shifting promblems

[jason1979g]

i just got the my zilla runing and had it out the frist time. coming from a 200cc blaster to this beast is overwelming. i'm kinda scard of it. any way, frist run on it when shifting down i can go form 3rd to 2nd. it shifts fine 1st to 5th, it just wont shift down form 3rd. any and all help would be great!

[pinger.j.]

does it the shirtfer move but the gear does change? or is the shifter just solid? this probably isnt it but when i changed my tranny oil i noticed it a bit smoother to shift....

[jason1979g]

its new oil in there. the shifter moves freely but no gear change. after a bit contining trying to down shift it does down shift. usely have to shut the engine off to do so.

[sblt500r]

is your clutch disengadging all the way? but it might be a worn shifting fork

[Kane]

Pull the clutch cover off and make sure the shift arm is engaging the drum cam properly. You may be off by one tooth. A worn fork will usually cause a fast clicking or grinding noise when you try to shift gears,up or down. If the shift shaft is off by one tooth it will shift nice in one direction but not the other. Also check for debris. Anything that might have snapped will almost always collect directly under the shiftshaft on the LT500, preventing downshifts.

[sblt500r]

but it sounds like something is not disengaging all the way. because he said it down shifts when its not running.

[Kane]

Sure, but this can happen even when the teeth arent properly meshed. When the engine isnt running the gears have an easier time meshing because they are either not moving or moving very slowly(rocking the bike ect). Like when trying to determine if you have tranny problems buying a used bike, you never waste time shifting the bike not running. Even broken gears seem fine until the bike is under it's own power. Then it grinds, pops, or doesnt even go into gear.

My answer isnt the final word, only a suggestion. And then only if the bike ran fine before someone was recently in the engine on the clutch side. If it just started doing this and no one has had the cover off recently....I would then seriously doubt the shifter meshing being the problem. Thats something you actually have to put on wrong to be the problem.


I would have to ask if there is any noise, period, coming from the engine as you try to shift? As well, this is not a clutch cable problem as many/most racers don't even use the clutch, they just shift without it. Thats why many racers have their gears undercut.