:14 am by singhg5 »
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SimonT

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Reply #7 on: March 11, 2011, 12:31:57 am
Thanks for all the tips guys... Its also good to hear that there is nothing wrong with my bike... :)


Ducati Scotty

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Reply #8 on: March 11, 2011, 03:53:17 am
+1 on checking the clutch adjustment.

Scott


olhogrider

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Reply #9 on: March 11, 2011, 04:36:56 am
I have been riding for many decades and have rarely
Missed a shift until this bike. It only happens when I get lazy and not quite firm enough with it. Unfortunately the nature of this bike is to cruise at a leisurely pace. That's when I get sloppy. I am sure that as the gears learn to mesh and my brain learns to mesh with them, false neutrals will become a thing of the past.


Iron Man

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Reply #10 on: March 11, 2011, 05:13:36 am
Quote
1.  Do not upshift early - let the bike pick up speed and rpm for a while and then upshift.
2.  Pull the clutch lever all the way in before shifting gear.
3.  With the clutch lever pulled in, upshift gear lever with foot but then keep the gear lever lifted up until after you have released the clutch lever. 

What Singhg5 says...number three especially worked for me.  I was always missing a shift and thought I'd tried everything.  Slow, full and deliberate pull on the clutch THEN the upshift and hold the lever up while releasing the clutch. I never missed another shift.


SimonT

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Reply #11 on: March 13, 2011, 10:01:23 pm
Thanks for the tips guys...
i practiced slow deliberate clutch action and gear changes, and i seem to have got the hang of it now... I didnt miss one change on the way to work this morning....

Done 450km now... ill try and book in the service for wednesday, and then i can give it a bit more :)


prof_stack

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Reply #12 on: March 13, 2011, 10:25:19 pm
Occasionally 5th gear will suddenly pop to a false neutral between 4th and 5th, usually when the C5 has been ridden a while.  I think the cure is to make very positive strong shifts with the foot, i.e., don't baby it. 
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Andy

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Reply #13 on: March 13, 2011, 10:41:35 pm
I still miss them.  I suck.   ;D
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Tri750

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Reply #14 on: March 14, 2011, 03:48:11 am
I still miss them.  I suck.   ;D

1.  Do not upshift early - let the bike pick up speed and rpm for a while and then upshift.

Yes, lugging or shifing too early can cause a shifting problem. Also, ask what oil your dealer set the bike up with. Our manual says Synthetic blend, Scooter Bobs tips say full synthetic.
If regular dinosaur is used, I would imagine run in and shifting would not be great.
Number 1 tip and using full synthetic should help.
If a blend is used, we've used Golden  Spectro Blend for years. It helps the most stubborn bike shift easier. It's a friction thing.
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'71 BMW R75/5 racer
'73 Kaw Z1 racer
'77 Tri 750 Bonneville
'99 BMW R1100RT