Shifting into 2nd Gear

[Doc Rogers]

Ok, I know about the Honda "Clunk" and this has nothing to do with that. My problem is that I have a really hard time getting this bike into 2nd on a regular basis. It has even dropped into neutral on more than 1 occasion.

When I shift from 1st to 2nd I can feel the gears grind a bit before it kicks in. Not every time but probably 50%. Seems like every time I ride I miss 2nd gear at least once.

Any suggestions or solutions? Can this be adjusted? Every other gear shifts easy.

I also noticed that it is really hard to find neutral. (Unless shifting up from 1st).

Just bought the bike about 1 1/2 months ago. 2000 IS with 15k miles. All help is appreciated.

[R J]

You can adjust the shift lever down 1 notch to help, but the best thing to do is learn to not baby the gears, slam it in HARD.

If you can find a Kickshifter on eBay, bid on it, that solved 100% of my missed shifts, 2nd gear that is.

Many moons ago, I also changed my shifter out for a different model Honda.   Sorry I don't remember what model it was, this was in 1997.     Maybe someone else on the board who has done  that change with the Kickshifter will pipe up.

[bogator]

 I don't know where your shifter is ---but adjust it to where you can get your toes under it --then preload when you shift- this mite help--- I sometimes have trouble gettin into neutral- but I have an excuse---------------oldtimers --------

[Chrisj CMA]

I don't know where your shifter is ---but adjust it to where you can get your toes under it --then preload when you shift- this mite help--- I sometimes have trouble gettin into neutral- but I have an excuse---------------oldtimers --------

This may be just me, but I dont believe in that "pre-loading".  Im talking about the practice of applying upward pressure on the shifter BEFORE you are ready to shift then pull in the clutch and finish the shift thinking this will make a quicker smoother shift.  I cannot think of one reason this could help shifting, but I think it certainely can cause wear of the shifting parts in the transmission.  

The two things that made shifting butter smooth on my '97 was (as already mentioned) repositioning the shifter a click lower and then getting used to running up a bit more RPMS before shifting.  The Valkyrie likes shifting at higher RPMS.........you are going to ask what RPM....Im guessing 3500-4000, but Ill look on the way to church and report back

OK (after my morning ride).....I watched almost every shift.  A few were at lower rpms (2K or so) they were noticably not as smooth as any over 3K and most were somewhere between 3 and 5K with the majority as guessed before around 3500-4000rpms. 

Try it, youll like it

[Richythebluesman]

"Pre Loading" is a sure thing for causing your own problem. Some time ago a dude bragged on this board about "finding a new way" to shift his "new to him" valk .... that was no clutch use at all .... he rode around for a fulll day with a crap eating grin on his face because of his "new discovery" because the motor was so smooth and shifted so smooth .... then he wanted to share his new found joy and posted his discovery. Maybe you purchased his bike????
That may be a reason why the tranny is shifting hard and jumping out of gear.
Has the clutch fluid been changed?
Maybe you are not activating the shift lever with enough force after the clutch has been fully engaged.
If it dops into neutral from second it is usually because it was not shifted with enough pressure to fully move the shifter dog.
Just some suggestions.
Valks are decendants of the Goldwing, the epitome of realiability. Improper use and lack of maintenance will lead to issues.

[sidecarrick]

"Has the clutch fluid been changed?"
 
  That's what my Valk needed when I was having a bit of trouble finding neutral and shifting into 2nd. Made all the difference in the world.
 

[Ricky-D]

The problem listed smacks of a shift lever ill-positioned. 

There are index points marked on the mechanism to assure things are properly lined up.

Of course it's important to be able to inspect thoroughly to determine the cause of the problem.

Without being able to physically inspect the area, it is a "shot in the dark" as to the actual cause of the problem.

***

[Chiefy]

Keep it simple.  Check the level and condition of the clutch fluid before you do anything else.

[sandy]

All very good suggestions, but there's one more. Change the oil to a good quality synthetic oil. I use Mobil 1 without friction modifiers in it. If the back of the oil says "Energy Conserving" don't use it. It'll make the clutch slip.

[Doc Rogers]

Thanks for the ideas. I do tend to baby it in town and shift from 1st to 2nd at lower RPM's.

As for my oil, I just changed to Amsoil 10-40 about 1000 miles ago and have noticed no difference in the way it shifts.

The clutch fully engages with reasonably minimal pull so I doubt the clutch fluid is the issue. I will try changing my riding habits first. I have noticed that I do have to kick the peg up a bit higher than my last bike. SO I think there might be something to the shift position.

It's raining here now, so I'll report back in a couple of days when I have something to tell.

I have seen some really nice/hard to find kick-shifters and some pretty cheap kick-shifters that are easy to find. Are there any that you guys DON'T recommend? Or is anything better than stock?

[X Ring]

Rattlebars is the most popular and the easiest to set up.  Kury is the best looking and can be a pain to set up correctly.  Least popular is the MCE.  As to how it works, I wouldn't know.  I don't have any experience with it and don't know anyone running it.

Marty

[John U.]

The Rattlebars shifter is a well made item. Unfortunately it is out of production. You may have to be patient and vigilant, they come up on Ebay once in a while.