[Mattman]

Hey gang,

I just got a '94 VN750 and have been riding it as much as I can the last week...something that didn't turn up during the test drive before I bought it is that, after a while, the bike is very difficult to downshift. The clicks feel very hard, and I swear that it feels like it is skipping gears on the way down. I'll decelerate from speed in 5th, click down once, twice, and then it feels like the bike will not shift any lower. So I come to a stop, and not only do I find that I'm sometimes in first (as verified by a missed shift up, into neutral, when I pull away) other times I actually am starting off in what feels like 2nd or 3rd.

The "positive neutral finder" so far hasn't been all that reliable for me because if I am not confident that I'm in first, clicking up while stopped will not always bring me to neutral.

I was told that the bike had an oil change right before I bought it but I'm thinking that I ought to do my own before I spend too much time wondering about this, but what else should I be considering? Is this a common symptom?

Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated! Thanks!

Matt

 

[Mcneuby]

Trouble Shifting

I have a 94 that I bought last spring. Last fall I changed the oil using Castrol Syntec 10W-40. a full synthetic. I hadn't had what I would call a problem but it shifts noticeably better now. I'm not sure it will help but I think it would be worth a try.

Enjoy the Ride

Mcneuby

 

[OlHossCanada]

Are you declutching in every gear on the way down?
Or shifting down more than one gear at a time?
I read something last week, that I do not quite understand, about why a motorcyle needs to declutch in every gear when downshifting.

Anybody else know if this is true? And why?

 

[clock152]

Are you declutching in every gear on the way down?
Or shifting down more than one gear at a time?
I read something last week, that I do not quite understand, about why a motorcyle needs to declutch in every gear when downshifting.

Anybody else know if this is true? And why?

I had an old Honda that I had to do that with.

have you checked the side to side play in the shifter?

 

[dynajim]

Had the same issue. Had to adjust the clutch quite bit before it got better. Had to re-position the clutch arm too! I find that w/o double clutching on the way down I have those same issues though not as bad . But then I've always done that.Been riding for 45 yrs.
my .02

 

[Mattman]

The play doesn't seem to be a problem...as the bike warms up (after 10-15 minutes) is when I begin to notice it. If anything, the shift linkage seems a little stiff

 

[Mattman]

As for double-clutching, hasn't seemed to be necessary, it doesn't seem to change anything really. Getting new oil and filter tonight and when it stops raining I'll be changing it out and see if that helps matters

Thanks

Matt

 

[dynajim]

HHmmnn. Well, there's enough guys on here with all kinds of experiance. Sombody will chime in with the info you need.

 

[shark88]

In case you didn't know, make sure you drain the oil from the side plug behind the kickstand and not the plug on the bottom. Pull the screen and make sure that's clean. I have someone at work that has a Vulcan and he has been doing the oil changes from the bottom, I had to tell him the proper way.

 

[FlacoLove]

deleted

 

[Mattman]

Thanks!

Thanks everyone.

I changed the oil today, and while the bike is not shifting as well as I had hoped it is still remarkably better The oil was pretty shot, thankfully though there was nothing too worrisome when I checked it for an grit, skivings, etc. I thought that maybe my sight glass was discolored but when I drained the old goop out it was plain to see that the sight glass is perfectly transparent, it was the oil that was completely opaque.


I think I may run it for a couple of weeks and change it again...maybe it's just being paranoid but I just don't like the way it looked and would like to know that I am rid of any of the old stuff!

Thanks!

Matt

 

[FlacoLove]

deleted

 

[Mattman]

Next project...

I rode her about 170 miles yesterday and shifting seems better still...not perfect, but not bad for a 17 year old with 34,000 miles on her

I think it is time to try the Grambo trick or just pony up the do-re-mi for MCCT's, that ACCTracket gets annoying at stop lights!

Matt

 

[Mcneuby]

Shifting Trouble

Glad to hear that it is shifting a little better. did you use Castrol Syntec, synthetic oil? It quited my engine, I guess it shows that I belileve in it. I use it in my cars too. It is very high deterigent it will really clean up your engine. Its liquid engineering.

Mcneuby

 

[Mattman]

Next time...

No, I used whatever the Kawi branded stuff was at the local stealership, I had a narrow window in which to tackle this oild change, next time I
l giver her the "good stuff" :beerchug:

Thanks

Matt