gear changing clank noise & missing on high RPMs

[thumperjsa]

I did some reading before this post. Most people say the lurch forward when going into 1st is somewhat normal and I can buy it.

I notice that upshifting between gears I get a bit of a clack noise switching between all of the gears. Normal?

I also have to be a little careful going from 1st to second because a few times I did not get it all the way into second. Nothing like letting go of the clutch an hearing the engine rev up like it wants too.

I have had this bike now for about 2 months and does not seem to have gotten worse. I had the clutch rebuilt by a local bike shop so it does not seem as if the clutch is the problem. When I picked up the bike, it surely had a sliping clutch problem.

Also I notice when opening up the throttle getting up to about 7k rpm, it is either missing or getting a fuel starvatoin because it is losing power and lurching ever so slightly.

I will check for some of the items I found for testing fuel starvation and vacuum leaks by setting the fuel on prime and also opening the gas cap as mentioned to check for a fuel vent problem.

I know there was also mention of the coils to look out for but it seems that there is more to check on that.

Am I missing anything?

Bike still runs nice although a little slower since I put on the new MAC 4 - 1 exhaust. It had a kerker 4 -1 but the muffle seemed like it was open with no restrictions, not to mention loud.

-Jonathan

[Deano62]

I have recently noticed the same noise on my bike. Sounds like those old harley's did when they would shift. I hope it isn't serious. If I have to start pouring money into it, watch for a For Sale sign.

Good luck to both of us.

[bkr]

Noisy Clunky Trans.

Hey Guys The XS XJ trans is like a woman, it needs a gentle touch . Try starting your bike in gear after warm up. Works for me. Also found if you put gentle pressure on the shift lever ( up )before shifting gears are more quiet. Every bike is different so try other things. Clutch adjustment is very important on these bikes. Good Luck bkr

[ratbyk]

Clunky Shifting

I agree with bkr on this one. After warm up, shut down, then place in gear and restart. Try being as "SMOOTH" as possible on all your shifts. Don't simply slam it up and down. Feel each shift as your gently shift up and down. After awhile the smoothness will become second nature and your ride satisfaction will go away up. The trans troubles you refer to will disappear. Mine was the same way when I put it on the road but I have learned to ride around the clunky sifting and when you get the hang of it, it feels good.
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"

[chevy45412001]

sorry for post cutting

sorry for the change in subject,but hay thumper you want to get rid of that kerker header system?mine rusted out two pipes were they go into collector,i liked it though and wwant another.

[TheDjost]

A lot of bike transmissions do the klunk thing. In the late 70's and early 80's when our bikes were made, yamaha had somewhat of a reputation of being worse that most, while honda was smoother than most. The klunking does not affect transmission life expectancy, and can be controlled for those that don't like the sound. Most of the suggestions forwarded are good and will help, but I feel that the most determining factor in the loudness or severeness of the noise is the the RPM's at wich you shift. Every bike has it's sweet spot for each gear, and when you hit it there is parctically no sound to be heard/felt.

It's kinda like driving a big semi with non synchro gears... and you CAN'T double clutch. Just find that sweet spot and you won't even need to use the clutch.

Bottom line is if you're lazy like me just ignore it and/or live with it, or if you're touchy on how your bike sounds when shifting, find the sweet spot, shift easy, and keep the clutch well adjusted.

-Justin

[pathfinder]

Clutch what Clutch

I hardly ever use it when normal driving, if you pull up gently on the shifter it will go into the next gear when it needs to. You need to be vigilant in the sound (aka RPM) of your particular ride to know when to start applying slight upward pressure. No clunks, no noise, no lurch just quite and smooth shifting. It is kinda hard to do when riding with the Harley guys I ride with all the time. Can be done down shifting but much more difficult. I'm the 2nd owner I've ridden it this way since I bought it (6500 miles) it now has almost 50,000.

[2fast]

1st gear shift

Something that helps get into 1st without a klunk is simply holding in the clutch for several seconds before shifting into 1st. At the same time, the lower the rpm's, the better. For upshifting, I find the slight preload, a quick clutch pull and release along with a very firm up movement on the shifter works like a charm. Any time I hesitate or slow shift I am likely to have problems. With this technique, rpm level does not seem to matter.

[John]

I'm with Pathfinder on this one. I rarely use the clutch on up shifts, except on the 1-2 shift. There is a certian rpm range when the trans shafts are in sync with each other, and shifting is a breeze. It saves wear 'n tear on the ckutch and the cable. Just a light pressure, and it just slides into gear.

[Shadow]

downshifting

Mine just got a new clucth & I haven't noticed the clank when upshifting but it does make a fairly noticable one when I downshift to come to a stop. Alhtough I admit I'm a newbie rider and have a tendency to downshift all the way down in a group of shifts. So you can avoid the first large clunk when starting the bike by warming it up then starting it with the clutch pulled in?

[ratbyk]

Initial Gear Engagement

It is highly recommended to start in neutral. Warm up the engine then shut down, place in gear then restart.
On down shifting as you slow down try to blip the throttle slightly at each down shift trying to match engine RPM to match the gear you are shifting into. Also instead of down shifting through 2 or 3 gears all in a rush down shift progressively trying to match the gear you are selecting to match the road speed so if you want or have to quickly accelerate you are already in the right gear and in an RPM range that will allow you accelerate smoothly and quickly.
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"

[bkr]

Shifting

Hey Ken Sounds like you paid close attention when you rode your bikes. That's what comes with experience and patience,you learn good stuff. bkr

[ratbyk]

Shifting

bkr, I get a great deal of satisfaction from riding a bike as smooth as possible. It feels good when I get back from a ride and think back that never once during the ride did I clunk the trans, miss a shift or find a false neutral. Just trying to make the old girl last as long as possible. Smooth can also be fast without the appearance of trying to over power or having to muscle the bike around. You let the bike do the work.
I have ridden with lots of; "flamboyant" riders over the years. Ones that exaggerate every shift by stomping up and down on the gear selector or throwing there bodies around as they carve up the twisties with elbows away out and backsides sliding all over the seat. They "look" fast but I still get there at the same time as they do. Many times I have gone back to pick them and their bikes up off the pavement.
Smooth is good!
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"

[beechfront]

i never do the double start.

i just hold the clutch in for 4-5 seconds before engaging 1st gear. helps a lot.

[Jeff]

I've also found that being smooth, firm and deliberate on shifting makes them a lot smoother and less noisy. Its difficult to slap or speed shift these bikes without problems. The worst problem I've had with mine is launching hard and trying to speed shift into second. It had a tendency of not quite making it into second and sticking in neutral which of course can be VERY embarrassing at times when the bike over-revs and you have to shift a second time. One thing I've found that seems to help a lot is simply chopping the throttle down quickly just as I clutch and shift. It smooths the shift out considerably and even sounds cool.


On another note, it was mentioned that your bike lurches or surges around 7k rpm. On my bike.... I've noticed that it pulls quite hard from around 4k up to 6k and then flattens out slightly. At around 7k it REALLY starts to pull but quickly starts to surge. Basically.... it pulls, eases off, pulls hard again.... eases off.... etc. I'd love to figure out what I need to do to fix it because when she starts to pull hard at high RPM it is quite a rush. I'm going to assume it might have something to do with my float levels. I've gone thru the carbs several times but I've never used a stick to sync them..... relying only on the bread tie wire bench sync and have never actually measured the float levels other than eyeballing them. I've also never botherd to use the throttle chop method to check plug color and mixture in all the ranges. As far as idle mixture goes... I've always just adjusted by ear. The bike's engine is pretty well stock except for the Jardine slip-on mufflers. Any suggestions?