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Difficult to shift from 1st to N

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scratcher09
  • Start date Start date
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Scratcher09

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My '81 GS1100 is becoming difficult to shift from 1st to neutral when at a complete stop. If I am moving it is no problem. If the motor is off it is no problem. It is only a problem when I am at a complete stop with the motor on. Any ideas?
 
Scratcher09 said:
My '81 GS1100 is becoming difficult to shift from 1st to neutral when at a complete stop. If I am moving it is no problem. If the motor is off it is no problem. It is only a problem when I am at a complete stop with the motor on. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Nothing really wrong there, pretty normal if the bike is still running, my 80 750E is like that. Takes a light touch to get it into neutral from 1st gear or 2nd gear. Though like blowerbike said, check your adjustment, might need a little.
 
This topic has been talked about many time on the site. I seem to remember someone talking about a spring in behind the clutch basket that they stretched out and it solved the issue, but don't quote me on that. I'm sure you can find the thread with a bit of searching. My 1000G does the exact same thing, haven't bothered to deal with it yet.
 
This is something that happened from one day to the next. One day it shifted fine, the next I have this problem. And it is not only difficult, but impossible to shift from 1st to N at a complete stop with the motor running. I'm going to adjust the clutch today and report back.
 
Don't forget, when the motor is running so is the gear from the crank to the transmission, some times it depends where the gear set rotation is at the time trying to shift it into neutral. I find if you slightly release the clutch or dog pedal the bike a few inches it will slip in no problem. When the motor is off, there is no (for the lack of a better term) there is no load on the transmission. Just one of those quirks, I bet'cha anything alot of other bikes/brands do the same thing. I do know one thing, it can be a sign the clutch plates are getting a bit worn and won't totally release. After 30 years of riding, one gets to know this lol.
 
I had an 821100e that would hang up downshifting (only at idle) and have to lift the lever back up with my foot. I bought a very expensive spring (available if you need it) and ended up figuring out that it was just rust on the post that the lever rides on. Took off the lever, cleaned and oiled the post/pin and it cured the symptoms.
 
Did you change the oil? Wrong grade or type of oil might induce transmission drag when the clutch is pulled in even if it is correctly adjusted and the plates and springs are within tolerance.

For me it tends to only happen when the bike is hot or very hot. Never happens in the winter in the UK.

Although you would expect that hotter engine oil would tend to be "thinner" and cause less drag?

I don't know anything about viscosity but I did read that these clutches prefer old style oil which probably means non-synthetic. Do your own research on this.

Greetings
 
Warped clutch plates can cause this issue.
 
I had time to look at it today. I immediately noticed the adjustment on the clutch lever was loose and freely moving. I adjusted the clutch and made sure to tighten it down. Problem solved. Shifts easily from 1st to N at a complete stop.
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Okay then, bikes fixed by simple cable tightening. What about more complicated maintenance tasks like valve adjustment?
 
I adjusted the valves when I had the motor out. It runs well. I put a lot of hours into this bike--did everything myself.
 
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