First gear problem

[Dakkine2]

It's a good possibility that the one I recieved came off of an '05 1000. I'll measure my buddies tommorrow and let you know.

 

[drumminman]

Sorry man but this isn't like any other motorcycle I have ever ridden and I have ridden a lot of them. No amount of rpm matching seems to help. If it was just clunking going into first I would be fine but this thing just refuses to go into gear. No grinding or nothing. I am getting pretty frustrated with it. Riding in traffic is a crap shoot whether you can get it back into first so I wind up jamming it in second and slipping the clutch a bit. The thing hasn't been raced or abused or I would suspect a bent shift fork or something. I was even starting to suspect my oil. I may drain it this weekend just to take a look see at what falls out.

Sorry folks just a bit frustrated right now.

I am not talking about rpm matching.  I am talking about just letting the clutch out just a little and the bike will drop into gear.  Don't rev it at all, leave it at idle.  

Don

What he's saying works.  And it also works in my Saturn as well  

It works for me too. Sometimes the gears don't quite align when you're stopped, and if you let the clutch out just a little, just enough to feel the bike start to pull, then pull it back in it'll shift right into first.

It doesn't happen often with me, but I've used this technique with every bike I've owned.

 

[Revlis]

Glad you got it handled Biggy, Was starting to wonder just WTF was wrong, never heard of a Busa refusing to shift in to 1st, I mean flat out refusing anyway.

 

[bigoltool]

Glad you got it handled Biggy, Was starting to wonder just WTF was wrong, never heard of a Busa refusing to shift in to 1st, I mean flat out refusing anyway.  

It was kicking my a$$ too until I found the linkage loose. I raised it up slightly and locked everything down and now it shifts (everywhere, not just first) like new! But I need to get it lower. I am going to try and rotate it one tooth on the shift shaft and see if it helps. I stopped at Smokey Point Cycle Barn and talked to them about getting a slightly longer shift rod but all of their catalogs were a mystery. Tucker Rocky doesn't even list Suzuki's for the Pro-bolt shift rod??? Chaparral lists the Pro-bolt rods on their website but every one I clicked on was unavailable. If I knew the GSXR1000 rod was close I would order one up.

 

[Dakkine2]

The stock shift rod is 5 1/2" and the new one I'm using is 5 7/8". It's just enough to lower your shift lever without having only having one or two threads in.

 

[bigoltool]

The stock shift rod is 5 1/2" and the new one I'm using is 5 7/8". It's just enough to lower your shift lever without having only having one or two threads in.

Thanks for measuring it! I would think the extra 3/8" would be just about right. Now to find one.

 

[bigoltool]

Wow, 15 years later and the exact same thing happened again yesterday! Had to resurrect my own thread.

Rear lock nut loosened up and bike absolutely refuses to go into first gear while underway, I was in a hurry so rode home from work using 2nd gear at all of the many stops I encounter in my commute. Luckily an easy fix. Tightened the locknuts on the linkage and then I noticed that it was actually contacting the kickstand, limiting shifter travel, so I shimmed out the kickstand with rubber fuel line, a few zip ties and some shrink wrap to clear. Then realized the side-stand safety switch wasn't fully engaging, so bent the engagement tab a little to fix that. The main problem is that with me being 6'4" and the Buell pegs I have, the shifter sets so low that it winds up being a little tight in that area. Just happens to be enough to not allow that last downshift. All good now. Any other tall folk ever run into this one?

 

[GIXERHP]

I have the same problem. It's not every time, but I've been at a few lights trying to kick it into first and it just won't go. I've got 1500 miles on him, and had the dealer do the 600 mile service.

The 5th to 6th I've had before, but was told "Shift it like ya mean it" and now I do, andI've not had a problem ,with that since.

I'll be watching this thread to see if any one else responds.

Correct on the 5 6 shift.

 

[Bumblebee]

Wow, 15 years later and the exact same thing happened again yesterday! Had to resurrect my own thread.

Rear lock nut loosened up and bike absolutely refuses to go into first gear while underway, I was in a hurry so rode home from work using 2nd gear at all of the many stops I encounter in my commute. Luckily an easy fix. Tightened the locknuts on the linkage and then I noticed that it was actually contacting the kickstand, limiting shifter travel, so I shimmed out the kickstand with rubber fuel line, a few zip ties and some shrink wrap to clear. Then realized the side-stand safety switch wasn't fully engaging, so bent the engagement tab a little to fix that. The main problem is that with me being 6'4" and the Buell pegs I have, the shifter sets so low that it winds up being a little tight in that area. Just happens to be enough to not allow that last downshift. All good now. Any other tall folk ever run into this one?View attachment 1637266

Glad it was an "easy" fix..

In relation to your original post the hard shift to first while coming to a stop is pretty common...almost all my Suzukis had this including my early '80s bikes...

 

[bigoltool]

Glad it was an "easy" fix..

In relation to your original post the hard shift to first while coming to a stop is pretty common...almost all my Suzukis had this including my early '80s bikes...

Not a hard shift, it just flat wont go into first gear at all!

 

[Bumblebee]

Not a hard shift, it just flat wont go into first gear at all!

I have had either a hard shift to 1st or not at all...

Always at low rpms and always coming to a stop...even my oil burners had this...I'd have to stop and wiggle around with the clutch while at the same time trying to get it to shift to first...

Don't know why they did that....

I've had this happen a couple times on the Bumblebee

 

[bigoltool]

I have had either a hard shift to 1st or not at all...

Always at low rpms and always coming to a stop...even my oil burners had this...I'd have to stop and wiggle around with the clutch while at the same time trying to get it to shift to first...

Don't know why they did that....

I've had this happen a couple times on the Bumblebee

The problem is the kickstand interference in my case. When the locknut backed off it allows the shifter to travel further and hit the stand. Easy fix, but a pain for sure.

 

[Bumblebee]

The problem is the kickstand interference in my case. When the locknut backed off it allows the shifter to travel further and hit the stand. Easy fix, but a pain for sure.

Was that the issue in your first post regarding this?

 

[bigoltool]

Was that the issue in your first post regarding this?

Yeah, same damn thing.

 

[Dopey]

Yeah, same damn thing.

So I wanna know did you have the special made wrench still in your tool kit???

 

[bigoltool]

So I wanna know did you have the special made wrench still in your tool kit???

Sure did. Honestly I have a 10mm flare nut wrench that also works but the custom one is thinner, so easier to get in there.

 

[RetBaron]

Every time this happened to me, after double clutching it clunks and 1st° is there.

 

[Bumblebee]

Oddly enough after reporting on this my bike hasn't done it since....(knock on wood).