Clonky gearbox
 

Hi to everybody.

Have 2008 ten with 10 k on the clock. Works fine, but lately I started to wonder whether it is normal that the gear switching is so clonky.

My son has a yammi WR250X with a butter smooth gearchange. Why then is the Ten so agricultural.

A made a check on the stand, with rear wheel raised from the ground and the engine off. What I have found is that when I select the 1st gear, I can not move the rear wheel even with the clutch lever fully squezzed. In higher gears I managed to turn rear wheel, but with the high drag from the clutch.

Also if I start the engine with the 1st gear selected and clutch lever squezzed, it shows slight intention to move forward.

Now I don't know if such behaviour applies to all teneres, or do I have some issue with the clutch. If it is normal, I can live with clonking, because it actually does not affect riding.

But if it is not all that normal, then I would be happy if someone can point out what may be the cause, and in which direction to search for rectifying this.

Thanks

The gearchange on my bike is very rough and clunky when the drivechain is worn, especially 2nd to 3rd, but becomes much smoother when a new chain is fitted.

Bit too much slack in the clutch cable would be my first suspicion.

Add a loose chain or worn rear sprocket rubbers to that list.

...or the engine oil is not the right grade - too higher viscosity will cause clutch drag and poor gear changes.

It came to my mind too. But the bike is regulary serviced at the Yamaha only.

To ask straight?

Are other teneres not exhibit such behaviour? I mean bang and shake when putting in 1st?!?

Well yeah, they're not the smoothest of gearboxes. However your clutch *is* dragging, and that will be making it worse.

+1 Get the clutch side of things sorted out first, then worry about the gearbox.

+1 Check and adjust

Also, when you first start the bike, with it in neutral, pull the clutch in and blip the throttle, then let it out, then back in again for first. Honestly first will slip in like Osama into one of his many recently found virgins.

This may be the solution. I made some experiments on the stand and realised, that the clutch sticks only at the beginning. This causes bang when 1 st gear is selected. After initial use it breaks loose and works properly.

I'll try your suggestion tomorrow.


With that many virgins, Osama may be quite busy right now.

If this is the case, you might also find a few standing starts using a big handful of throttle, slipping the clutch may clear off any of the stickiness in the clutch. You could of course also try some clutch wheelies too!!:icon_biggrin:

True. And I don't agree with the viscosity idea (sorry). I run Motorex 10W60 in my Tenere, and the gearshift is very good. Much better than with lighter oils, imo. The only time it's sticky is from cold, but do what tripletom says and there is no problem.
However, it seems that there is a different issue with old Roman's bike if sticky shifting persists when the motor is hot. If the clutch has been slipped hard and got very hot sometime in its life, it might become draggy. My TTR's clutch used to be quite reasonable, but a lot of hard use has made it very prone to dragging. There are numerous other causes, including slightly warped plate/s, and as mentioned above, simply being out of adjustment. Another thing is gum burnt on to the steel clutch plates. This can be caused by heat and/or poor oil, and will make your clutch drag like a b*****d.
Hope you get it sorted, old Roman.

Oil viscosity will influence clutch performance, but the effects of course vary depending on where you live and its climate (and how you ride). An oil suited to Australia may not be so good in the UK or Slovenia, the grade needs matching to your personal circumstances. So it's still worth Old Roman checking, it may well not be the issue as you say, but something worth ruling out.

+1

I have tried this and it worked. No bang at all, while engaging 1st. :041:
This means my clutch obviously is not draging, but is kind of sticky or something.

I feel better now. Thanks to everybody for suggestions.

Pleased to hear it.

That's a relief for you, old Roman! Glad for you that there's nothing seriously wrong, mate.

I've also noticed that engaging first gear first thing in the morning makes a klunk, but at the lights afterwards it is more or less smooth. Nothing like my old Shiver which made BIG klunks at all gear changes all the time.

Also this makes me think back to when I went to test drive a 2008 Ten. The second I put it into first the bike lunged a bit forward and choked. Did this maybe 5-6 times in a row. Checked the cable, checked that it pulled and so forth, but in the end a mechanic came over and said the bike had probably not been ridden for a while and the clutch plates were sticking. He revved it and held the brake or something, the whole thing looked pretty violent, but in the end it came loose and worked like normal.

Seing as how the clutch stuck on the test bike and also over night on my brand new one, perhaps it's just a case of "they all do that"?

That's kind of fact I hoped it is the case. So no reason to worry. Maybe I am just too gentle and should make several rough starts with slipping clutch.

Tried the clutch->blip->release->clutch today and it was smooth as silk!

It works well, doesn't it. A friend mentioned that trick just after I bought my Z (he'd been running a XTX that did the same thing). Initially the gearbox on my bike was smooth as you like, but over the past 10,000 it started to get a little clunky engaging first gear in the mornings � only started using the blip 'n' release trick just after the winter and it works like a charm � even seems to make subsequent gear changes smoother too,

Cor so simple yet so effective..... Thanks