Bike hard to shift into Neutral when warm

[KRISTI'SGS550]

So Kristi took her bike to work today and rode around on it for about an hour yesterday. The Beast lives and it's a great bike. Some thing she has mentioned to me that I thought I would post here to get some input are as follows. Number one, Kristi tells me the bike likes to shift around 3k and 5k RPM's. Is this a good range? Also the oil leak is still around, I tightened the screws and that slowed it down quite a bit. At first it was only leaking about a tablespoon of oil a day. Now it leaks about a tablespoon of oil about once a week or less, just a little spot on the ground about an hour after riding. The last thing the wife told me was the bike is hard to shift into neutral when warmed up. Kristi tells me the bike shifts fine into neutral fine when it is cold, but after riding she has difficulty shifting into neutral. Does anyone have any suggestions on this? I searched a little for it but couldn't find a definite answer.

Cory

[Kcwiro]

if I would be one to guess... I have the opposite affect most of the time ...though after my 750 warms up the shifting is very smooth as long as I don't try and rush it... might consider shifting the shift lever a teeth or two to get the angle a little different. when the oils all nice and warm it is easy to miss neutral if you tap just a bit much.

Just my suggestion with the shift lever adjustment. I have played with that some on mine and not had any further problems....other than checking my foot position.

With the leak... what is leaking..and from where?

If it is never the sprocket cover...maybe your starter o-ring is leaking...if it is the stator cover... perhaps there is some crud keeping it from sealing and you might want to make sure the surface is not goudged or something. Tmwnni, his stator cover drips often on his 550... but only a little. Thinking it was us not being specific eenough in the surface prep but who knows.

[lurch12_2000]

.....The last thing the wife told me was the bike is hard to shift into neutral when warmed up. Kristi tells me the bike shifts fine into neutral fine when it is cold, but after riding she has difficulty shifting into neutral. Does anyone have any suggestions on this? I searched a little for it but couldn't find a definite answer.

Cory

When my bike is fully warmed up I have to shift up to 2nd from 1st and tap it lightly down into neutral if I need to. Otherwise I only need neutral after shutting the bike off and parking. I've found this with many bikes(non Suzukis too) so I never thought of it as a problem.

[BSinCO13]

When my bike is fully warmed up I have to shift up to 2nd from 1st and tap it lightly down into neutral if I need to. Otherwise I only need neutral after shutting the bike off and parking. I've found this with many bikes(non Suzukis too) so I never thought of it as a problem.

This is exactly what I do with my 850, it even seems hard to find neutral when the bike is cold so I just thought thats how it was.

[andrewclaycomb]

I thought all of the GSes had the problem of finding neutral. On my bike I have to very lightly bounce my foot off the shifter from 2nd when it's running. I just never try to do it anymore unless I'm going to be sitting there for a bit like when waiting for a train or something.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

Out of the 5 or 6 bikes I have owned or riden the GS is the only one that has a problem finding the neutral. But it sounds like it is nothing to worry about. Thanks for the input.

Cory

[duaneage]

Sounds like the clutch needs a bit of adjusting at the lever turnbuckle.

[simon kuether]

How's your chain adjustment?My '79 'S starts to get a wee bit notchy finding neutral when the chain needs a little adjusting.Cheers,Simon.:-D

[Johnny K]

Sorry to hijack this thread. My 850 shifts in neutral only when in motion. If I were at a dead stop, I can't. If in 1st, I let out the clutch and move a tad, I will be able to put in neutral. Same with downshifting. After Ive hit 2nd gear, and coming to a stop, I lightly touch the shifter and it has no problem going into neutral. This is okay right?

[skreemer]

Sorry to hijack this thread. My 850 shifts in neutral only when in motion. If I were at a dead stop, I can't. If in 1st, I let out the clutch and move a tad, I will be able to put in neutral. Same with downshifting. After Ive hit 2nd gear, and coming to a stop, I lightly touch the shifter and it has no problem going into neutral. This is okay right?

That shouldn't be... it sounds like you need to adjust the clutch a bit not at the lever but at the bit on the case where it goes into the bike.

on my 550 there are only two times I have a hard time finding nuetral.
#1. When my chain stretches out and I need to adjsut it...
#2. When the clutch cable is stretching (usually near the end of it's life)

I've had my bike 4 years and had to replace the clutch cable twice... once while at home (I heard and felt the crunchiness) and the once in while on a ride...

you do keep some basic tools and an extra cable with you right?