gpz second gear

[pompousporcup...]

my little gpz has a little issue with second gear (almost sure its just second) which has happened a couple of times now but not often enough to make me want to rip it apart to investimagate.

today i took it to the top of second and then let off the throttle at which point the revs suddenly disappeared. looked as though it had gone into neutral

whats happening when it does this?


*it also, sometimes, doesnt go up into 3rd under load, clutchless or not. i rev, go to change, click it up and it stays in second, prompting many concerns as the revs bounce the limiter

[MCN]

slipper clutch?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipper_clutch
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[RhynoCZ]

What GPz? 250, 305, 400, 500, 550, 600, 750, 900, 1000, 1100?

Do you shift the gears firmly enough? Is the gear lever straight on the selector shaft or is there some sort of linkage? Is the linkage setup properly?
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[pompousporcup...]

500 gen 1.

[stinkwheel]

The primary gear selector mechanism can wear over time and as a result doesn't shift the gear fully into place. Two hooks attached to the gear lever pull a toothed selector drum round when you change gear. It engages into the correct place for each gear when a sprung wheel drops into little notches around the circumference of the drum. The neutral notch is deeper than the others to facilitate neutral finding. As such, if it's not pulled fully round into the "second gear" position, it tends to want to drop back round into neutral.

You can also get wear on the dogs which engage the gear clusters together. They are slightly undercut so they stay in position when slid across. Excessive wear can see them sliding back out again

The first is (reasonably) easy to fix because the primary selector mechanism is under a seperate cover below the front sprocket. Can just be a case of filing points back on the hooks if they've rounded off. I say reasonably because it's fiddly, tight and spring loaded BUT you don't have to take the engine out nor do you have to drain the oil if you lean the bike way over..

The second would mean taking the engine out and stripping the gearbox.

Before any of that, check and adjust your chain tension, check your clutch adjustment, check your gear lever travel and make sure you are allowing the lever to fully return to the central position before selecting the next gear (take your foot off it completely before changing and see if the problem still happens).

Probably the most common cause of bikes jumping out of gear is new boots.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[pompousporcup...]

thanks stinkwheel. it happens every now and then, not constant thing.

i've put it down to lack of mechanical sympathy for now/until it gets more frequent. i do tend to ride it like you would a newer machine

[RhynoCZ]

I was about to tell you about boots, but the Wheel got to you first.

Learn how to shift gears firmly, move the gear lever all the way (100%), new or old, most of the motorcycles (not Honda) would jump out of gear if you only gently stroke the lever. If you got too thick boots, set the lever so you can comfortably put your foot under the lever (to shift gear up). I also had some issues when I bought new boots. I just turned the gear lever, so I've got 1 up and 5 down, it's easier to step on the lever when at speed rather than lifting it up + it feels cool.

[pompousporcup...]

i do, although use of the clutch lever is optional. thottle off is not

fwiw i've had these boots for a while now without issue although it could well be down to my hamfootedness.

[stinkwheel]

If it feels like it's clicked up normally but actually hasn't changed, I'd be more supicious of that primary selector mechanism.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[pompousporcup...]