Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Do some of you notice the shift from 1st to 2nd is not smooth? I have 2400 miles on my 2004 Superhawk, and sometimes, the shift from 1st to 2nd is rough. I don't miss the gear, its just not positive.

From what I've read in the VTR registry, try replacing your oil with another brand, e.g., Spectro. Mine shifts clunky into the 1st, but 1-2 seems ok.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Mine is a bit rough, nothing too bad though.

I had a Magna 750 and its shift from 1st to second was also rough.

I guess it is the nature of the beast.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Welcome to Honda transmissions .

They are clunky and will clunk for a hundred thousand or more miles .

You should hear a Bandit 1200 going into 1st gear , measure that one in decibels

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

I just wondered if I should be taking it back to the dealer. Other than that,
I love this bike.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Ditto , these things are way cool . I wish I had got on the bandwagon a few years ago . Did not know what I was missing .

hey , if it's under warranty might take it to the dealer shortly before it expires but I have heard of Zero tranmission problems or clutch problems at lower miles .

Now some 10w-40 oils will thin down into sewing machine oil . That can cause some problems shifting ect .

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

When I went to the Gilles rearsets, my 1-2 shift improved. Not a minor improvement, a HUGE improvement. It is endemic to the superhawks, so I don't think there's much your dealer can do to "fix" it, but it's worth a shot.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

I do use Spectro oil (as suggested) and will say that this bike definitely has a clunky 1-2 shift. I'm looking at adding rearsets over the winter, so I'm glad to hear that that may help.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Customization ideas preoccupy my mind recently. Rearsets are one of them.
Next oil change, I'll try something different.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

What I'm teaching myself to do is to concentrate on pre-loading the shifter with some upward pressure prior to making the shift. This seems to help quite a bit.
Try it & see what you think.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

There are two ways two improve this shifting on the SHawk, i have done both with great success. One is free and on willcost money, but again both are great mods:

Free One:

Measure from the tip of your shifter to the ground and make a written note of the measurement. Then raise your shiter up like you were shifting up a gear and make a note of the measurement. If i recall the difference will be around 7/8". The goal is to reduce the distance it takes for the shifter to move thus causing less foot movement to get the same shaft movement. Take the shifter off the splined shaft and move it clockwise one spline ( i am doing this from memory and do not have the bike in front of me, so this may be counter clockwise one spline) Tighten back up and you will now have a shifter that is way to far from the ground. Loosen both the adjuster jam nuts (note one nut has counter clockwise threads) and adjust the shaft so the tip of the shifter is now back to the first measurement you made to the floor. Once this is done, make note of the second measurement again when the shifter is raised like changing a gear and the difference should be arounf 5/8" to 3/4" which is a shorter shift. The goal is to have the tip of the shifter when at rest at the same exact position it was at prior to startign, but now having less distance to travel resulting is a better positive shift.

Second cost option:
Install the Factory Pro Shift kit for a stronger more harder hit. It comes with a ball bearing (instead of the stock steel wheel/bushing) are and stronger spring and is a great improvment. Easily installed while installing a Factory Pro 4 degree advacer. Both the advancer and shift kit are behind the right case.

Any questions feel free to pm me.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

You guys there is an aftermarket kit (I cant recall the name) that supposedly fixes that clunky shift. Its not that expensive either, under or around $100. Its just a couple of small parts. Mine does it too and I have about 30k on the bike. Nothing to me is more embarassing than coming off the line hard and missing the 1st to 2nd shift. :oops: :roll: :cry:

BTW - Have any of you ever ridden a fat boy? Now THERE'S a clunky transmission. I literally cringed when I shifted that neutral to first and first to second...BANG! BANG! It was awful in traffic. I spoke to the dealer and he said thats the way they are.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

yeah, harleys are really freakin bad. Me and a friend of mine ride with his dad often who has a HD duce and it seems like you could be 20 feet behind him and still hear him shifting over his streight pipes. My uncles BMW 1150 is nearly that bad also.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Amazing! Thumper's free fix for the VTR's clunky 1st to 2nd shifting is a winner.
Just move the shifter around clockwise one spline & readjust your shifter height to the ground. I also slid the shifter back farther on the splined shaft & that seemed to take out some of the excess free play in the linkage.
My shifts are much more positive now. Before making this adjustment missed shifts were a constant concern.
If you're having this problem, just get out your 10mm wrenches, invest 5 or 10 minutes & you won't believe the improvement. Makes you wonder why Honda mounted the shifter with so much travel. :)

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Glad the free advice and shifter adjustment worked for you. It's easy to forget the simple things i have done to my Superhawk being that i have had her for 5 years and did alot of the mods years ago and forgot.

This adjustment is s easy and makes so much sense that i am surprised Honda engineers didn't just make it this way from the get go.

The Factory Pro shift kit also is a big help and actually makes for a solid pinch when you throw the shift lever with your foot. The shift is more solid and pops into gear better.

I would only do it if you are mechanically inclined and can pull a clutch basket and reassemble otherwise forget it.

My moto is "Do it yourself, because i can screw it up just as well as a dealer 3 out of 10 times, but the other 7 times i will do it better and save money"

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

synthetic oil worked for me. less slap when the gear went in. also, adjusting the lever rocks!

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

Thumper said: My moto is "Do it yourself, because i can screw it up just as well as a dealer 3 out of 10 times, but the other 7 times i will do it better and save money"

Know what u mean. Took my old Katana ('98 w/ 46K. mi.) in to my Honda dealer for tires last spring. Next day I'm out on a group ride when my rear caliper falls off. :roll: Both bolts came out! Fortunately the Kat has a brake torque rod, which kept it from falling on the road. It still hit my wheel a couple times. We took the rear caliper off, wrapped it up & put it under the seat (more room under there than the Super Hawk), zip tied the hose & kept going. Oh yeah, the guy also left the pinch bolt on the front axle finger-tight.

At that point I decided to learn to do my own tire work.

Re: Shifting from 1st to 2nd, clunky? Sometimes?
 

And you didn't go back and ask for some money back for them having risked your life?!

Nah, just got 'em to re-install my rear brake. I have a really high tolerance for incompetence I guess!