Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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.

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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.

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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:

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing 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.

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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 :))

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

Thats just a sequential gearbox for you then :)

"They all do that Sir"

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

I guess you learn something new every day :D

Case closed.

Cheers for the help.

Re: Help: 2nd to 1st gear changing problem
 

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.