Tranny Issue

I kinda hate to make this one of my first post but here it is..

I posted this same message over at the triumphrat site so it may look like you have seen it before.

My R3 has 2100 miles on it now. I love it , BUT, it shifts down with such a bang that people riding 3 deep in a pack of bikes can hear it. I have changed the breakin oil and run the high dollar Mobil. Which I shouldn't have to. My VTX and my M109 don't get anything but Castrol 10w40. And they are smooth as silk. Anyway,,, back to my rant. It shifts up great. Never had a problem.
Start slowing down to make a stop and downshift .......BANG, not CLUNK. Sometimes you get a loud CLUNK. But most of the time it wont even take 1st . It just bounces right back to neutral. Then you have to play "bounce on the shifter" and "feather the clutch" till it gos in gear.
I hope that people don't just accept this as normal. Its not.
P.S. I love the power of the R3. I just don't like the tranny. :soapbox:

rabtech said:

I kinda hate to make this one of my first post but here it is..

I posted this same message over at the triumphrat site so it may look like you have seen it before.

My R3 has 2100 miles on it now. I love it , BUT, it shifts down with such a bang that people riding 3 deep in a pack of bikes can hear it. I have changed the breakin oil and run the high dollar Mobil. Which I shouldn't have to. My VTX and my M109 don't get anything but Castrol 10w40. And they are smooth as silk. Anyway,,, back to my rant. It shifts up great. Never had a problem.
Start slowing down to make a stop and downshift .......BANG, not CLUNK. Sometimes you get a loud CLUNK. But most of the time it wont even take 1st . It just bounces right back to neutral. Then you have to play "bounce on the shifter" and "feather the clutch" till it gos in gear.
I hope that people don't just accept this as normal. Its not.
P.S. I love the power of the R3. I just don't like the tranny. :soapbox:

Click to expand...

My new 2007 that I bought in July is the same way. The tech at the dealer adjusted the clutch cable and it was better for about 50 miles, then back to same old stuff. Sometimes it doesn't even want to shift from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to first. I'm going to try adjusting with my new heel/toe shifter and floorboards when I get them installed.

It's funny, the test ride I took at Knoxville in June had such a smooth shift/transmission that it was much better than my Valk. Maybe some more miles and the synthetic oil from my first service will break it in.

Keep us informed if you find a solution and I'll do the same.

John

Nope

jrhorton said:

My new 2007 that I bought in July is the same way. The tech at the dealer adjusted the clutch cable and it was better for about 50 miles, then back to same old stuff. Sometimes it doesn't even want to shift from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to first. I'm going to try adjusting with my new heel/toe shifter and floorboards when I get them installed.

It's funny, the test ride I took at Knoxville in June had such a smooth shift/transmission that it was much better than my Valk. Maybe some more miles and the synthetic oil from my first service will break it in.

Keep us informed if you find a solution and I'll do the same.

John

Click to expand...

Your dreaming on the one. I have had to oil changes now and mine still sounds like I’m shifting with a hammer. I have a problem going from first to second and the higher the rpms the worse it is. Its embarrassing when you’ve challenged some one you take off and the bike hangs between gears and you coast to a stop.:soapbox: I have 5000 miles on a 06.

jrhorton, having difficulty from 3rd to 2nd is unusual (i've not seen it reported, herein) unless the clutch cable has been maladjusted. Put it back where it should have been before the bike shop screwed with it.

The clunk when going into first is a bit common on many newer bikes. Too high of a speed or too high RPM when trying to go to 1st results in much the same with mine. Amsoil made the shifting considerably smoother. But if the price of the Mobil oil makes you ill you'll be in ICU after shelling out for Amsoil. At 10k mine still does the clunk when I'm doing the rabbit stop and slamming 'er into 1st. My VS1400 Intruder is not quite the same but it too has the clunk when going to 1st, when the speed or RPMs are a bit too high; but then I tend to do the rabbit stops far too often with it. And I've heard many Hardleys across the parking lot clunking into 1st; and, usually after they've depressed everyone with their loud mouthed pipes.

FYI
I have a similar problem. 9000 miles and it won't shift easily from 1st to 2nd. If I am taking it pretty easy on the throttle it shifts OK from 1st to 2nd. If I am getting on it pretty heavy it does not want to shift.

Put on some of them thar TORs or other AM loud mouth pipes; then the rest of the pack won't hear you clunking. Expect this to diminish with time.

I have an OEM heel/toe shifter so up shifting is alway by the heel, for me. My heel isn't as thenthitive as ones toes would be. Hence I've not experienced any up-shift to 2nd difficulties.

I get a missed shift from 1st to 2nd every so often also when I am winding it pretty tight.

No problems with my 05. I wind it up pretty good. 7400 and running great....

Lets see. I have the clunk into first from neutral (I always use neutral at a light, it's a holdover from my Meriden days). I float the gear lever into first by feathering the clutch a little. I've never (to the best of my limited knowledge) missed any shifts or found a false neutral and I've full power shifted the bike a few times with a satisifying tire squeal (no clutch at all). I don't make a habit of that but it can be done.

Actually, the easiest way to shift the bike up through the gears for me is without using the clutch at all. I just back off the throttle to put slack in the drivetrain and slip it into the next gear......comes from all the years of truck driving I guess.

same issue...

I have posted a downshift issue in this forum with my newly purchased 05 that has 3500 miles on it. Several different methods were suggested, all of which worked real well. I also have a Valk but must admit that it does shift easier than the R3 most likely due to mileage and usage. I did learn an important lesson with the differences between the two bikes.
I have accepted the fact that the R3 does not up-shift easy and I have also accepted the fact that when one moves up the horse power scale that drivetrain windup (what Flip described) may be part of the issue with full power shifting. This simply means to me that I have to learn new methods to get where I want to go with the power/torque offered by the R3. This bike is different from anything I have ever owned.
You may have to change the way you ride/shift the R3 as opposed to other bikes you have owned. I did. Good Luck and don't give up experimenting, let us know what you find that works for you.
If you a positive that as a rider you are not any part of the issue with shifting, take the time to get samples of your oil at whatever drain interval you pick and have it sent to the lab for metalic analysis. If there is a problem with the mechanical parts in the clutch pack or trans it will be varified there. Don't forget to send a sample of the original oil you use for a base line. Good Luck. Bullet.