Changing gears smoothly.whats normal whats not?

[s head]

I own a 81 kz1100 which has an amazingly smooth changing gearbox and smooth changes require no effort so getting the XS to change smoothly is going to be a matter of developing the skill/feel?
The clutch is set properly according to Tech tips and does not slip or drag.
If the bike is ridden reasonably aggressively it changes notch free up or down.
Its when I am just cruising around on light loads
that I have a problem.sometimes it changes ok and sometimes it is notchy and feels like the clutch is being pulled in slightly too late.Does any of this sound familiar.
My main concern is for the gearbox not my comfort.If its all normal I wont worry?

The KZ (never to be mentioned again in this forum) now feels very smooth,refined and gutless after riding round on the XS.
By comparison jumping from one to the other the XS motor feels very angry and leaves the KZ feeling like it's a 750.

[79XS11F]

My own experience with the XS11 is that the tranys are a little on the "clunky" side. For me I just use it and I don't worry about it unless a lot of force is needed to engage the desired gear. If yours is XScessively difficult to get in and out of a particular gear you "may" have a slightly bent shift shaft fork. However the most common trany issue I am aware of is the trany slipping out of gear and there's a ton of information here on the way to fix that issue. 2nd gear is the most common gear to develop this issue and I will guess that it is because 2nd will get a lot of use given the speeds that can be achieved even in 2nd.
Rob

[mro]

any of this sound familiar

I don't know the "history" or how PO's had riden the 3 XS's I ride the most.
80G is a little "cluncky" just riding around town, but can shift very smooth if rpm's just right...
hot rod XS, has the 10M lower cases and shifts a little smoother than the 80G.
79SF shifts very smooth compaired to both the others and I don't know why (I don't ride it like the others tho and have not even taken it above 5000 rpm)


mro

[fredintoon]

Mine shifts like a Russian tractor.
(and yes, the clutch does fully release)
Neutral into 1st, clunk at less than 1,000rpm, ratchety-clunk if more. Same deal 1st into 2nd if you shift normally, quieter if you shift slowly. 2nd into 3rd, lesser but still noticeable clunk. 3rd into 4th & 4th into 5th are OK if you're gentle.
Downshifts are all OK shifting normally.

[TADracer]

'Clunky' may be a relative term. My 79SF shifts very easily between all gears with a bit over 30K miles on the clock and no trans mods. BUT...you can definately hear the shift over the engine. I would not consider it clunky but more noisy.

[fredintoon]

Hi Mike,
clunky is when you can feel it with your foot on the shift pedal as well as hear it.

[79XS11F]

I was actually referring to the noise it makes Mine is noisy clunk, clunk, clunk. Going down into 1st is the loudest.
Rob

[s head]

I am getting the feeling my gearbox is normal and it must be a technique thing because sometimes it changes fine.Its winter here now so temps are low,it will be interesting to see how it changes when its hot,even modern bike get sticky in the gearbox around town in hot weather.I have another XS11 that I have not got running yet with 138000ks on it so it will be interesting to compare.

[ExcessiveBiker]

Clunk

The clunk problem is MUCH less after the
FD mod. Another help (although not recommended) is a throttle blip and NO CLUTCH on upshifts, very smooth. A third and tricky option is to carry a LITTLE throttle on the upshifts during clutch release. I say tricky because a little throttle goes a long way with this engine and a disengaged clutch combination.
Pick your poison and enjoy the ride.

I highly advise the FD mod, much nicer all around ride.

ExcessiveBiker
81SH

[MAXIMAN]

I'll be chided for this but still to this day the smoothest shift I can get out of these Elevens is a clutchless shift. I quick blip off the throttle and SNAP the shifter.

However ... recently I've been trying the exact opposite. I will pull the clutch and throttle off...waiting almost a full second then firmly shift. This is a slow methodic shift but seems to work well. But the "clunk" is ever present.

The only time I have zero clunk is clutchless.

However in Zilla...after I installed the factory back cut gears and got the spacers re-arranged for maximal engagement...it shifts smoother than any Eleven I've ever owned or ridden.

[Shuriken]

What fredintoon said: "like a Russian tractor."

I've been trying to figure out the "proper technique" for the last 5 or 6 years.

When I swapped rides and rode my friend's BMW K1200 and he rode my XS, he quickly got of the XS and said he didn't like it because it was hard to shift.

If I ride nice and concentrate on shifting and keep the RPMS low, I can get solid, normal (if there is a normal shift on an XS) clicks. Any time I try to wrap up 1st and go quick into 2nd, it grinds enough to make me wonder how long 2nd gear is going to last.

Ben

[s head]

Yesterday I rode around everywhere in 3rd & 4th gear unless i had to stop and just used the torque to accelerate the bike.5th on the freeway and I more or less have a smooth changing bike.
I now believe my bike is normal.thanks for the feedback.

[cajun31]

definitely normal

Mine has shifted clunky since new. as stated by others generally not as bad at higher rpms.

[ExcessiveBiker]

Cut your clutch cable--shift better

MAX,
Where is the info on moving spacers around to help 2nd gear?
This is the second reference I've seen to this change and I need the poop on it.

thanks,
ExcessiveBiker

p.s. the clutchless shift sure is nice, but I don't trust it for the long run.

[datter]

Timely thread.

I recently got my XS roadworthy and find it shifts like... well... a Russian tractor. I actually came in here to make a thread about it, and found this one.

I sort of had the feeling it was normal, and think that must be the case after reading all the familiar comments in here. I haven't given any though to clutchless shifting mind you, wouldn't that be unnecessarily hard on the bike?

I can live with the clunk, just so long as it's not abnormal.

datter