2nd gear curiosity

[KA1J]

I have a new drivetrain curiosity I'm wondering about.

When I WOT in 2nd gear, around 7K I sometimes feel what is almost like a single skip in the gears but it does not kick out of gear and continues on. There is no grinding sound and no hard jarring sensation. No hint of anything unless I'm at WOT and only at the higher RPMs, just about where I'm about to shift before the red line.

I've read about the 2nd gear issue where it kicks out of gear but this doesn't happen. I was getting slipping in 3rd but Barnett clutch springs apparently resolved that issue.

After all the effort in getting this bike back to good condition including putting in new rings, I really don't want to have to open it up & work on the engine so soon again. Ugh...

Idears?

[jjz28]

I was going to say maybe slipping clutches but you but the springs in. Thats what i would think though. I am going to have to put the springs in also cause i slip at WOT in 3rd, 4th and maybe more just havent hit wot in others.

[tcoop]

Thats the way my son's XS started only slipping when WOT in first. At first it felt like a cluch slip then got worse with use (he was a little heavy on the wrist). My wife's XJ1100 will not stay in second at all. I am ridding it while fixing my Venture I just shift past second gear, I will be fixing it as soon as I get a free weekend. I will probably do both XJs at the same time.

[KA1J]

Interesting.

I'm not feeling like this is a clutch slip nor does it at this point give any indication of kicking out of gear. It normally does make a clunk when shifting into 2nd but it's much louder going into first when downshifting. 5th has little or no clunk. If there's any analogy between a slipping clutch and this, it would be as if for a tiny fraction of a second there was a slip, so brief you couldn't mentally time it and then it would instantly grab 100% and keep going under WOT. All you feel is a slight hesitation and then continuation of the acceleration in 2nd.

I've never felt any inkling of it wanting to slip out of gear to above or lower gears or into neutral.

[jetmechmarty]

When you hit the right combination of dogs & slots, the dogs pop into the next slots. The 2nd gear fix is in your future.

[motoman]

When you hit the right combination of dogs & slots, the dogs pop into the next slots. The 2nd gear fix is in your future.

+1, rest assured.......

[trbig]

As they said. I don't know where you saw someone write that it kicks it out of gear.. the gear just jumps from one tooth to the next and keeps going. Each time it jumps, it rounds the dogs a little more and will start happening with less and less power applied until it won't hold any power at all.

The sooner you get into it, the less the gears are messed up and the less material you'll have to take off when grinding. If you're fairly easy on it and don't get on it to where it skips, then it will last until you get ready to do it... but it's hard to stay off the throttle on these bikes.

[KA1J]

Crap, it does sound like the 2nd gear issue then. I'm reluctant to do it on my own, I'd rather do it with someone who knows the way and can help me do it right. Can't afford to take it to a shop to fix and I don't know anyone in New England who is familiar with it.

& I was just thinking I was more than 95% done with everything I need to do with it. Now this...

It doesn't look like it's a terrible job and probably can be knocked out in a few short hours if you know what to do. But since I don't know the little details, that's the issue...

[GLoweVA]

Don't get too upset just yet. It sounds like you got plenty of time left until it's absolutly needed. Go a little easier on it while going thru 2nd gear and it should last you a long time. At least long enough until you can find a fellow XSive in the New England area that may have already done this and can offer you some help.

[KA1J]

Yes, true enough. I've already figured that's what I need to do, I've done like so many of us & put in hundreds of hours into the bike I just want to be done with everything but regular maintenance. Have two new tires coming tomorrow and that was I thought the last of anything that required serious wrenching. Heck, I could have done this last year when I replaced the rings if it would have showed up back then but no... I've never hard shifted it once in the two years I've owned it.

I was so happy that with all the BS the PO left for me to find & repair, that I didn't have any transmission issues.

I knew I shouldn't have done that happy dance...

[CaptonZap]

I've never hard shifted it once in the two years I've owned it.

I knew I shouldn't have done that happy dance...

That may be your problem, You need to shift these things like you mean it. Up and down. A tentative tap with the toe, is not the way to go.
Russion tractor characteristics require Russion farmer methods. ie, a big boot. CZ

[mharrington]

Yamaha sure did drop the ball with the amount of dog engagement (lack of). Ironically on the XS750s second gear is accessible by removing some left side engine covers. Sooooooo easy to get to on that model. Took me about 11 minutes to do the washer swap on my old 750.