gearbox misuse

[martin_14]

I was accelerating out of curve and at about 85 mph in 4th gear and some 6000 rpm, pressed the clutch lever, eased on the gas, and moved my foot to engage 5th gear. Thing is, I didn't positively look for the next gear, I just kind of gave the gear lever a push with the foot, not moving it the whole stroke that it needed, so when I released the clutch and went back on the gas the engine revved with no extra motion for the bike.
My first reaction was Whisky Tango Foxtrot? And then I understood that the fork got the dog ring exactly in that point between the 4th and 5th gears, without engaging either. By then I went off the throttle and revs dropped to idle, but still travelling at about 85 mph and thinking what should I do. Like an imbecile that I can be, I just pressed the clutch lever with my left hand and moved my foot up, engaging 5th, but without giving gas!!! So the secondary shaft had to spin the poor primary shaft from 1100 to 5000 rpm almost instantly. The clunk was not subtle and I have to wonder if I am going to hear about this in the future, with a gearwheel or a bearing shooting off the gearbox housing or something like that.
Bike has 89000 km/55000 miles.
Opinions?

[B.D.F.]

Not an opinion but merely a guess- all will be fine. Transmission shift forks and dogs are really quite robust and unless subjected to repeated and specific misuse (shifting 20% of the way into second gear, applying all engine power and having the dogs jump back into neutral is the most common way to badly abuse the transmission). Besides that, 5th gear does not get anywhere the abuse that, for example, second gear sees due to greatly reduced torque in 5th, and actually jamming the bike into gear is better than trying to ease it in (Easy Boys!) and causing the dog ears to, well, dog ear :-)

I think you will be fine but again, just a guess.

Brian

I was accelerating out of curve and at about 85 mph in 4th gear and some 6000 rpm, pressed the clutch lever, eased on the gas, and moved my foot to engage 5th gear. Thing is, I didn't positively look for the next gear, I just kind of gave the gear lever a push with the foot, not moving it the whole stroke that it needed, so when I released the clutch and went back on the gas the engine revved with no extra motion for the bike.
My first reaction was Whisky Tango Foxtrot? And then I understood that the fork got the dog ring exactly in that point between the 4th and 5th gears, without engaging either. By then I went off the throttle and revs dropped to idle, but still travelling at about 85 mph and thinking what should I do. Like an imbecile that I can be, I just pressed the clutch lever with my left hand and moved my foot up, engaging 5th, but without giving gas!!! So the secondary shaft had to spin the poor primary shaft from 1100 to 5000 rpm almost instantly. The clunk was not subtle and I have to wonder if I am going to hear about this in the future, with a gearwheel or a bearing shooting off the gearbox housing or something like that.
Bike has 89000 km/55000 miles.
Opinions?

[Rembrant]

Not an opinion but merely a guess- all will be fine. Transmission shift forks and dogs are really quite robust and unless subjected to repeated and specific misuse (shifting 20% of the way into second gear, applying all engine power and having the dogs jump back into neutral is the most common way to badly abuse the transmission). Besides that, 5th gear does not get anywhere the abuse that, for example, second gear sees due to greatly reduced torque in 5th, and actually jamming the bike into gear is better than trying to ease it in (Easy Boys!) and causing the dog ears to, well, dog ear :-)

I think you will be fine but again, just a guess.

Brian

I'm with Brian here. I've had this happen several times, also in 5th gear on a 2006 Kawasaki Z1000 that I purchased brand new. The sound it makes when you finally do get it pulled in is gawd awful...lol. After it happened a couple times, I started coasting to a stop on the side of the road before popping it back in gear. I adjusted the shift lever down a little and focused more on good solid shifts, and the problem rarely returned...I think once in a while when I got lazy and didn't pull hard enough on the shifter, it would happen. I put another 20k miles on that bike and never had an issue.

The 2005-2006 Kawasaki ZX6R/636 is known for having a weak 2nd gear...the dogs get rounded off, and it will pop out of gear under heavy abuse (track riding or stunting, etc). On the street, they are rarely ever an issue...but once abused, they do seem to be problematic. I changed the transmission/shift drum/forks in a friend's 06 a couple years ago and it has been fine ever since....even under heavy abuse.

As Brian said...I wouldn't worry about it unless it continues to happen.

JMTCW,
Rem

[Racer Boy]

If you were shifting without the clutch, that would have never happened.

Just saying...

[gPink]

If you were shifting without the clutch, that would have never happened.

Just saying...

[Daytona_Mike]

If you were shifting without the clutch, that would have never happened.

Just saying...

+1     Agreed

[martin_14]

thanks, gentlemen, that does help, both lines of comments. Appreciated.

[tomp]

Rode for a couple of hours today, and paid attention to every gear change.  Shifting without the clutch is the ticket, both up and down.    W/O the clutch from 1st to 2nd isn't very smooth, but above that, upwards, is so smooth vs using the clutch.  Down shifting depending on the slipper clutch, is really smooth, entering corners.  Cut my teeth on dirt bikes 45 years ago, and never used the clutch, but street riding changed that.  I learned today, that the 14 is happiest being shifted with out the clutch.  Just sayin'... tp   

[maxtog]

Yep

I rarely use the clutch for upshifting after 1st.  Smooth as butter.  I do use it for downshifting, though.

[UhOh]

In some ways this is unlike Vegas, where everything stays ... confidential.

Just ride it and bet it will last your entire ownership period w/o your further intervention.

[twowheeladdict]

Where do you guys ride where you can get into 5th gear?  I rarely get out of 1st since it covers all legal speed limits where I live!   

[tomp]

Where do you guys ride where you can get into 5th gear?  I rarely get out of 1st since it covers all legal speed limits where I live!   

True, true.  Shifting is part of the fun, though.  Try those speed limit attempts on the KLX.  Had one.  Those little engines love to scream, but not that high.    ... 

Oh, I live in Texas, and we have average highway limits of 75 MPH.  Not sure the 14 can do that in 1st.

[twowheeladdict]

True, true.  Shifting is part of the fun, though.  Try those speed limit attempts on the KLX.  Had one.  Those little engines love to scream, but not that high.    ... 

Oh, I live in Texas, and we have average highway limits of 75 MPH.  Not sure the 14 can do that in 1st.

I crossed Texas this year on the Connie.  Stopped in at the 3 sisters and then blasted down I-10 at triple digits towards El Paso.  Came through Wichita Falls on the way home on 75 mph back roads.  The Connie loved riding through Texas.  When I hit AR and had to slow down to 60ish it felt like I was riding in a parade.