1st gear grinding

[north49]

.....so with all our technology, why does a motorcycle transmission grind and crunch when shifting from neutral into 1st gear? ?
I know this is normal on Japanese and German bikes....but why, and can it be made a little less horrible. My '80 GS 1000G seems to be developing a louder clunk into gear lately.
Thanks for all the brain power.

[cowboyup3371]

Have you checked your clutch cable to see if maybe it's messed up? Might not be allowing everything to engage properly.

[Mekanix]

A few things that would help:

An oil change, what are you using ?

check the clutch for warped plates

check the clutch basket for grooves made from the plates.

check your clutch cable for slack

Does it feel like it wants to creep forward at a stop when you pull the clutch in?

[hjfisk]

.....so with all our technology, why does a motorcycle transmission grind and crunch when shifting from neutral into 1st gear? ?
I know this is normal on Japanese and German bikes....but why, and can it be made a little less horrible. My '80 GS 1000G seems to be developing a louder clunk into gear lately.
Thanks for all the brain power.

You are mistaken , the bike that you refer to as technological is only the second yr attempt on a shaft drive motor cycle by our beloved Suzuki brand, as well as only being the forth year of them building a 4 stroke motorcycle . All kidding aside, I think the shaft drives drop into gear a little louder then their chain drive counter parts, because the transmission has a drive shaft and ring gear to help amplify the sound of engagement, where as a chain is loose and floppy and can absorb some of the sound . Maybe just my .02 cents

[north49]

.....the oil is fine and the clutch cable is fine. I can take the clutch basket apart and check for wear. But generally...why don't motorcycle transmissions slip easily into first gear ?

[JEEPRUSTY]

On startup they do no because the oil is cold and the choke is usually bringing he revs up higher.

If it crunching or heaving into gear warm it likely the oil or the clutch.
Clutch

Loose chain would amplify the effect.

The lurch is alos related to 1st being the lowest ration therefore any dramatic input gets magnified by the reatios og the gears.

[Don-lo]

What is your idle speed?

[SqDancerLynn1]

DON'T worry about it. It is normal. Just make sure the idle is not set too high & clutch is adjusted

[DanTheMan]

And make sure you don't have dirty old oil in it. I know you said your oil is fine, but has it been changed in the last 1500 miles? Cold oil, rpm over 2k, both contibute to a noisy shift to 1st gear.