Clutch Adjustment

[BergyPatty37]

I think adjusting it out to 1/4" turn instead of an 1/8" with resolve those issues. Sounds like its not dis-engaging all the way in my opinion. Same procedure otherwise if doing the adjustment.

 

[billyparham]

I think adjusting it out to 1/4" turn instead of an 1/8" with resolve those issues. Sounds like its not dis-engaging all the way in my opinion. Same procedure otherwise if doing the adjustment.

Taking it into the dealership I bought it from tomorrow and will see what they say. I'm hesitant to do the 1/4 turn before they see it because I want them to see/feel/hear what I am experiencing. I will report back. Thanks!

 

[BergyPatty37]

Good luck, let us know how you make out! I think it is smart just in case something more is going on to get it there.

 

[billyparham]

I'm hesitant to do the 1/4 turn before they see it because I want them to see/feel/hear what I am experiencing. I will report back. Thanks!

Turns out this didn't matter because the dealer could not recreate the issue...

I took the bike into the dealer and honestly dreaded the ride over. Sure enough, the whole way there was a nightmare. Shifting was rough, and I had trouble getting into 2nd and 3rd both up and down. The only way I could get it to change gears was to open the throttle just a bit. Of course, only when I was about a block away from the dealer did the problem seem to disappear.

They kept the bike for a full day and called me this afternoon to say they couldn’t find any issues during their test ride. They also lightly scolded me for doing the clutch adjustment wrong.

The guy I spoke to said they went ahead and did the adjustment correctly themselves, so I asked why they did that if they couldn’t recreate the issue in the first place. I didn’t really get an answer to that one.

He went on to tell me that it's probably because I have been shifting incorrectly. I pointed out that the problem didn’t start until around 150 miles in, and if I were shifting wrong this entire time, wouldn’t the problems I described show up way earlier? Again, no real answer, just an over-the-phone lesson on how to downshift.

I picked up the bike and rode it home with zero issues. In fact, the shifting felt crisper and smoother than ever. So, whether it was the clutch adjustment they made (despite not being able to reproduce the issue) or something else they quietly fixed, the bike’s running great for now.

Serious question: Am I shifting wrong? Or in other words, is there a way to shift the bike that could cause major issues? I always close the throttle between shifts. When downshifting, I rev just a bit when the shift lever is pushed all the way down, and then release the shift lever to achieve a smooth downshift. Also I only go down to first when I am at a stop or under 5mph and about to stop.

Thanks!
BP

 

[BergyPatty37]

Well at least it is running better. Its hard telling not knowing if they found something else or did an adjustment first before test riding. Some dealers will do repairs and state it was fine just to cover themselves, especially if the error was something that should have been repaired during the set-up portion the dealer does. Or if they don't want to have to do a whole tech writeup/work order in the system. Did they give you any slip or anything or just the phone call?

Sounds like you are shifting correctly, and if you haven't changed anything from the ride over to the ride back, then Im still betting that the clutch adjustment was the issue.
Keep riding it and see how it does over the next couple hundred miles before the first oil change.