My 1st I don't like on FZ6

[Yasko]

I don't like my clutch. It's just blaaa. When I shift gears on my ninja, I can tell I'm in the next gear by the fill and sound of the bike. On my FZ it's hard to tell. Is this the FZ, or my FZ that's not right??

 

[SweaterDude]

well generally the RPMs drop and the acceleration becomes a little more tame, as well as a drop in exhaust note.:BLAA:

the shifting is probable just a little clunkier on the ninja so you get a little more feedback in the foot. the only thing i've noticed about mine is that if i dont downshift into 1st before i come to a stop, it doesnt like going into gear. but its really smooth other than that. smooth = less feedback

 

[PosterFZ6]

Look into those ebay adjustable levers.

$30 for both brake and clutch side.

It really makes a differance. i installed mine yesterday and it's a lot better.

Also look into killernoodle's (he is a member here) mod to the clutch mechanism. He makes a custom part that you replace the OEM one at the end of the clutch cable.

I am still waiting for his fabricated piece, so i can't say how much better it is. But everybody is praising him for how buttery the clutch after his mod it.

But change the levers. Trust me it's worth it.

 

[Erci]

The *bad* part of FZ6 clutch is the extremely short friction zone.. which can make for quite a few stalls when you're getting used to the bike, BUT.. I think when it comes to shifting it's actually better than many other bikes I've ridden! Once you know where the friction zone is, shifts can be instantaneous and there's no need to pull the lever all the way to the bar.

Try pre-loading the gear lever before each shift (if you're not already doing so). It'll smooth it out a lot.

 

[FIZZER6]

Cable clutches need lubricated, often! I lube my cable about every 2,500 miles.

 

[PosterFZ6]

The *bad* part of FZ6 clutch is the extremely short friction zone.. which can make for quite a few stalls when you're getting used to the bike, BUT.. I think when it comes to shifting it's actually better than many other bikes I've ridden! Once you know where the friction zone is, shifts can be instantaneous and there's no need to pull the lever all the way to the bar.

Try pre-loading the gear lever before each shift (if you're not already doing so). It'll smooth it out a lot.

definitely agree with you.

I actually like the short friction zone. It's very good for quick shifting for me.

But yes it does suck when you are sitting in traffic and you are staying in 1st and 2nd gear every other stop light.

 

[mrphotoman]

I don't like my clutch. It's just blaaa. When I shift gears on my ninja, I can tell I'm in the next gear by the fill and sound of the bike. On my FZ it's hard to tell. Is this the FZ, or my FZ that's not right??

Mine works great.

 

[PhotoAl]

Yup, it is not better than my Ninja 250 and seems to be most difficult when puttering around. Slow shifts at low RPM are not what it's good at. Amazing how well it shifts at high RPM and high throttle openings. The predecessor of the FZ6 was the R6 which probably explains the shifting.

PS preloading helps a lot as well as the type of oil.

 

[Yasko]

Ok I'll try new 2wheel levers, and what's the process to get killernoodle's clutch. What do I need to buy and send him?

I really need to fix this.

 

[RJ2112]

Ok I'll try new 2wheel levers, and what's the process to get killernoodle's clutch. What do I need to buy and send him?

I really need to fix this.

The biggest problem I had with the shifting on the FZ6 was trying to do so at too low of a speed...... once I figured out it REALLY doesn't like 'short' shifting, things got a whole lot better.

Another thing to watch out for, is the shift linkage getting sticky. It's a good idea to spray some white lithium grease into all the pivoting points on on the shift linkage every few months. When the parts start to drag, the lever won't return to the center as quickly..... if it doesn't and you go to shift, it will reject your attempt.

 

[TechnicalNonsense]

I was actually having the same issue as you when I got my FZ6 because before this I rode a Ninja 500R which had a very smooth and easy clutch and yes, I do know what you are talking about with gear changing and how you can feel it.

Depending on how long you've own the FZ6 you'll get used to it, it took me about 1K mile to get a feel for the whole bike but if you're still not used to the bike by then it very well could be that the clutch cable needs some lubing.

Hope this helps.

 

[FinalImpact]

Not sure of the miles on your bike, but if the feel on the clutch is like ah "capt'n crunch" then lube the cable and it'll be much nicer to ride.

What the manual calls for is motor oil, so plan on doing it every 2500 as mentioned above and it'll be happy!