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A shifting and oil thread.

20K views 33 replies 15 participants last post by  Terryjones 
#1 ·
My '05 is occasionally hard to downshift. I'll attempt to execute a downshift with "normal" pressure, and the shift lever won't move. I'll retry and it will move, albeit not very easily. My downshift technique is clutch in, downshift, rev match, clutch out. (Executed quickly enough that the steps overlap a little.) I've found that the Strip will downshift more easily if I change my technique to clutch in, rev match, downshift, clutch out. It feels like the transmission is still loaded when I'm downshifting, like maybe the clutch plates aren't fully disengaging. The thing is that the clutch doesn't seem to drag at all--when stopped, the idle is the same with the clutch in and the trans in first as it is when the clutch is out and the trans is in neutral. The clutch lever is adjusted with an appropriate amount of free play and the clutch engages normally, midway through the travel.

I rode the bike for a couple hundred miles before I bought it from a riding buddy. During that time, I don't remember the Strip ever being grouchy about shifting and neither does the previous owner. The bike had ~8K miles on it then, and it's got about 1K more on it now. What's changed since then:
--Got the bike in early Spring, now it's mid summer. Ambient temps have gone from in the 70s to in the 100s.
--Changed the rear tire myself. (The shifting was the same before and after the tire change.)
--Changed the oil. (Switched from Brand X over-the-counter motorcycle semi-syn to Brand Y mail-ordered motorcycle synthetic boutique oil. I use Brand Y in all of my other bikes with great results. The oil level may be a tiny bit high--I need to check.)
--Changed the coolant. (Had no effect on shifting.)

The only thing I can think of that could affect shifting is the oil. I changed it right after I got the bike. I don't specifically remember when the shifting got groucy, but it happened at some point after I got the bike. I am thinking about switching back to Brand X, which the previous owner swears by, but was hesitant to dump out $50 of Brand Y oil and filter well before its time has come.

Is it common or likely for the type of oil to have a noticeable effect on shift quality in Speed Triples? Or is there potentially something else I should look into?
 
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#3 ·
Myself and a few others on here use shifting smoothness as an indication of when to change oil. I think if you are using a good synthetic in the W40 range it should be OK. I know my bike likes a firm toe when shifting. Have you looked at the shifter linkage? Lots of people complain about that. Lots of threads about it as well if you do a search. Good luck!
 
#4 ·
This is the order I would check things:

1. Drive chain. It has to be loose, really loose, scary loose.(like 2doggs). If mine isn't, then my bike shifts clunky no matter what.

2. The factory linkage. If you are still using the factory setup vs the sunline, check the little joints at the ends on the linkage. They become loose and cause issues.

3. Engine oil. If it has been awhile, change it out, she likes it fresh(like 2doggs)
 
#6 ·
The chain looks pretty loose--about at the point where, if I was a bit more diligent, I would have already tightened it.

I'm using some Chinese EBay rearsets made by Arashi. Problem doesn't appear to have changed from when I had the stock rearsets.

The Brand Y oil is only a few months and less than a thousand miles old.
 
#5 ·
I don't know what brand x or y are, but I will tell you that Motul 300V seems better for shifting when compared to the mobil 1 factory shit.
 
#7 ·
Funny, I used to use Mobil1 15w50 before I switched to Brand Y (trying not to make this too much of an oil thread) and it seemed to be fine aside from shearing out of grade pretty quickly. That's not the Brand X that was in the Triple before I got it though.
 
#9 ·
What's the proper procedure for checking the oil? The manual first states to screw the dipstick fully home, which shows up as just barely above the full line.

Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Hood Automotive design Amber


But right after that it says to fully PUSH the dipstick home. That's what I'm used to doing on most bikes and it shows up as just a little above the add line.

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Which method is correct? (yes I have the bike upright when checking.)
 
#16 ·
That's what I keep telling her, but she claims that cost extra.
 
#12 ·
you are little high on oil, but not much. I usually check the oil by not screwing the dipstick in. I just dip it and if the tip gets oil, the oil level is correct, it's the same as max when the stick is screwed in. So it's much faster to check it like that.

I have noticed that easiest way to match the revs in speedy is to keep steady throttle, pull in the clutch, change to lower, release the clutch. As you are keeping the throttle steady, it causes the revs to climb when clutch is pulled and the lower gear usually matches that pretty closely. It's very smooth when you get the method down. But that doesn't work at the track, best in normal town or other driving.

with this method you first change down, then slow down. again and again. Usually people do it another way around, slow down, then change down. over and over again.

JT
 
#13 ·
When I rev match with other bikes, the intent is to make sure that the engine speed matches rear wheel speed when the clutch is re-engaged, letting the synchros take care of getting the gears meshed. With the Triple, I rev match so that the transmission will be at the right speed when I re-engage the clutch. it's like the synchros aren't doing their job, at least not well. Is that comparable to what you're experiencing, Jaket?
 
#14 ·
There is no syncros in these. Its constant mesh gearbox. It just releases the side cogs from one gear and slams the next in. Synch is not needed as 'gears' dont need to be changed. Only change is which gear is connected to the shaft.

When you release the cluth the new gear is already active. You just need to match the engine to the rear wheel with this new gear.
 
#17 ·
I recently had growling noises coming from the clutch. I got it apart and noticed that the clutch pull rod had been blued by the heat of engaging (aren't we all blued by the heat of engaging?). It was also a little out of round. As it turns out, the original part has been superseded. The new part (since installed) has more surface area where it engages the pressure plate. It also looks to be made of or coated with a different material. This may be the issue for you. My bike is an '07.

Part was $40, gaskets $30.

BTW, I use the recommended Castrol.

Zip
 
#19 ·
I recently had growling noises coming from the clutch. I got it apart and noticed that the clutch pull rod had been blued by the heat of engaging (
Interesting. Were you noticing any shift quality issues that were resolved after replacing the "clutch pull rod"?
 
#20 ·
Someone said something about adjusting the clutch cable at the clutch cover. I didn't think there was any adjustment to be made there, just at the lever. Anyone able to elaborate?
 
#21 ·
I installed a replacement set of rearsets and shifting was still pretty stiff. Then I moved the shift nub from the spot closest to the peg to the middle spot. Shift feel has improved significantly, presumably from the greater leverage. I had chosen the closest-to-the-peg spot hoping to keep shift travel short to minimize missed shifts but perhaps that wasn't the best setting.
 
#23 ·
Yesterday, the shifting felt better. Today, somewhat recalcitrant again.

Probably gonna put the shifter peg into the farthest spot for maximum leverage and see what happens. If no significant improvement, I'll try the Brand X 10w40 again.
 
#26 ·
Considering that the recommended oil is 15w50 and considering that Mobil doesn't make a 10w30 motorcycle oil, you screwed up doubly.

I prefer 10w40 (flows better cold than 15wt but almost as thick as 50wt when hot) but 10w30 is definitely too thin.

Get your bike some 10w40 or 15w50 semi or full syn motorcycle-specific oil.
 
#25 ·
15w-50 is better than any 10w-30

Go for 15w. I have always used it.
 
#28 ·
I used to run Mobil 10w-40 Racing 4T. It shifted like shit and always has the "grind of death and clunk'" and missed gears when running it hard. I switch to Mobil 20w-50 Vtwin and its much better. No more missed grinding clunks and much smother shifting. -40w oil never again.
 
#30 ·
The problem with 10w50 is that the viscosity improvers needed to achieve that 40 point viscosity spread mean that the oil will shear out of grade more quickly than an oil with a smaller viscosity spread.

Unless you plan on changing your oil a lot more frequently than the factory recommends (like a couple thousand miles), then you'd be better off with a 10w40 or 20w50 that is better suited to the ambient temp in which you ride.
 
#33 ·
A belated followup--I resolved the issue. It was partly due to the bolt on the rearset that goes through the shifter and into the peg getting a little loose and making shifting feel subpar. I had loctite on it but added a washer between the peg and the shifter bearing and that stopped it from getting loose.

I also bought the shift linkage from a CBR600F2 and then cut about 1cm off of both ends. I used it to angle the part of the shift linkage that connects to the shaft on the engine so that the linkage piece was at a perpendicular angle to the rest of the shift linkage, ensuring maximum leverage on the trans when shifting. Since then, shifts have all been nice and smooth.
 
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