2nd Gear Sloppy Shifting?

[Glockem]

On my 99 VFR with 20k miles that I just bought, I have been noticing that shifting from 1st to 2nd is really sloppy. I felt it before I changed the chain and sprockets, and I am still feeling it now. Is this bike known for sloppy shifting? You can actually feel it clunking past neutral into 2nd really hard, and it never feels very good when I shift to 2nd. I know it could be the way I am shifting and foot position, but all the other gears shift like butter. I wonder if I am just shifting poorly when going from 1st to 2nd. Any ideas?

[mello dude]

On my 99 VFR with 20k miles that I just bought, I have been noticing that shifting from 1st to 2nd is really sloppy. I felt it before I changed the chain and sprockets, and I am still feeling it now. Is this bike known for sloppy shifting? You can actually feel it clunking past neutral into 2nd really hard, and it never feels very good when I shift to 2nd. I know it could be the way I am shifting and foot position, but all the other gears shift like butter. I wonder if I am just shifting poorly when going from 1st to 2nd. Any ideas?

The shifting on a vfr is a bit clunky. The more you ride, the less of an issue it is - at least for me. The most annoying tranny thing for me is the false nuetral between 5th and 6th. Snatched that one, one too many times.

Still there is a factory pro shifter kit out there, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Its on my some day to do list.

MD

[Joey_Dude]

The gearbox is a little notchy and requires a firm shifting. You might be used to a light shift lever but on the VFR you have to be real deliberate with the shifting. When I first got my VFR I would do baby shifts and I kept getting frigging false neutrals but what made them disappear is just to shift harder. Hope that helps.

[Glockem]

Yes I am used to a Brembo race clutch and TSR race slave cylinder on my RC51 and you can't hardly compare these two together, but this thing is quite painful :). I get false neutrals all the time going from 1st to 2nd as well, and when I am not getting the false neutrals I get the horrible shift sensation when it clunks into 2nd.

[Knife]

I just got back from a trip through PA, MD, WV, VA, NC, and TN. I can't remember how many times I missed 2nd gear coming out of 1st. Very clunky and just doesn't ever feel exactly right. Have to really toe up hard to engage 2nd. All other gears are as smooth as silk. I have a shift kit on order. Maybe it will help. Hope so.

Forgot to mention that no matter how many times I try to shift into 7th gear, it just isn't there!

[Joey_Dude]

I just discovered something by accident. I changed my oil recently and now the clutch shifts from 1st to 2nd with no problems. Before that I noticed that I had to shift harder and sometimes no matter how hard I shifted it would still go to neutral.

Just a thought if you're experiencing problems with 1st to 2nd shifting try changing the oil.

[Lgn001]

I just discovered something by accident. I changed my oil recently and now the clutch shifts from 1st to 2nd with no problems. Before that I noticed that I had to shift harder and sometimes no matter how hard I shifted it would still go to neutral.

Just a thought if you're experiencing problems with 1st to 2nd shifting try changing the oil.

You beat me to it, Joey_Dude. I can always tell a difference with fresh oil, on most any bike I've had.