Downshifting

[lhanscom]

When I downshift very often the lever doesn't seem to catch, when I go back to shift again. When I tap it again, it clicks in, and downshifts to the next gear as it should. This is kind of annoying when trying to downshift two gears quickly. Any thoughts as to what this is, and what might cause it? Thanks.

[AOD]

i think it has something to do with how far you push and release the shift lever. to shift quickly you have to get your leg into it, or at least make sure you get the whole shift lever up and down.

i found that if i want to go down quickly just with my toes, i sometimes miss a gear.

[mdole]

I don't know about these bikes as I haven't had to look on my GS but in the past I have had problems due to the detent wearing and not lining up right and more often problems with a spring on the shifter shaft or the detent its self.

But if the problem is only occasional try shifting a little more assertively by preloading the shifter a little before you actually make the shift. I haven't had to do that on my GS but have had other bikes that really liked the preloading.

Mike

[Anonymous]

Luke, if everything is working correctly, your '85 700 should shift up and down as sweetly as my '83 750........just think shift with the lightest of touch and it is done. Since you mention your problem occurs on the 2nd of 2 quick downshifts, my first thought is that you may not be allowing the lever to return to the center position before the second down-click.

Simon

[lhanscom]

The lever doesn't seem to be returning to the center, until I tap it again. So I shift, then lift my foot, but the lever stays partially down. I tap again, and it pops back, once again shifting sweetly. Does this sound like the detent or spring? Thanks for the help.

[mdole]

That is pretty much the symptom I had on a Yamaha YCS-3C.

The spring actually was located under and just behind the clutch I replaced the spring after finding that it was stretched to the point that it put almost no tension on the detent. I got the spring in with out pulling the clutch but with all the fumbling that it took to get the lower end hooked through a small hole I don't think I really saved any time and I'm sure I raised my frustration level a bit more by almost getting it time after time after time.

You should check a manual and see what your bike has. The Yamaha had a spring that wrapped around the shifter shaft that needed to be preloaded by twisting it around with one end secured and then securing the other en and the detent had a small centering spring that hooked on the bottom inside edge and ran back to a tiny hole in the case under the clutch.

Mike

[mdole]

I just remembered that the symptom was that the shifter looked to be centered. It didn't look like it was hanging low or high but when I just tapped it the feel changed so I knew it was ready to shift again.

Mike

[lhanscom]

Thanks, that does sound like what mine is doing. I'll check out the manual and see how big a job is coming up.