[Frederik350]

Hi all,

I am having problem when I have come to a stand still and want to shift down from for instance the fourth gear to the first gear. It often will not let me do it. When driving there are no problems but when I stand still shifting down is often not working. I then have to play a bit with the clutch to get things going. The bike has now done approx 1300 km's, so still in its running in period. Don't know if that is of any importance.

Anybody having the same issue?

[tooseevee]

Hi all,

I am having problem when I have come to a stand still and want to shift down from for instance the fourth gear to the first gear. It often will not let me do it. When driving there are no problems but when I stand still shifting down is often not working. I then have to play a bit with the clutch to get things going. The bike has now done approx 1300 km's, so still in its running in period. Don't know if that is of any importance.

Anybody having the same issue?

    You should not be coming to a stop in 4th gear. You should have downshifted to Neutral  or 1st gear before you come to a stop.

      If you are coming to a stop where you know you will have to wait for a while, you should hit Neutral just before you stop & wait with the clutch lever out. Then pull the clutch, click into 1st & go when you can. Some sit in gear with the clutch pulled. I don't.

[michiel]

Or simply adjust the clutch.

[Frederik350]

SMALL UPDATE!

I realised I actually come to a stand still in a high gear because shifting down at the last second, like I was always able to do with any of my previous bikes, is not always possible. It also appears to happen after driving a bit when the bike is hot. Had my oil changed for the first time @ 700 km. I am actually noticing this after this change. Could be a coincidence though.

[AzCal Retred]

"I realised I actually come to a stand still in a high gear because shifting down at the last second, like I was always able to do with any of my previous bikes, is not always possible."

When downshifting are you blipping the throttle a bit to allow all the whirling internal bits to match speed to the lower ratio? Are you progressively descending thru the gears, allowing the engine compression to scrub off some speed? There are no synchros in these transmissions. It's amazing to me that when stopped the tranny would allow itself to find 1st from 5th without a lot of rocking back & forth. It's a machine - give it what it needs to operate. This also isn't a race bike, this is entry level transportation. Why are we "shifting down at the last second" anyway?

[SteveThackery]

I am having problem when I have come to a stand still and want to shift down from for instance the fourth gear to the first gear. It often will not let me do it.

This is completely normal, and many bikes are the same.  If you are stopped in a high gear, you will need to rock the bike back and forth a few inches* so that the dog teeth on the gears can line up with - and drop into engagement with - the slots on the gear they are trying to engage.  Keep doing that as you work your way through the gears to neutral.

You can get the same effect when the bike is on the centre stand (engine not running) - try going up and down the gears.  You will need to rock the back wheel whilst keeping pressure on the shifter, and you will feel each gear drop into engagement.

The solution is to not stop in a higher gear.  Make sure you are in 2nd or neutral as you come to a halt.

*Another technique is to partially release the clutch so it gently drags the primary shaft, whilst keeping pressure on the shift lever. This, too, allows the gears to move into engagement.  However, it's much harder to do without the bike jumping forward.  Some bikes drag their clutch a little even when the clutch lever is fully pulled in, and with those you can often go down the box without rocking.  They also make a crunch when engaging first gear.  ☹️

[MMRanch]

    If you are coming to a stop where you know you will have to wait for a while, you should hit Neutral just before you stop & wait with the clutch lever out. Then pull the clutch, click into 1st & go when you can. Some sit in gear with the clutch pulled. I don't.

I think its "being MEAN to your throw-out bearing and clutch cable to sit with the clutch disengaged .   Maybe that's just a carry over from growing up with strait shift cars ?    But either way I'm in neutral if waiting on a red light .
On those old strait shift cars the clutch and throw-out bearing were always the first thing expected to need replacing and I've never meet anybody who "just couldn't wait" to crawl under the car to pull the transmission out.        

[AzCal Retred]

@ #5: +1! "The solution is to not stop in a higher gear. "

[Frederik350]

This is completely normal, and many bikes are the same.  If you are stopped in a high gear, you will need to rock the bike back and forth a few inches* so that the dog teeth on the gears can line up with - and drop into engagement with - the slots on the gear they are trying to engage.  Keep doing that as you work your way through the gears to neutral.

You can get the same effect when the bike is on the centre stand (engine not running) - try going up and down the gears.  You will need to rock the back wheel whilst keeping pressure on the shifter, and you will feel each gear drop into engagement.

The solution is to not stop in a higher gear.  Make sure you are in 2nd or neutral as you come to a halt.

*Another technique is to partially release the clutch so it gently drags the primary shaft, whilst keeping pressure on the shift lever. This, too, allows the gears to move into engagement.  However, it's much harder to do without the bike jumping forward.  Some bikes drag their clutch a little even when the clutch lever is fully pulled in, and with those you can often go down the box without rocking.  They also make a crunch when engaging first gear.  ☹️

Ok, that makes sense. The XJR1300 I rode before indeed made an awful crunch when engaging first gear, but could be shifted down at any situation. I was so happy when the Meteor didn't do that crunch ... 

And as far as not stopping in a high gear or trying to shift down in the last second ... this was always because of traffic, so better keep more distance and slow down things a bit ... which is why I bought the Meteor in the first place. Will give your suggestions a try and see how it works for me. Thanks!

[Frederik350]

@ #5: +1! "The solution is to not stop in a higher gear. "

Ok, will try my best to not let that happen anymore ... 

[AzCal Retred]

You seem like a potential Iron Barrel, Pre-Unit, 4-speed owner/masochist!    Nothing quite like "clutch in - shift into "desired gear" & HOLD - release clutch & see what really happened" mantra to make you REALLY APPRECIATE your Meteor's clean-sheet-design transmission...

"We've come a loooong way Baby..."

[Jazmick]

Hi there
I had similar thing with mine meteor 350
 changing down from forth to third for instance clutch in change from forth to third clutch out but still in four but what I did find was if you go back in with the clutch to the friction zone and out again don't touch the gear lever just the clutch lever and it will then drop in. just thought I'd mention it