weird shifting problem GS1100L

[Anonymous]

I'm (hopefully) just about done with the 1980 GS1100L I've been working on, but a new problem popped up.

The bike is really hard to shift, particularly between 1 and 2, and sometimes between 2 and 3, never between 3, 4, and 5.

I replaced the original cable with an OEM cable. I've tried several adjustments on the cable, and sometimes it works better, but then the problem comes back. If I have too much free play, the bike will kill when shifting from neutral to 1, and if it's too tight, the shifting problem is even worse. Right now it's just about right based on the Clymer manual.

I'm running 10w40 Castrol GTX oil in it, changed a week ago, and I replaced the petcock, so there shouldn't be gas in the oil. (there didn't appear to be when I changed it, but better safe than sorry).

When I got the bike a few months ago, I don't remember this being a problem, but it ran so poorly then, I can't remember.

I'm thinking about trying either a thinner dino oil, or a synthetic, before I tear into the clutch (which I really don't want to do, after all the work I've already done).

Any ideas? I've read all the shifting related threads here...

[earlfor]

If at any time, there has been enough gas in the crankcase oil to saturate the clutch disks, they will stick no matter how many times you change oil or what kind of oil you use. I had that problem with my bike when I got it. 1st to 2nd was extremely difficult. I replaced the clutch linings, (have to change oil anyway to do that) and the problem (two years later) has never happened again. Shifts smooth and nice now......always. :-)

Earl

[nabrams]

Hey, I've got the same problem but not as aggravated as you describe.
I have difficulty getting the bike into first gear when I'm at a full stop, and shifting from first into second requires quite a bit of force sometimes. Also, downshifting from third to second sometimes doesn't quite work - the gear indicator says 2 but the bike acts like it's in neutral.
But here's the real kicker: All of the above problems are intermittent - 50 percent of the time it shifts just fine.
It seems quite a few of us have these problems. Like you, I'm really reluctant to tear apart the clutch when that might not be the problem at all. My wrenching time is severely limited, so I've got to choose just those things that are almost certainly going to result in a noticeable improvement.
If you try synthetic oil, please let me know what difference it made, if any.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Hey, I've got the same problem but not as aggravated as you describe.
I have difficulty getting the bike into first gear when I'm at a full stop, and shifting from first into second requires quite a bit of force sometimes. Also, downshifting from third to second sometimes doesn't quite work - the gear indicator says 2 but the bike acts like it's in neutral.
But here's the real kicker: All of the above problems are intermittent - 50 percent of the time it shifts just fine.
It seems quite a few of us have these problems. Like you, I'm really reluctant to tear apart the clutch when that might not be the problem at all. My wrenching time is severely limited, so I've got to choose just those things that are almost certainly going to result in a noticeable improvement.
If you try synthetic oil, please let me know what difference it made, if any.
Thanks

I spoke to a friend this evening who knows a lot more about bikes than I do - he just finished rebuilding an old Norton from the ground up. He said that if it is contaminated clutch plates (I hope not) I can probably clean them up, and they'll be fine. The thing I don't understand, is that it's only between 1,2 and sometimes 3 - if the plates were contaminated, wouldn't they all be messed up?

I'm just so frustrated at this point - everything's all back together, and ready to go, and now this. Granted, I have my other bike that I ride every day, but I really wanted to do the restoration on this one myself - uggh.

[Anonymous]

I spoke to a friend this evening who knows a lot more about bikes than I do - he just finished rebuilding an old Norton from the ground up. He said that if it is contaminated clutch plates (I hope not) I can probably clean them up, and they'll be fine. The thing I don't understand, is that it's only between 1,2 and sometimes 3 - if the plates were contaminated, wouldn't they all be messed up?

I'm just so frustrated at this point - everything's all back together, and ready to go, and now this. Granted, I have my other bike that I ride every day, but I really wanted to do the restoration on this one myself - uggh.

If you don't mind a guess from an art major, I'd say that the reason 1-2 and 2-3 are hard shifts is the gear ratios. The difference between 1 and 2 is great. I'm not looking at the numbers but it's probably something like 75%. Two to three is less, probably 40%. After that the gears are closer together, and the less difference makes less work for the halfway-working clutch.

Frustrated? Yeah, that happens. Let it go for a bit. Unfocus. Go for a walk or something. Find something beautiful and watch it. If you don't know how to just let go and relax, you should learn. It's a very valuable life skill.

Michael

[Anonymous]

today's test

I swapped the oil out for Mobil 1, and I dialed down the idle from about 1800 to 1000. It helped, but it still shifted hard about 1/2 of the time.

The clutch has to be engaging, because I can roll the bike with it pulled in.

Then, by accident, I figured something out. If I time it so I upshift at exactly the right moment when I pull in the clutch, it shifts smoothly. It's a little tough to time it, but it does work. Any ideas why THAT would happen?

[Anonymous]

Re: today's test

I swapped the oil out for Mobil 1, and I dialed down the idle from about 1800 to 1000. It helped, but it still shifted hard about 1/2 of the time.

The clutch has to be engaging, because I can roll the bike with it pulled in.

Then, by accident, I figured something out. If I time it so I upshift at exactly the right moment when I pull in the clutch, it shifts smoothly. It's a little tough to time it, but it does work. Any ideas why THAT would happen?

That is the ideal shift. You can actually shift without the clutch at all that way. It's called powershifting. You rev it up a bit then suddenly drop the throttle and at the same time hit the shifter. Get on the throttle again to keep from jerking. It takes quite a bit of finesse to make it smooth on the high-power bikes, but it can certainly be done. Takes 0.2 seconds when done right. Good racing technique. (unless you've got a cheat-shifter! )

Try this: When the shifting trouble happens, have your revs dropped while you have the clutch in? If you are revving at 7K, pull the clutch, let the engine drop to 2K, then try to move the shifter. It'll make a nasty gnoise as though something's bouncing and skipping inside the engine. If so, I have the same trouble. I figure it's too much difference between the 2K that the engine is running and the 7K that the drive is trying to run. I wonder if I'm also having a clutch problem..? I though that was just how it worked...

Michael

[Anonymous]

It's not like any other bike I've ridden to do that, but I suppose it's serviceable until I can get into the clutch...

I just need to do the fork seals now...

[Dink]

When my 1150 gets stiff between 1-2 I know it is time to adjust the drive chain.
Dink

[Anonymous]

When my 1150 gets stiff between 1-2 I know it is time to adjust the drive chain.
Dink

That might just be it as well. The chain is a little tight, and it's one of the few things I haven't done on the bike yet.

[Anonymous]

Except I have the same problem with my GS1000 GL.

Don't know exactly what it is, but it does worry me. I've also twice had a problem where I get stuck in a "no man's land" between 4th and 5th where I literally have to stop the bike to shift any direction. If the bike isn't stopped, it just grinds when you touch the shifter. Odd.

[Anonymous]

Frustrated? Yeah, that happens. Let it go for a bit. Unfocus. Go for a walk or something. Find something beautiful and watch it. If you don't know how to just let go and relax, you should learn. It's a very valuable life skill.

Michael

Sounds Pirsig-esque