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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
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Message started by mmosel on 07/22/11 at 02:45:57

Title: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by mmosel on 07/22/11 at 02:45:57

Ok, first of all, my bike doesn't shift cleanly into 2nd. Never really has. Occasionally I'll get a clean shift, but it's rare. Is this adjustable at all? Any tips?

Also, I'm thinking of picking up a spare OEM seat and then using that to chop into a bobber style single. Any thoughts on this, since the base is plastic? Common or is that fail waiting to happen?

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/22/11 at 03:46:52

I cant envision success with hacking on that seat. Id think buying the right seat would be a lot easier answer. &, FWIW, Ill try my hand at building about anything,,that just doesnt sound like a winning project.

What do you mean "Clean shift"?

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by mmosel on 07/22/11 at 04:16:27

Thanks for your thoughts on the seat mod idea.

Umm, as for clean shift. You know, either it clicks right into gear cleanly, or it grinds a little. I'm a pretty good shifter, but going from 1 to 2 always seems to catch or grind just a tad bit and it's annoying and worries me a bit as well.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/22/11 at 04:38:11

Timing the "throttle off" with the clutch & toe is pretty much the thing, IMO, Unless you straight up need to adjust something, but, if its shifting smoothly thru the other gears, it wouldnt seem like thats the problem,
The RPM drop between 1st & 2nd is pretty big, Makes shifting w/o the clutch really tricky, all the others can be shifted w/o clutch real easy,
Im leaning more toward a technique issue than a something needs fixed kinda thing. It can be a bit grunchy if its not done just so.
If you want to learn to shift w/o clutch, & I think it helps shifting with the clutch to know it, then practice between 4th & 5th, where the torque is limited & drive line lurch is minimized.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by spacepirates on 07/22/11 at 06:31:14

Do you keep your toe pushed up on the shifter as you let the clutch out?

I had a problem a while back where hard acceleration would make 2nd gear grind a bit and fall back into neutral. Changing my shifting style to this helped fix that problem.

If I remember correctly, continually holding up on the shifter while you let the clutch out helps the gears engage better? more accurately? I dunno, but it helps.

Try that for a bit and maybe that will help. Every once in a while I'll still feel the shifter bump up as I let the clutch out, like it wasn't perfectly engaged yet, but overall my 2nd gear feels much better.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by Trippah on 07/22/11 at 06:50:40

and I find if I shift it as soon as I start rolling (get my feet up and in position) that helps a bit..some like to use 1st gear a long time..I am not in that camp. Actually, unless I've come to a traffic light I'll "abuse" second a bit, it's easier. :D :D

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by drums1 on 07/22/11 at 06:59:40

I have a hard time shifting from 1st to 2nd also. Lots of the time, it just won't go into 2nd unless I double clutch. Look real silly revving it up in neutral. All the other gears seem to go OK, either up or downshifting. It's an '87 and has done this since the day I got it running. New clutch didn't seem to make it any better or worse. I think it's just the nature of the beast.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by SoE on 07/22/11 at 07:03:52

You can adjust your clutch tension and it may help. If you have straight or flat bars up front it seems to make it want to find neutral instead of 2nd.
I *think* its b/c the pull is too deep with these bars and your hand angle. I've had two Savages. The first had flat bars and this was always a problem. The second Savage had bucks and it shifted just fine until I put broomsticks on it. Then it started, so I messed with the clutch lever adjustment until it stopped. I basically made it engage a little easier.

About the seat. The seat on my bike is the stock base. I didn't mod it myself but it obviously works:
http://sonofelvis.com/suzuki/IMAG0174.jpg

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by tixin on 07/22/11 at 07:12:50

I kept hearing about shifting w/o clutch, both in a car and a motorcycle, but have never understand the concept! Tried it on my Vette a couple times, and the grinding deterred me from trying it a third time. I suppose it is a handy thing to learn on a bike so, JOG, please teach a newbie how to do it.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by spacepirates on 07/22/11 at 07:21:58

5C41504146280 wrote:

I might not be JoG, but how I do it is flick my wrist forward and back (so, to no throttle and then add throttle) while I apply gentle upward pressure on the shifter, with a little nudge when I go off throttle. With just that little bit of pressure, once I get back on the throttle it kicks in gear. Not too much throttle now, mind you, you don't want to take off.

it is also easier in higher gears (so try it from 2nd to 3rd or something), 1st to 2nd is a bit jumpy. downshifting without a clutch is harder. For the record, I've never been able to do this in my car either, but on the bike, it ain't bad.

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by mmosel on 07/22/11 at 17:13:58

Thanks for all of your feedback with the shifting issue. Seems like it's a common thing on these bikes. It seems to be different based on how fast I'm going, or more importantly, how many RPMS the engine is doing when I try to shift.

SoE, I like the look of your bike. Nice and clean, understated. The seat looks great. Is that the stock rear fender chopped, or?

Title: Re: Shifting into 2nd & Original seat mod on 05'
Post by Serowbot on 07/22/11 at 18:03:03

3D20312027490 wrote:

On a bike,.. upshifts without a clutch are easy... just click up,... the trick is finding the right throttle position to do it smoothly...

... on a car with a syncromesh transmission,.. it won't slide in, unless you match the rpm's perfectly... and it's very hard to do 1 to 2nd...
3rd to 4th, or 4th to 5th,... just put gentle pressure on the the stick, and vary the throttle up and down a bit... when they mesh, the stick will just slide in...
This is not a good practice for everyday driving... in a car...
On a bike, it's fine for upshifts, can be hard on the tranny for downshifts, unless you are very good at it...