every now and then (not often, maybe once a month on a daily driver) i go to shift into 5th gear and it sounds like a bunch of change into a dryer. it does not go into gear until i pull the clutch in and re-shift. any ideas what this could be? i go white with visions of the transmission locking up and it throwing me 10 miles down the road. any thoughts anyone?

 

Try adjusting your shift lever down a little to get a more positive upshift. There's also a thread in the KB about shortening the throw. If this doesn't work then there's probably some worn dogs or bent shift fork in the tranny.

 

I agree with Greg, check the knowledge base for shifter mods and get that sorted first. The mods will make a big difference.

 

Oh, try a high quality oil if you're not already using one. Highly recommend Mobil 1 15-W50 gold cap if you can find it. It's hard to find thicker oils up here in the north country. BTW, this WILL NOT turn into an oil thread. It's just a suggestion to make the bike shift better.