[agagliardi]

Hello 5speedy  My 650 is also reluctant to downshift ant low speed/RPM, and likes one gear at a time. I have just adapted my shifting accordingly. I downshift at a slightly higher RPM, and blip the throttle to match gears. No big deal.Try keeping the revs up a bit. MY Hayabusa tranny acts the same way. 

[5SpeedRacer]

Last time out I adapted my gearchange technique and have found the answer I think. The box shifts easier going up than it does coming down so needs a more positive movement on the way down. Didn't try multi gears with one clutch pull though, one step at a time.
Due to this lockdown I may have to start buying groceries from a shop several miles away and in small quantities so I can make a bike journey "necessary" 

[Pegbeater]

‘ Couple of false neutrals when shifting from 5th to 6th. On one occasion the bike disengaged the 6th gear into false neutral at 130km/h, driving uphill with throttle opened to hold speed. That's an experience nobody needs... Another issue is that the gear box occasionally might snap into 1st gear unexpectedly when you shifted from 2nd to neutral. The neutral light is still on, but the bike seems to have shifted half way into 1st instead proper neutral, and then snaps into 1st and stalls. This happens the more the warmer the gear box gets. Cold the gear box works almost flawless, but then quickly starts to show issues as the gear box warms up.’

I also have had this issue. I wanted to research it a bit before calling the dealer. Also a 2020 GT with about 4K miles

[JettaKnight]

My Interceptor shifts like butter, cold, warm, or hot.

THIS.

[NVDucati]

To me this looks pretty much like an "early adopter" problem. My bike was one of the first lot sold in Germany. ....

The bike does not do faulty shifts all the time, not even frequently. But every now and then, and repeatedly over a 6 month period. ....

I guess this is not a design flaw, but a matter of proper adjustment of the gear box. So it should be possible to get that sufficiently fixed. ....

I guess Royal Enfield is aware of the issue, and they probably will improve their quality assurance process to deliver consistent properly adjusted bikes. For the existing bikes they may develop an instruction for the dealerships how to adjust the gear boxes in case of bad shifting behavior.

I think you are right. Mine shifts like a dream (sorry). I just took a  look to see what the plate on the end of the shift drum looks like. Pages 105-106 service manual. The good news is that is a very straight forward and very conventional.  From the drawings it is similar to the '70s Honda CB350. That is also good news. They shifted very well. When they got old the pin-star would get a bit rounded off and need replacing. Small job.
- From the rider's prospective, this system needs to "ratchet" all the way back between shifts. Sometimes just adjusting the position of the shift lever smooths things out.  We tend to think that the bikes "gets better with some mile on it". Most of time we simply end up adjusting our foot.

[Morrisfool]

I have just posted a note about my Interceptor slipping out of sixth gear when it is pulling up a hill at about 4000RPM it has now done it 4 times. At first I thought it was me getting used to a new bike but as i have been riding over 50 years I don't think so. Also I have had the situation where the neutral light is on, but it is still in first. The bike has done 3100miles. All comments would be welcome.

[Liberty Blacksmith]

Think the problem is in the Rube Goldberg shifting mechanism which is not aligned with the center axis of the bike. In another thread (Shifting Technique or pre-loading the shifter) I detailed going with a Continental shifter on the Interceptor. There are way too many moving parts in the shifting mechanism from the factory. The Conti shifter comes directly off the transmission spline and works great on the Interceptor. Removing all that hardware, foot rest and all, I moved the passenger foot peg down to the lower hole (after running a tap to clean the threads) and locked it in with a nut.
This lowers the peg and moves it to the rear a bit. At 900 miles +, shifting is positive and very smooth.
I wouldn't fool with the stock shifter and expect much from it, too much free play with the turnbuckles and angles. I played with mine quite a bit before going with a Conti shifter, about $31 USD from the dealer.
Good Luck.

[Starpeve]

Think the problem is in the Rube Goldberg shifting mechanism which is not aligned with the center axis of the bike. In another thread (Shifting Technique or pre-loading the shifter) I detailed going with a Continental shifter on the Interceptor. There are way too many moving parts in the shifting mechanism from the factory. The Conti shifter comes directly off the transmission spline and works great on the Interceptor. Removing all that hardware, foot rest and all, I moved the passenger foot peg down to the lower hole (after running a tap to clean the threads) and locked it in with a nut.
This lowers the peg and moves it to the rear a bit. At 900 miles +, shifting is positive and very smooth.
I wouldn't fool with the stock shifter and expect much from it, too much free play with the turnbuckles and angles. I played with mine quite a bit before going with a Conti shifter, about $31 USD from the dealer.
Good Luck.

Yeah any linkage setup is just problems waiting to happen. I see so many things on the Interceptor I don’t like. Sorry to everyone😩😩😩😩
If I didn’t fall in lust with the GT I simply wouldn’t have a bike now.

[mwmosser]

Yeah any linkage setup is just problems waiting to happen. I see so many things on the Interceptor I don’t like. Sorry to everyone😩😩😩😩
If I didn’t fall in lust with the GT I simply wouldn’t have a bike now.

Good thing they make both then!

I couldn't do the GT because of carpal tunnel in the wrists. And more me the Interceptor looks plenty right and does most things right enough for my style of riding. It's easy to find things to play with and adjust but I'm not trying to me it (or me) something neither of us was ever intended to be.

[twocoolgliders]

While the INT650 shift linkage has a lot of parts, and is cheaply made with lots of "slop"....shifting isn't really all that complicated....you just have to get to the next gear ....by moving the lever at eh trans.....no matter how much slop there is ..you can still move the lever...


I think guys with shifting problems...the problem lies other than the linkage....


Cookie

Yeah any linkage setup is just problems waiting to happen. I see so many things on the Interceptor I don’t like. Sorry to everyone😩😩😩😩
If I didn’t fall in lust with the GT I simply wouldn’t have a bike now.

[Morrisfool]

I am having problems with my 6th gear dropping out at between 3800 and 4200 Rpm usually when under load. The bike has done 4000miles and is 20 months old, the dealer doesn't seem to believe me but this has happened 8 times now and on every run. I have written to RE direct as I am getting no where with the dealer.

[JettaKnight]

I am having problems with my 6th gear dropping out at between 3800 and 4200 Rpm usually when under load. The bike has done 4000miles and is 20 months old, the dealer doesn't seem to believe me but this has happened 8 times now and on every run. I have written to RE direct as I am getting no where with the dealer.

Don't run it in 6th in that range. 

Won't the dealer test ride it?

[5SpeedRacer]

Over the summer the gearshift played up occasionally but only when the engine was warm and usually when I attempted a blockshift. This suggested the lever was sticking in the down position with no load to help pull it back up and something was tightening up due to heat.
Yesterday I took the gearlever and front sprocket cover off for a look followed by the circlip and washer on the gearshift shaft. Everything looked alright but thinking on it the oil seal looked very close to the circlip groove leaving little room for the washer. A little knock with a plug socket pushed the oil seal in by maybe 2mm and refitting the washer and circlip gives a reassuring bit of end float. We're into winter in Scotland now so realistically it'll be spring before I find if the lever behaves as it should but I've high hopes.

[NVDucati]

Over the summer the gearshift played up occasionally but only when the engine was warm and usually when I attempted a blockshift. This suggested the lever was sticking in the down position with no load to help pull it back up and something was tightening up due to heat.
Yesterday I took the gearlever and front sprocket cover off for a look followed by the circlip and washer on the gearshift shaft. Everything looked alright but thinking on it the oil seal looked very close to the circlip groove leaving little room for the washer. A little knock with a plug socket pushed the oil seal in by maybe 2mm and refitting the washer and circlip gives a reassuring bit of end float. We're into winter in Scotland now so realistically it'll be spring before I find if the lever behaves as it should but I've high hopes.

True or false ... that seal can be accidentally pushed all the way inside the engine case.

[RecoilRob]

My Interceptor shift linkage would hit the foot peg on upshifts when adjusted for my 6'3" and size 13 boots.   The solution is either grind a bit of clearance in the peg bracket with a file or do as I did and switch it over to GP shifting...which I've always liked a lot better.   This involved cutting the linkage tab off of the top of the lever and rewelding it on the bottom.   Took a couple tries to get it positioned exactly where it would work correctly and allow the lever to be adjusted but now the thing shifts well.

One thing that might be good to keep in mind after reading through this thread is how the sequential gearbox works on a motorcycle.   You are pushing one gear which has tabs sticking out on the side into another with slots to accept the tabs.   Between the slots there is solid metal...so if the slots and tabs don't align the shift will be blocked.   Both gears revolve at different speeds so they'll soon align...but if you're trying to shift quickly at low rpm and being the 650's run like tractors they're never spinning very fast so lightning quick shifts won't happen like on a Japanese bike spinning over 10,000 rpm.   Don't push/pull harder on the lever....just give it a little more time and it'll go in.

The bikes jumping out of gear are from them not being fully seated during the shift.   Racing transmissions are 'undercut' where the tabs have an angle ground on them so even if they're not fully seated in the slots that angle will pull them together.  Normal transmissions are not undercut so you've got to fully seat each gearchange so make sure the shifter has enough travel (along with some extra clearance) so you're not short stroking it.   Notchy 1-2 shifts can be from failing to fully disengage the clutch which can be a mechanical adjustment of cable or mechanism....or just trying to shift too quickly at too low a speed.   My Interceptor shits fine as long as I remember to slow down a little compared to my Suzuki (which has a modified transmission star kit) and understand that the higher gears take a little longer throw to shift.