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New triple shifting issues

3K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  mnhoulden 
#1 · (Edited)
I Have been riding for years, so please dont blame the shifting on me lol. Mostly sport bikes. However the new triple with now 250 miles on the clock has some serious problems going from 2nd to 1st. Going from 1st to 2nd isnt as bad, but the trans doesn't really begin shifting smoothly until after 3rd.
Im getting alot of false neutrals and it really isnt getting any better.

How normal is this? did everyone else have this same issue during the run in period?

I told the dealer and they said not to worry until we swap the oil.
 
#2 · (Edited)
My 2007 definitely gets better with age, I seem to remember it being okay after the 1000 mile break-in period. That might just be because I was getting used to it, too - it's certainly no CBR600.

It's important to keep your chain tension within spec. Mine needed a lot of adjustment during the break-in period. I know my chain needs attention as soon as I miss a gear.

Another thing to watch out for is the gear linkage. One guy reported one of the spherical joints working loose. I'll search for the thread to show you what I mean.

Good luck!
 
#4 ·
great info flash, thanks; I was going to adjust the linkage for myself regardless.

I agree with the chain completely. My previous bike were finicky like that as well.

I am going to go over the bike this evening. Spend some quality time with her so to speak.

The upshifting and down shifting in higher gears isn't an issue. So That makes me think its probably run in. We shall see. The 500 mile mark is coming fast.
 
#5 ·
It does get better over time, these transmissions are nothing like those on japanese sport bikes and you will adjust to its particular character. I know on mine after a couple thousand miles it was much better. Also keep an eye on oil level, etc. and see what type of oil works/feels best for you.
 
#6 ·
Mine was nasty when new. I started doing clutchless upshifts on the transitions I knew were bad. Now it is no issue clutch or other wise. In case you don't know what I mean, you just put some upwards pressure on the shifter when you are ready to upshift, then roll off the throttle for a second and roll back on, the shifter just slips the tranny into the next gear like butter. It seemed like mine "learned" doing this. Sounds a bit silly but it worked very well and I never missed a shift again. Mine was worst from 5-6, false neutral almost every time.
 
#7 ·
Mine has 1000 miles now and I've gotten caught between 2nd and 1st.....sometimes in neutral, sometimes just in between. At such times, usually with impatient traffic behind me at a stop light, I have had to let the clutch out a bit to reset something so I could downshift to 1st. I've found that downshifts to first require a bit of authority to guarantee 1st gear entry. I'll check the linkage thing though.
 
#8 ·
A few things:

1. The triple doesnt have the same smooth shifting as the Japanese sport bikes. I ride both and it took me a while to get used to it as well.

2. I do find that keeping the bike totally full with clean oil helps significantly. As soon as the oil gets low or starts to degrade, shifting goes down the tubes.

3. Proper chain slack (as mentioned above) will also help. This bike tends to like more slack than your average Japanese sport bike.

4. A one piece Sunline shifter or the like will typically make shifting easier and more consistent than the OEM linkage design. You may want to switch.
 
#12 ·
Mine was terrible when new. Shift lever took deliberate effort to move - both up and down. Neutral was difficult to find from 1st and pretty much impossible from 2nd.

Now it has gotten much better. Still nowhere near as silky smooth as the best Japanese gearboxes, but signs are there that break-in helps to smooth out the shifts.

FWIW, my '09 Sprint ST shifts smooth enough to rival good (not best) Japanese bikes.
 
#13 ·
You can adjust the tension on your clutch cable in two places. The easier one is the silver dial on the lever and the other is at the end of the cable where it attaches to the arm at the top of the clutch cover.
 
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