Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem

[AndyL]

I seem to be having a problem with changing down gears from 2nd to 1st. It only seems to happen when I am in a high gear and I go to change down all the gears to get to 1st. Here is what happens:

1. Im riding along at say 60mph
2. I break (using front and back break) because Im coming to a blind junction and so have to stop.
3. I pull in the clutch (whilst still slowing down) using the breaks
4. I use the gear lever to change down one gear at a time (without releasing the clutch)
5. However when im in 2nd gear and try to change down to 1st gear, there is an awfull grinding noise and the bike go's into neutral, if I try to then go down to 1st (without releasing and then reapplying the clutch) the bike makes the same awfull grinding noise and still stays in neutral. The only way to get it to go into 1st seems to be to let the clutch out whilst in neutral and then reapply it and then push down on the gear lever again. Sometimes I have to release and reapply the clutch more than once before it works.

Any ideas as to what the problem could be? Is it serious (The grinding noise it makes worries the hell out of me)

My bike is a SV650S K8

Cheers for any help.

Andy

[Mr Speirs]

Sequential Gearboxes sometimes suffer small problems like this especially when you make many changes without engaging them. Normal practice is to change gear blip the throttle and let the clutch out and let engine braking help stop you too. I would normally have changed into 1st before the bike had stopped.

Anywho the gearboxes do stick occasionally and you should find if you apply slight pressure on the gear lever and slowly let the clutch out to biting point it should slip in okay.

Another thing to check is chain adjustment.

[SoulKiss]

Stop spamming the gear-changes.

Drop a gear (or two) disengage the clutch and let the engine do some of the braking for you.

Bike gear boxes prefer this.

Also, while the clutch is in you are in less control of the bike.

[petevtwin650]

Nice avatar Brittany. Taken at the weekend?

I think that there is some sort of safety device that makes it quite difficult to engage first when in motion. Or maybe not. :confused:

[AndyL]

Stop spamming the gear-changes.

Drop a gear (or two) disengage the clutch and let the engine do some of the braking for you.

Bike gear boxes prefer this.

Also, while the clutch is in you are in less control of the bike.

I dont mean I start to pull the clutch in whilst im at 60mph, lol. I know im not a great biker yet, but im not that bad :). I probably start to pull the clutch in when I get to approx 30 mph.

I will also start to only drop a couple of gears at a time if this is what is causing the problem

[SoulKiss]

I dont mean I start to pull the clutch in whilst im at 60mph, lol. I know im not a great biker yet, but im not that bad :). I probably start to pull the clutch in when I get to approx 30 mph.

I will also start to only drop a couple of gears at a time if this is what is causing the problem

If I read this right, you are riding at 60 then hit the brakes until 30 then worry about which gear you are in?

Instead of the brakes at 60, drop a gear and let the engine slow youm then drop another, then another.

If you are watching and reading the road correctly, your brakes should only really be used when you want/need to come to a stop.

[AndyL]

If I read this right, you are riding at 60 then hit the brakes until 30 then worry about which gear you are in?

Instead of the brakes at 60, drop a gear and let the engine slow youm then drop another, then another.

If you are watching and reading the road correctly, your brakes should only really be used when you want/need to come to a stop.

Normally i do let the engine breaking slow me down.

However this problem only seems to occur when changing down multiple gears at the same time (i.e. when im trying to break hard using the breaks, because engine breaking wouldnt slow me down quickly enough, basically when im in a rush :))

[SoulKiss]

Normally i do let the engine breaking slow me down.

However this problem only seems to occur when changing down multiple gears at the same time (i.e. when im trying to break hard using the breaks, because engine breaking wouldnt slow me down quickly enough, basically when im in a rush :))

Thats just a sequential gearbox for you then :)

"They all do that Sir"

[AndyL]

Thats just a sequential gearbox for you then :)

"They all do that Sir"


I guess you learn something new every day :D

Case closed.

Cheers for the help.

[Dave20046]

Do as soulkiss has said. Make more use of the sv's engin braking and enjoy it, I often go for a ride and come back and my disks are cold (probably means I'm not riding hard enough infact but meh). Loads of bikes do as you described my previous cbr was a sod for it.

[SoulKiss]

Do as soulkiss has said. Make more use of the sv's engin braking and enjoy it, I often go for a ride and come back and my disks are cold (probably means I'm not riding hard enough infact but meh). Loads of bikes do as you described my previous cbr was a sod for it.

Thanks for that :)

When I learned to drive a car, my Dad taught me about not using the breaks - the idea was to have a smooth a ride as possibly and not use the breaks if avoidable.

Not quite up to a cup of water on the dashboard stuff, but fun.

What it REALLY trained was observation - you need to be looking and planning ahead enough to be able to adjust your speed with just the accelerator and gears.

Smooth and Controlled is the way to ride your bike, by using the box the way it is designed to be used - one gear at a time - you will achieve this.

Thats not to say that I ride that way all the time however...... :) (the Z750 doesn't complain too much about doing 1st to 6th @ 30mph if you dont loose too much speed).

[Dave20046]

When I learned to drive a car, my Dad taught me about not using the breaks - the idea was to have a smooth a ride as possibly and not use the breaks if avoidable.

Not quite up to a cup of water on the dashboard stuff, but fun.

What it REALLY trained was observation - you need to be looking and planning ahead enough to be able to adjust your speed with just the accelerator and gears.
.
Exactly what the IAM :silent: learn you - it makes for a nice, smooth calm collected drive. Simialar to what I do on a bike, but less cause you can sacrifice a bit of this for much more progress on a bike so it makes it worth it...and a bit more fun. Going into corners etc. on the sv I don't use the brake a whole load. (possibly cause I'm tight and don't want to splash out on pads :p:p)

[petevtwin650]

Thanks for that :)

When I learned to drive a car, my Dad taught me about not using the breaks - the idea was to have a smooth a ride as possibly and not use the breaks if avoidable.

Not quite up to a cup of water on the dashboard stuff, but fun.


David, see me after school! :)

Not like you at all. :cool:

[Dave20046]

Now who's king of the pedants SoulKiss? :p

[SoulKiss]

David, see me after school! :)

Not like you at all. :cool:

LOL - BUSTED :)

erm I mean I only did it to see if you were watching......

erm I mean that will teach me to write about brakes while writing code using SWITCH/CASE constructs :)

[vardypeeps]

I'm guessing your braking from 60 and changing down the gears? If so your probley going too fast for the gear to engage properly.
As already stated it's best to use engine breaking also and do one/two gears at a time

[sinbad]

Check chain and clutch adjustment, check oil level, but there's no benefit to making "banks" of gearchanges (unless you're so hard on some amazing brakes that there's only time to do that), and as said, sequential gearboxes don't always like it.

If you're doing 60 in normal riding, in 5th gear let's say, then down to 4th as soon as you start to slow, and then 3rd once you've lost 15 or so mph, then 2nd at 25ish, and then 1st if you know you're coming to a stop or a very low speed - 2nd will do most of time if you're not going to be putting a foot down, it's still quite short. That way you keep better track of which gear you're in, you can pick speed back up at any time easily, and you get the sound and benefit of the excellent engine braking, it helps if you rev match too of course.

[Webber]

Sorry to bring back an old thread, but beats making a new one.

Just a quick question as my bike does the same, now i know why its doing it (dropping too many gears at once) will the grinding noise be really bad for the gear box if it does happen now and then? Cant imagine any grinding noise is a good one!

[beabert]

Do as soulkiss has said. Make more use of the sv's engin braking and enjoy it, I often go for a ride and come back and my disks are cold (probably means I'm not riding hard enough infact but meh). Loads of bikes do as you described my previous cbr was a sod for it.

More worrying is you check you disc temp after ever ride lol