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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> I can't find 5th gear.
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Message started by beck on 06/22/09 at 21:19:18

Title: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by beck on 06/22/09 at 21:19:18

Thanks to you guys I rebuilt what was necessary on my Savage last fall. Due to lack of time I just have not been able to do any ridding. The bike had gone around the block a few times but that was it. Tonight I took it for a little highway trip. I can't find 5th gear. It's a '97 so it is there. I read a post from 7-08 about guys having an indeffinate feel to that shift. I really don't think mine is going. When in 4th and trying to make the shift to 5th the shifter does move some, but I don't hear the rpm change at all. If I try to upshift again the shifter will not move.
On another post I see a lot of you cannot get the shift from neutral to 1st when at a stop. That is an easy shift on my bike. It will shift in every time with little pressure and no messing with the clutch engagement.
This all makes me think something is a bit out of whack on my bike. Is there some easy adjustment here? What am I missing? I need to take away some of the shifting ease on 1st gear to gain it on 5th.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by verslagen1 on 06/22/09 at 21:40:32

clymer says to mark the shift lever when you take it off the shaft.
And I had trouble until I moved it a couple of splines
(oh you're supposed to read the manual before you take it apart? nah)
It might have to be centered for it to work right all thru the gears.
Move it a couple of splines and see how it works.
And readjust the lever so you can get you foot under it again.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by AngloSaxon on 06/23/09 at 07:35:40

Ah, the joy of owning an '87, no fifth gear to worry about, no jets to worry about, pure bliss. I had mine on the turnpike the other day doing 65 in third and 85 in forth with half the throttle still to go. You've just got to love these old girls.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by ALfromN.H. on 06/23/09 at 18:00:13

I can never seem to find 6th on mine. :-?

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by yumi on 06/23/09 at 18:05:08

2429272773450 wrote:

I can never seem to find 6th on mine. :-?

Hell, where's reverse? ;)

Besk of luck, beck.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by beck on 06/23/09 at 19:15:15

I played with the bike for just a bit in the garage tonight. Everything seemed to work just great as long as I was rocking it back and forth so the gears would mesh. I decided to take it for a little spin and try something. It likes the 4th to 5th shift without a clutch. It goes in every time. Since this is a new bike to me I could have just "thought" I was having a problem. My last bike was a big cube HD. I am not used to something turning higher rpm.
Anyway before I couldn't find 5th gear, but now I found it. Maybe it wasn't lost at all.
Thanks again everyone for your help and support.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by Digger on 06/23/09 at 21:09:43

beck,

On mine (see signature), 4th and 5th are pretty close to each other, ratio-wise.

Maybe you were getting into 5th all along but were expecting a more drastic change from 4th.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by BurnPgh on 06/23/09 at 23:15:46

5th is tricky on my and my buddies '95. The guy who sold my buddy his bike insisted it was a 4 speed. Seems he spent 9k mi never hitting 5th. Pull in the clutch lever, apply upward pressure on the shift lever, let the clutch lever out just a bit. You'll feel the shift lever click into 5th. There you go. On my bike this procedure doesnt seem necessary at or above 60-65mph in 4th.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by bill67 on 06/24/09 at 04:27:54

Synthetic oil makes them shift a little easier.

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by Pabst 2006 on 06/28/09 at 05:30:50

Mine is an '08, does the same thing as BurnPgh's. Needs a little "persuasion" when shifting into 5th.

-Pabst

Title: Re: I can't find 5th gear.
Post by Airmav on 06/28/09 at 07:45:16

I find 4th and 5th easier if i do not use the clutch