Transmission issues maybe?

[thap8riot]

OK, This is my first bike with a manual tranny. I have put about 4500 miles on it since I got it in May and here are a couple of things that concern me. It has almost 21K now. First of all the 1st to 2nd gear shift can be very sticky when the bike is cold. It goes away after a few blocks of riding. Sometimes 2nd to 3rd but not that often. Next, a few times I have wound it out in 1st, shifted to second(felt like a good shift anyway), but I ended up in neutral. It doesn't happen often, but does happen. Was it just a lazy, bad shift? Don't know. Lastly, the other day I was coasting to a stop light, shifted from 4th to 3rd, and the bike went to neutral. I was like huh? How does that happen?(I am positive I was in 4th gear when this happened). Does the bike have some minor issues that are about to become major, am I a dork and just need more practice, or is this just stuff that happens from time to time. Obviously I don't know much about trannys.
Thanks for any input. BTW it's a 00 Sprint ST.

[Fullchat]

CHAIN! Sprints will love you for a well adjusted and lubed chain and repay you with slick and perfect gear changes.

[MelUK]

I posted a few times about the bad gear change when cold, on a test bike I ride and on the bike I bought. A few people suggested an oil change. I knew the bike had fresh Mobil 1 from the dealer only a few months before, but I thought what the hell. One 4 litre bottle of Castrol Power1 Racing 4T later and all my transmission problems were solved.

[Shovelstrokeed]

My '08 St with 15K miles on it now, shifts like a hot knife through butter. Took me a little while to get things sorted though. Clutch adjustment, different oil (SilkOlene), miles and a little change in technique. I come from a long background with BMWs though and trust me, getting a /2 to shift without clunking or finding a false neutral was a challenge.

Some tips:
Slightly preload the shift lever with your toe. If down shifting, when you pull in the clutch, don't back off the gas, just pull quickly to the bar and release. If upshifting, back of the gas but just a bit, don't close the throttle all the way, again, quick with the clutch lever.

It takes a bit of practice to get the amount of throttle movement just right but that really is the key. That and learning to be quick with the clutch lever. None of this has to rough either.

Another thing, shifting up at a little higher revs helps a bunch. I normally run to over 4K RPM in each gear when just casually riding down the road. Idea is to pretty much never get the revs below 3K RPM in any riding except stop and go traffic.

[oldndumb]

: Yes!!! Double dittos, wot he said!

In city driving, the only time my bike is at <4K is while stopping.

[CAPTDON]

Anyone can make a lazy shift now& then!! It happens- no big deal. Sometimes when you shift while hitting a pothole it will not quite make it all the way. Just wack it again & keep ongoing?

[oldndumb]

While far from being an expert rider, I cannot remember making a shift that did not quite make it all the way on my Sprint.

I do remember lazy technique affecting the smoothness of some shifts.

The techniques that S'stokeed, and others before him, has offered will definitely work if applied consistently.

[thap8riot]

Thanks guys. I do keep the bike generally at or just over 4K when at a constant speed and all my up shifting happens at 4500 to redline. When downshifting, I always blip the throttle to match the engine with the road speed to get a smooth transition. It is ready for an oil change and honestly, I know the oil was fresh when I bought the bike, but I don't know what oil was used. It may need a new chain too, according to the records I received with the bike. I do lube it though after every fill-up. Thanks for the suggestions. After I change the oil and possibly the chain, I'll see how it goes. I do absolutely LOVE the bike though. A little bit of a change from a Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooter!
Tom.

[jellero]

i've never had any problems except for the clunk into first which all my bikes do. i don't use the clutch much either other than into first, just pressure shifter a little bit and touch the clutch, she shifts. j