So what is it about 3rd gear?

[gazuk]

So, had my 2016 GSA with Gear Shift Assist since Sept 2018 and done around 4500 miles.

Did lots of reading about how to use Gear Shift assist - 4000rpm thrid gear and up - and it works great. The thing is, the normal clutch gear change from 2nd to 3rd is notchy (very rarely goes in smooth). If I try the gear shift assist with high revs from 2nd to 3rd its sometimes better, but clunky and nothing like the changes from 3rd and upwards. Anyone experiencing the same thing?

Don't get me started on the change down using Gear Shift Assist. Worked perfectly about 4 times in the last 4500 miles.

I did get BMW to check it all out when I had it serviced in November.

Absolutely love it changing up from 3rd gear and upwards though.

 

[gazuk]

Just reading through previous posts and seems 'kill timing' may be the reason Gear Shift Assist works better in the higher gears.

 

[Bem]

I think its about the build quality of the box, not the GSA on the GSA.
My 2015-built GS has a bit of a crappy gearbox clunking in to first from neutral, sometimes stiff and sometimes smooth up to second etc
Rode a 1250 earlier this year and its box was a delight - the only real improvement.

 

[spoonz]

Have a look at warlords posts re cam timing and shift assist. It’s a small sample so not definitive but food for thought.

 

[taminator]

If you want a real gearbox buy a SUZUKI

 

[CPJS]

I think the gearbox was designed by two different teams, gears 1,2 and 3 drawn up in a kindergarten in the black forest and gears 4,5 and 6 by 1st year engineering students and the quick shifter designed by.........just someboby they found. Not exactly gelled as a whole has it ? And my '17 box is an improvement over the'14 bike I had.
Downshifts need at least 4500rpm on closed throttle and a firm press on the gear lever, up changes only work for me on mid revs part throttle, full chat and I can't move the lever, maybe my weedy little feet!

 

[Mr Bean]

My '63 plate with the shift assist was perfect. I could go all the way from first to sixth and back down without issue - smooth as you like. If you were nailing it first and second up changes were better with the clutch, down was still ok.

Can there be calibration issues?

 

[vRSG60]

On my 64 plate GS the GSAP wasn't good at all going up the gears. Going down it worked a treat. On my 2018 GSA it works up and down gears as it should, a delight to use.
It's easy to use clutchless changes up the box anyway if the revs aren't too high.

 

[the woodster]

I've just come to accept that it's not the best engine and gearbox for a quickshifter.

 

[discoed]

The quick shifter on my 67 plate (GSA) is great - I use it all the time and even smooth from 2nd to 1st. No complaints, better by far than on my previous 16 plate.

 

[Jimmer83]

I thought the gearboxes on both my gs were the weakest point of the bike and gsap worked better going down the box rather than up. My 15 plate box was pretty grim for the 1st 5k miles, it did get better after that. My 67 plate was better
although selecting 4th even with the clutch was becoming an issue by the time I traded it in on 10k miles. One of the reasons I went for a s1000xr this time. Only ever use the clutch to get moving.
If the gs had as slick a box as the xr it would be magic. I think some of the problem lies with the ratio spacing of the gs, the xr is much closer ratio meaning the engine has to change speed less to engage the next gear.

 

[Weird Bob]

They have improved in ever so small increments since my first 1150. That was a proper agricultural box. Selecting first was a proper clunk that could be felt through the whole bike.
My current 1200 LC is really smooth when cold and can use GSAP on any gear but once it gets hot I only use GSAP for the top three gears.

 

[Morety]

I have no issues with mine on a 66 plate. Changes up perfectly from 2nd upwards and from 6th downwards...smooth as butter. I wonder if many people are using it correctly and not closing the throttle completely on the downshift as you're meant to then complaining that it's notchy? No issues whatsoever with 2nd to 3rd gear either. The only clunky changes are from 2nd to first, manually or using shift assist pro and first to 2nd can be a little cluncky sometimes but other than that, it's a good gearbox. Maybe I'm lucky and have a "good 'un" who knows? No complaints though. The other GS I rode on test rides was similar to mine also.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

They have improved in ever so small increments since my first 1150. That was a proper agricultural box. Selecting first was a proper clunk that could be felt through the whole bike.
.

How very dare you

 

[Weird Bob]

How very dare you

Well it wasn’t as bad as selecting first on the K1200R that was a proper clang.

 

[daviedevs]

My 66 gsa gear shift assist is perfect from any gear 1-6.

Pin it going up and zero throttle coming down. Never had any issues.

 

[Rockred]

For the last year I’ve been doing my own services, and on the oil change I have been putting in 10/40w, as it never get really cold down here. On start up using the recommended 5/40w before it would clunk most of the time going into 1st, since the change to 10/40w it now goes in smooth as butter every time.

The quick shifter is also a little smoother most of the time. The bike is a 15 plate GS.

Any thoughts about trying different oil grades, bearing in mind the temperatures here in Southern Europe?

Thanks.

 

[spoonz]

Interesting about the oil but could it be brand as once the bike has a bit of engine temp I doubt the oil viscosity is much different between 5w and 10w.

 

[Rockred]

Interesting about the oil but could it be brand as once the bike has a bit of engine temp I doubt the oil viscosity is much different between 5w and 10w.

I agree, once the engine warms up it’s back to clunking when going into 1st. It’s only smooth as butter when you first start it up in the morning. The extra thickness only help’s when the engine is cold.

 

[Shurv]

I've recently picked up a 2015 1200 GSA with quickshifter, what a horrid thing the shifter is. I have spent 40 years honing the skill to make seamless upshifts from 2nd to top, and perfectly rev matched down shifts, then along comes "progress" to feck it all up. Can I disconnect the thing? I'd prefer a normal gearchange now I've done a few hundred miles on it. It seems to be the worst of each, the upshifts are not as smooth as old school clutchless upshifts, and down shifts are just OK but not as good as I can do myself. I guess it's called progress. Other than that I love the bike.