Gearbox Oil

[jpisace]

Next question - it's been a busy weekend you see. Had the bike (an 1150) 10 days now and done 800 miles trying to familiarise myself with the foibles of the stock bike...

... the gear change action is really cr*p. I think i read somewhere on the forum that changing the oil for a different option (viscosity, synthetic ??) might improve this a bit. Certainly can't be any worse than the noises that are coming from there at present.

Yes mine is 'run-in' as it already has 51K on the clock and it doesn't seem any worse than all the other examples i've test ridden, but if it could be improved to somewhere near what a sympathetic mechanical ear could tolerate it would be a huge improvement for me. Any ideas gratefully received

Johnieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[Iain Hogg]

While I agree that the gearchange is somewhat "agricultural", it does get better with practice!

You need to make a very definite foot movement to get a clean(ish) change and it may help to adjust the lever according to the thickness of your boots (assuming that you are not riding in flip-flops in the hot weather ).

Try, also, some clutchless changes - it is possible to get all the way up and down the box without grating metal!

Meanwhile, good luck, and try a better pair of earplugs!

Iain

 

[MikeO]

Johnny,

a more likely cause of your poor gearchange is the linkage, which gets cruddy after a while. Take it apart (a search for 'gear linkage' on this site will probably give you some guidance) and re-assemble it after cleaning & lubricating - you may well find your problem has disappeared.....

Mike

 

[Gecko]

Yup I'd second that Mike O. Probably never got done during the p.d.i. at the dealer which may explain things. Get the WD40 on it .

 

[Greg Masters]

I put fully-synth oil in (it took me ages to find) and it's totally transformed!

Greg

 

[MacDram]

I put fully-synth oil in (it took me ages to find) and it's totally transformed!

Greg

Greg,
Do you think the transformation is due to the fully-synth oil or just the fact it is fresh oil?
Had you previously changed it at all, and if so, what type and mileage etc.?

Cheers.

 

[Greg Masters]

I changed at 12k miles. I don't think that the g/box oil had been changed before.

Greg

 

[jpisace]

Suggestions

Hi All,

Thanks for all the comments. Had a look at the gear change linkage. There is a fair amount of freeplay in there anyway so i'm planning on taking some of that out for starters, then adjusting it to suit my preferences (when i work out what they are). After that if it's still exhibiting traits similar to a well known 4x4 (that i also have lots of experience with) then i'll be trying the synthetic option too. I don't mind 'agricultural' (as that is my background [machinery - NOT animals, before anyone starts]) but i do mind gearbox failure and it sounds that bad that the latter seems far more likely. I'll have a 'play' and see what improvements can be gained from all your advice, thanks

Johnieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[MacDram]

Re: Suggestions

I'll have a 'play' and see what improvements can be gained from all your advice, thanks

Johnieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Remember to let us know what worked.

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Re: Re: Suggestions

Remember to let us know what worked.

I think once these babies go over 40k they start losening up a bit and get smoother all round. I just replaced my gearbox oil with good old SAE 80/90 and works fine. Do reckon fresh oil every season(6-8 months) does the trick nicely and enhances the performance.

Cheers