Fiend Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Took the Kawi ER6N out today and to my 60mph surprise I couldn't upshift from 2-3. If I bumped the shift lever about 4 or 5 times very deliberately it would finally go. Seemed to especially not like it at higher RPMs.... Exactly where you normally upshift. Changing the oil and filter tonight. I'll ride it this week and report back. If you guys have any other ideas or if this is a known issue on these things let me know... I searched for a few minutes and mainly found it to be a problem with supersport, not this bike. Thanks 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motocat12 Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Are the levers adjustable? See if you give it more travel it works better. How much free play is in the lever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Did this just start to happen? Did you change anything before it happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiend Posted July 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 (edited) 10 hours ago, motocat12 said: Are the levers adjustable? See if you give it more travel it works better. How much free play is in the lever? Levers are adjustable, but I rode the bike last week and it was fine. The clutch seems to operate normally for stopping in gear and downshifting. 10 hours ago, Tonik said: Did this just start to happen? Did you change anything before it happened? Yes just started. Saturday I thought I shortshifted the bike a couple of times but it must've been this issue. Other than one or two shifts Saturday it was fine. Sunday it just totally started failing to work. I just remembered last night that on one shift Saturday there was a grinding sound and the bike didn't go into gear. I guarantee whatever that was, it's causing this issue... maybe I'm not being deliberate enough with my shifts, but damn, I've been riding bikes since I was 8 and never had a shifting issue. I changed the oil and filter yesterday. Attempted to shift in my driveway with the bike rolling, but no luck. We have this old bike mechanic nearby who is great.. I'm taking it to him because I don't have time to mess with it 😑 Edited July 22, 2019 by Fiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durk Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Do you use the clutch every time you shift? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
what Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 My grom does this from time to time, it gets worse the hotter the oil gets. When it starts acting up I have to roll the bike back and forth a bit to get it to slip into a new gear when I'm stopped and I really have to mash to get it to shift while moving. It has only happened a few times though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Had a Yamaha that would do this. Turns out one of the bolts holding the rearsets on had backed out. Not enough to feel it in the peg, but enough that the shift linkage no longer operated correctly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 My wife's Vstardid some thing similar after I did an oil change and switched it to synthetic for the first time. Did not shift right, did not want to go into neutral. Only thing I changed was the oil type. About 100 miles later i put dino oil back in it and all was well once it got time to work itself back in the clutch. That bike's clutch just didn't like the synthetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoop Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 I looked at online images of the Kawi ER6N. It looks like they use a direct lever from the shifter shaft. But if your bike uses a shift linkage, check and lube the external linkages. If they go dry this can cause the bike to shift poorly. For my bike, the problem is usually with downshifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 48 minutes ago, Shoop said: I looked at online images of the Kawi ER6N. It looks like they use a direct lever from the shifter shaft. But if your bike uses a shift linkage, check and lube the external linkages. If they go dry this can cause the bike to shift poorly. For my bike, the problem is usually with downshifts. I thought the trans on my CB500X was failing. I was having to shift really hard and it felt like something was grinding. It was a bear to get into neutral. Turned out where the shift linkage clamps on onto the trans (not at the foot pedal) had become loose. Apparently, some of these left the factory with the linkage improperly torqued. I tightened that one bolt and it shifts like butter again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 6 hours ago, Shoop said: I looked at online images of the Kawi ER6N. It looks like they use a direct lever from the shifter shaft. But if your bike uses a shift linkage, check and lube the external linkages. If they go dry this can cause the bike to shift poorly. For my bike, the problem is usually with downshifts. You are correct, it appears the lever goes directly onto the shift shaft. @Fiend I may have discovered your problem, or at least this guy had the same problem and it turned out to be a loose screw holding the shift star on. Easy to diagnose. Easy to fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiend Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 11 hours ago, Gixxus Christ! said: @Fiend I may have discovered your problem, or at least this guy had the same problem and it turned out to be a loose screw holding the shift star on. Easy to diagnose. Easy to fix. @Gixxus Christ! Very interesting.... When I get home from work tonight I'll check that out. Thanks for the research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 I was looking at that same assembly. There's some return springs in there to check also. And a pivot pin to make sure it's secure. Also noticed a loose bolt or fit on the shifter lever itself can do this too. 2009 Kawasaki ER6N service manual page 311 thru 314 edit: One concern is reported gear grinding. That isn't supposed to happen in a constant syncromesh transmission. Nevertheless it does happen for a wide variety of reasons. The most common would be type and temperature of the oil. A cold transmission won't always sync up. Motorcycle transmissions can literally get confused, and not operate properly. Newer is better, the older motorcycles could really goof up. Usually working through the gears up and down will set everything straight again. One old bike I had, when it goofed, it was best to stop and shut the engine off, and find neutral and re-start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Well????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiend Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 On 7/23/2019 at 11:29 PM, Gixxus Christ! said: Well????? Got it most of the way apart and needed to take the sprocket/chain off the output shaft of the motor. They hid one bolt on the "shifter cover" behind the sprocket. Hammered the keeper washer down and got a big ass socket on but couldn't keep the wheel from moving while I tried to loosen it. Was turning the motor over and chasing my 450lb bike around the garage while trying to keep it on the kickstand and loosen the nut. No bueno. If I had a stand and some more time I'd try and do it, but 10 minutes from me is a bike mechanic that's worked on me and my dad's bikes for 30 years. I'm just going to throw the bike in the truck and let him deal with it 😂 I'll let everyone know how it turns out and I'll show the mechanic the video @Gixxus Christ! posted and see what he thinks. Thanks everyone 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 11 hours ago, Fiend said: Got it most of the way apart and needed to take the sprocket/chain off the output shaft of the motor. They hid one bolt on the "shifter cover" behind the sprocket. Hammered the keeper washer down and got a big ass socket on but couldn't keep the wheel from moving while I tried to loosen it. Was turning the motor over and chasing my 450lb bike around the garage while trying to keep it on the kickstand and loosen the nut. No bueno. If I had a stand and some more time I'd try and do it, but 10 minutes from me is a bike mechanic that's worked on me and my dad's bikes for 30 years. I'm just going to throw the bike in the truck and let him deal with it 😂 I'll let everyone know how it turns out and I'll show the mechanic the video @Gixxus Christ! posted and see what he thinks. Thanks everyone 👍 Breaker bar on socket, sit on bike with foot on rear brake. Apply force to breaker bar with other foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 On 7/25/2019 at 6:39 PM, Gixxus Christ! said: Breaker bar on socket, sit on bike with foot on rear brake. Apply force to breaker bar with other foot. Or use a short piece of 2x4 through the rear wheel against the swingarm to keep the wheel from turning. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) I normally just shove a rag in-between the chain and sprocket, so it can't move. Squishy, but then I use a long breaker bar, and tap it with a hammer. Edited July 27, 2019 by ReconRat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motociclista Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 The near impossibility of getting the sprocket off the output shaft from the motor is famous in Versys circles, so I'm not at all surprised it's the same with this related model. They come from the factory torqued to some ridiculous setting. The first time I had to change sprockets, I had to take it to a shop with a commercial-grade air gun and get them to loosen it for me. Lots of stories of owners trying all methods to get it off by hand and failing. I had that bike for more than 89,000 miles, so I changed a few sprockets. Once I was doing the torquing, didn't have that problem ever again. But the first time... Good luck. Hope it's a simple issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 21 minutes ago, motociclista said: They come from the factory torqued to some ridiculous setting. 15 ugga-duggas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauly Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 I had a bike on the lift once that I had to use MAP gas on the nut to free it. I was using a 1200ft/lb SnapOn impact wrench and it wouldn't move. I know the majority of the torque was consumed by the chain, but this was ridiculously tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 I will admit I've had to cut a few things off. It can just be crazy sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serpentracer Posted July 28, 2019 Report Share Posted July 28, 2019 (edited) a misadjusted clutch lever can cause shifting problems once the engine is warm. here is what yamaha has to say about this, Edited July 28, 2019 by serpentracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted July 28, 2019 Report Share Posted July 28, 2019 And the clutch cable too. It degrades over time so slowly we tend not to notice till a problem pops up. A new clutch cable can do amazing things for smooth shifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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