transmission problem

[henry]

On my 2008 FZ6, sometimes the transmission will not downshift into 2nd or 1st gear - the shift pedal depresses till it hits the frame with no shifting. Then it seems to repair itself. It is not the shift pedal adjustment! Any thoughts before I take it to the dealer for a warrantee look?
Thanks much

 

[thatguy]

Hey while im not real sure on the cause mine does it when down shifting from 3 to 2 i have a 2004 fz6 with 6000 miles i just recently bought when i took mine back they told me it had to do with the type of clutch that is in the bikes but they may have just been trying to get out of warranty work
post it when you figure out whats up

 

[mglowe]

I'm was thinking a rider issue here, like gears are not meshing properly at the speed your attempting to shift, but you mentioned shift pedal hitting the frame..?

I'd have the dealer look at it, you may also have a clutch cable that needs a simple adjustment.

 

[Red Wazp]

New bike, let the dealer look at it

 

[blchandl2]

On my 2008 FZ6, sometimes the transmission will not downshift into 2nd or 1st gear - the shift pedal depresses till it hits the frame with no shifting. Then it seems to repair itself. It is not the shift pedal adjustment! Any thoughts before I take it to the dealer for a warrantee look?
Thanks much

If the shifter is hitting the frame, it is out of adjustment. I have cured this problem on my FZ by adjusting the linkage to raise the shift lever. The frame nor any other external feature is supposed to define the travel limit of the shifter.

 

[henry]

thanks for your thoughts - have readjusted the shift lever to give more travel - will see what happens.
Thanks again.

 

[SovietRobot]

I adjusted my shift lever up today and it made a big difference.
Before if I tried to upshift more than one gear quickly the lever would just "float" and not go up all the way.

 

[BranNwebster]

One thing I did when I first started riding was not letting the shifter come back to the rest position, to reset itself to be able to go into the next gear.

 

[FZyLarry]

One thing I did when I first started riding was not letting the shifter come back to the rest position, to reset itself to be able to go into the next gear.

+1 on this suggestion. Also, is this happening when you are moving or at a complete stop. You usually need to let the gears spin a little between each down shift. If you are sitting at a stop and just trying to snick down through the gears, it may be necessary to let the clutch out and then re-engage it to get it into the next gear.

 

[regder]

are you trying to downshift while stopped? You need to be moving for the gears to mesh. Best habit to get into is downshift as you're slowing down so you're always in a good gear in case you have to get back on the gas again

 

[wangt86]

are you trying to downshift while stopped? You need to be moving for the gears to mesh. Best habit to get into is downshift as you're slowing down so you're always in a good gear in case you have to get back on the gas again

You definately need to be in the right gear. If you need the power in emergency situations you'll have it. Others have already mentioned you need to let the clutch out a bit if your downshifting more than once.

 

[MarinaFazer]

+1 on this suggestion. Also, is this happening when you are moving or at a complete stop. You usually need to let the gears spin a little between each down shift. If you are sitting at a stop and just trying to snick down through the gears, it may be necessary to let the clutch out and then re-engage it to get it into the next gear.

+1 on not letting the lever come back to the middle all the way to reset. I do it sometimes and then miss a shift . As for going DOWN into 2 or 1, are you stopped? The bike likes to be moving when shifting.

Try letting the clutch out slowly while shifting. It helps to reseat the gear. Happens at stop lights to a lot of people.

 

[LERecords]

Try letting the clutch out slowly while shifting. It helps to reseat the gear. Happens at stop lights to a lot of people.

+1 on this good advice..
this happens to me every now and then.. not a big deal.. just let the clutch out a little and it'll "catch" the gear, and then you can down shift.. its just how the transmition was designed... not a major issue, more of an anoyance...

 

[WeWonItThreeTimes]

On my 2008 FZ6, sometimes the transmission will not downshift into 2nd or 1st gear - the shift pedal depresses till it hits the frame with no shifting. Then it seems to repair itself. It is not the shift pedal adjustment! Any thoughts before I take it to the dealer for a warrantee look?
Thanks much

i have the same problem when downshifting from 2nd to 1st. No neutral, no 1st, pedal just depresses. Only just popped out, was ok till this morning. What did help at the end?

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

I see people talking about gears in the transmission "meshing". Keep in mind that the FZ has a constant mesh transmission, meaning that the gears are always "meshed". What you are doing is moving a shift fork which is attached to a drum with detents on it that in turn move forks attached to collars with dog teeth on them that lock the transmission into a gear. If you "miss" a shift you'll hear some knocking, that is the teeth not engaging and the collar popping off of the transmission gear. A worn shift drum, bent fork, or damaged shift shaft can all cause shifting problems, and are usually caused by improper shifting methods.

 

[Wildcard]

I tightened up my clutch lever the other day, and while I was on the backroads, I almost layed the bike down because when I downshifted to 2nd, I was not used to the lack of play in the lever, and instead of being able to let off the clutch gently, it just engaged immediately and locked my rear up.

Just be careful when adjusting the clutch is all im saying.

 

[SovietRobot]

I tightened up my clutch lever the other day, and while I was on the backroads, I almost layed the bike down because when I downshifted to 2nd, I was not used to the lack of play in the lever, and instead of being able to let off the clutch gently, it just engaged immediately and locked my rear up.

Just be careful when adjusting the clutch is all im saying.

You should practice rev matching with your downshifts.

 

[Grape]

Sounds like all you need is some lubrication on the shift pedal linkage. Use some oil or grease and lubricate all joints connected to the shift pedal. I used to have the same problem with a shift pedal not returning to its initial position. Oil solved this problem. So I suggest you DO NOT adjust the lever before you try lubricating as this may cause even more problems finding the gears.

Good luck
//Henrik

 

[coursonap]

I had that problem this saturday. I used WD-40 on all the shift linkage points and it is like brand new.