Can't change down & lever in first gear floppy

Craig321

Craig321

Craig321

Soldato
Joined
2 May 2004
Posts
19,950
Hi,

Haven't had a chance to look myself yet, but on the way to work this morning my bike only seemed to want to change up. When trying to go down the lever would just be floppy. The last roundabout before work was interesting in 6th :p

There isn't any grinding or anything and it was working perfectly on Friday plus it changes up smooth enough. Only thing I did was clean it over the weekend.

When pulling out this morning, the gear lever was already floppy in first. Normally I can tell it's in first as you can't press the lever down anymore, but this morning it was floppy like it wanted to change down.

I had a quick glance over in the work car park this morning and there isn't anything obviously wrong.

Any ideas?

Thanks
 
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Well it's not the dogs or gearbox failure otherwise you wouldn't be able to change all the way up, so it sounds to me like whilst you where cleaning it muck got dislodged, & has found its way into the gear change mechanism, my monies on the sprocket cover where the gear lever shaft runs thru the case, pop that off & give it a damn good clean out at the first opportunity.
 
Yeah could be clutch? are the revs dropping much when you pull the lever in? its always easy to go up gears clutchless but not down gears, but saying that the lever wouldn't be loose....

Sounds to be like it might be a selector fork in the gearbox.... thats whats happened to me before, in the gearbox there are 2 (or maybe 3?) selector forks so thats why it feels ok for some gears but not for others, I could select up from 3 but not 3 or down.
 
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You quite possibly had loose adjuster nuts on the arm (depending on model of bike), which you altered while cleaning.

Always check the simplest and cheapest stuff first.
 
Just had another quick look at lunch and:
- Adjuster nuts on the gear lever are tight
- Adjuster nuts on the clutch lever are tight
- Gear lever looks fine, movement is ok (normal, it's something I usually glance over and grease)
- Clutch lever feels normal and recently greased

Inside the front sprocket always gets ridiculously dirty, so could be that. Although I did clean in there thoroughly in the summer when I changed the chain & sprocket. I'll have another look though.

Now the question is, do I get a GSXR 600, or a Speed Triple R (the Speed Triple R, despite having almost double the torque and more HP is half the insurance purely because it's naked :rolleyes:). I'm getting a bit tired of fixing my Hornet all the time! My only worry is that once I get used to the extra power of the Speed Triple it'll essentially feel the same as my Hornet (upright-ish, naked, etc.) whereas the GSXR will be a different ride altogether.
 
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What made you choose a sportsbike as another option? just asking because if you are bored of the hornet then as much as the STR will be night and day difference in terms of power over the Hornet if you are bored of a naked you will still get bored of the Triumph :D
The constant abuse from the wind got boring fast for me personally riding a Street Triple.

Have you test rode both?
 
Completely different bikes, a 600 IL4 screamer vs a litre triple with bucketloads of low down torque.

It'd be the speed triple (especially the R version, Brembos etc, lovely!) any day of the week for me, you get used to the wind blast after a while.
 
you'll get bored of a 1 litre after a while,fast yes but boring to ride imo,plus you have to feed it constantly with fuel

sensible head would fix the hornet and ride it forever:D
 
Fireskull said:
What made you choose a sportsbike as another option? just asking because if you are bored of the hornet then as much as the STR will be night and day difference in terms of power over the Hornet if you are bored of a naked you will still get bored of the Triumph :D
The constant abuse from the wind got boring fast for me personally riding a Street Triple.

Have you test rode both?
Click to expand...

Not bored at all really, just want a new bike :p

I'd like to go for a sports bike as it'll be so different from what I currently have. Different position, speed, fully faired and just a totally different experience rather than just going to the Speed Triple R which I'd imagine, after getting used to the power, would be quite similar? It certainly felt very familiar when sitting on it.

I haven't test ridden either yet, but have sat on both and love both!

MowyTone said:
Test rode the street triple and got bored of the wind blasting pretty quick. What about something inbetween, like a VFR?
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You can stick a screen on though can't you? It surely wouldn't be much worse than the Hornet in terms of wind blast?

I think it was a VFR I had a go on a couple of years ago. Nice bike, very smooth power compared to the Hornet I found. It just doesn't wow me though. Don't know what it is, just doesn't do it for me.

wazza300 said:
you'll get bored of a 1 litre after a while,fast yes but boring to ride imo,plus you have to feed it constantly with fuel

sensible head would fix the hornet and ride it forever:D
Click to expand...

Part of me is tempted to ride the thing until it falls apart or tries to kill me :D
 
test ride them and see what you feel

I regret buying my zx10r,my zx6 is perfect,ill just ride n ride it and not worry about clocking the miles up

you want something with a screen on though or full fairing,keeps you nice and dry
 
Oh yes & more on the problem...

Got it home today. It'll go into first eventually and then clicks up to neutral quite easily. It almost feels as though the gear lever is just loose. I'll have to have a look at how to adjust it.

Stopped for petrol on the way home and it was fine in the petrol station, it even went 'solid' when I clicked down into first (i.e. didn't stay loose, so I could tell it was in first) and then into neutral fine and back into first, no problems.

So it's a bit intermittent at the moment, almost like I have to move it in a very particular way to gear down.

wazza300 said:
test ride them and see what you feel

I regret buying my zx10r,my zx6 is perfect,ill just ride n ride it and not worry about clocking the miles up

you want something with a screen on though or full fairing,keeps you nice and dry
Click to expand...

I've emailed Triumph for a test ride so I'll see what they say. Closest Suzuki that test rides is a while away, but I guess I should ride out there and try one if I'm going to spend that sort of money :p. Hopefully my age doesn't cause any problems. I've had my licence long enough - almost 3 years now, but still under 25.
 
Did you check all the gear linkage? And rod? Something like a but or bolt could have vibrated loose? Seems strange though

Might be worth phoning round for insurance quotes before you buy the bike
 
wazza300 said:
Did you check all the gear linkage? And rod? Something like a but or bolt could have vibrated loose? Seems strange though

Might be worth phoning round for insurance quotes before you buy the bike
Click to expand...

Yeah, GSXR insurance is expensive, but affordable. Speed Triple R is half the insurance for more power and a bigger engine :rolleyes:. Both alright though.

Yeah, I've had a look around at all that and it all looks ok, nothing changed at least. I've not take anything apart to look yet, but externally nothing is loose or fallen off. Tis an odd one.

Really does just feel like something is loose, but I can't see what. I'd almost bet nothing is broken. Hornet is just being a ***** because I'm looking at new bikes :p
 
Chain is good.

I figured out today that to change down I need to lift the gear lever slightly first to the top of it's movement, then I can gear down. Shifting up is also starting to be a bit dodgy now.

Might just end up taking it into the shop, although I do want to have a look myself first when I get some time at the weekend.
 
Have you looked at how much insurance is for a 750 GSXR? I love my Suzuki's but if I was to get a 600 it would be a ZX6R most likely, and going for the 750 will feel like a really big jump in power compared to a Hornet, and will wee all over a STR ;):D
 
could be something internal then by the looks of it?

if I were to buy today id get a used 2013 zx6r:D traction control as standard and 135bhp
 
Yeah definitely sounds like a selector fork has borked.....

Yeah a 2013 ZX6R would be sexual, in WSBK colours, yes please.

I didn't factor in what year GSXR's you have been looking at? just assumed newer ones if you were looking at a STR also.
 
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