1st,neutral,2nd shifting problem

Hoping someone here can help with this.
Just got back from a 300km round trip. Seems that once the bike is nice and warm, (min 50 km) it becomes extremely difficult to find neutral or first. If I get to neutral from second and try to drop to first it pops back into neutral or second or just pops back to second when trying find neutral. Also can't down shift without engaging every gear. (Clutch in, downshift, clutch out, repeat.) Shifting up is not a prob at all.

This problem only comes once I've been out for a while. cold it isn't there>

Any ideas on what would be causing this?

 

This may or may not be related or helpful, but I'll recount my experience anyway:

My 82 XJ550 Maxim was very tricky to get into neutral or first gear when coming to a stop. I could not downshift into first while in motion, and even after coming to a stop it was a challenge just to get it into first or neutral at all. When I first got the bike it was like this. I did an oil change (using 20W50) and I would say the shifting was slightly better, but still difficult. I noticed that the oil level was only about half way up the sight glass, so I topped it up and went for a ride. The erratic shifting was gone!

So, check your oil level and make sure you're using the right viscosity oil.

- Mike

 

Yeah, using 20W50 castrol. Due for an oil change in 200 kms. Started noticing the problem 500km into this oil change. Gonna try 15w40 next. Might do the change early to see if that is the problem. The 20W50 seems to retain alot of the heat. so gonna try the slightly thinner oil. I know there is the right amount in there though. Anyone else have any ideas let me know so I can just do them tonight instead of futzing around with 1 possible solution at a time. I have a ride to Calgary (approx 3000km round trip.) coming up in a couple weeks and need to fix this problem before I go.

 

You can adjust out the "Neutral Fight" and "Clunking into Gear" by adjusting the Clutch Cable Slack Knurl on the Clutch Perch to remove ALL the skack in the cable and give you MAXIMUM Throw-out!

Feel the Cable down at where it attaches to the throw-out arm.
You want to have it as tight as a guitar string.
Zero lash.
Get all the slack out and then you can make further adjustments to the tightness if you take-up too much and the clutch slips.

Try to get all the slack out of the clutch cable. Once you get the maximum throw out, the Neutral Fight stops and the Bike slips into gear without a lurch and a clunk.

 

I still need to tweak my clutch cable, as I get the 1st gear clunk and I do get some slippage at full throttle at higher revs.

 

If you are getting 1st Gear Clunk ... AND ... Slippage when you give it Full Power ... that's a sign that you need to start thinking about some new clutches pretty soon.

Clunking into Gear, Red Light Creep and Neutral Fight are signs that the Clutch isn't getting enough throw-out.
The clutches aren't being fully disengaged ... they are still grabbing the Drivers a little bit.

Slipping when you goose it means the Pads are worn-down enough to allow them to break free of the friction.

Normally, you can't have it BOTH ways!
Either they are too tight and moving the Drivers ... or, ...
Loose enough to break free of the Drivers and slip.

You are at the end of those Friction Plates effectiveness.
If you do something about it right away, you will only have to replace the Friction Plates because the Drivers won't have been overheated, blued or scored.

 

Thanks Rick, I'll put clutch work on my list of things this bike needs

 

My 550 seems MUCH HAPPIER running 20W40. Yamalube isn't available anymore, I'm using golden Spectro (conventional dino squeezin's not synth) and although it was "fine" on Castrol 20W50, it seems happier (quiter camchain, primary chain/clutch at idle warm in neutral) and the clutch seems to work better too. It shouldn't make one !@#$%^& bit of difference, but it seems to...Although it does sound like you're about due for a clutch. If the friction plates are worn enough, they will be "grabby" at low rpm and slip at high rpm. Rick is right, the sooner you do it the better chance you won't have to replace the plain (drive) plates too.

 

Thanks for the advice people. Switched to 15W40 for this change, finding first and neutral without any difficulty. Have a clunk and lurch when shifting, but I think its the cluth cable (I hope.). Next prob, is that it seems to take along time for the revs to drop when I use the clutch. It eventually drops down but can take upwards of 10-15 secs for it to drop to about 1000rpms. Think I have crud in the jets?

 

You might be able to get that Clunk and Lurch out by adjusting the Cable Slack right up there at the Clutch Lever Perch by tweaking the Knurl a turn or two.

As for the bike taking its sweet time losing rpm's when the Throttles are closed ... that's a pretty classic symptom of Diaphragm Pistons not falling fast enough in their Bores.

Search: "Clunk Test" -- By: RickCoMatic

It takes a little time to clean and polish the Diaphragm Piston Bores but if they have never been done over the course of the lifetime of your Bike ...

You're due!