joe camarda Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Shifting is no longer FUN as my V11 Sport tranny is progressively developing more false nuetral shifts between 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 gears! I know this has been covered in some depth in previous threads, but I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had direct experience with using a non-OEM MG spring. And spring base. I am especially interested in finding out where to obtain a spring and spring base. On the other hand, has anyone had the warranty work done with an OEM spring, and was the replacement satisfactory? I guess that I'd like to hear from ANYONE who has had this problem successfully resolved.
guzzi323 Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 I had my shifter spring break but it was fixed in a few days under warranty. That was a few thousand miles ago and so far, so good. I never had a problem with false neutrals. Have you checked the linkage to be certain that A) everything is tight and it's properly adjusted so it doesn't hit anything. I know if you set the lever height too low it can hit the frame when downshifting. Is it still under warranty? johnk
docc Posted March 14, 2003 Posted March 14, 2003 Joe, how many miles on your sport? Could it be time to change the gear oil and adjust/grease the shift mechanism? Also, there is an adjustment by the shifter to center the pawl engagement. Rich had said that the return spring problems were an '02 phenomenon. Good luck, docc
Mike Stewart Posted March 15, 2003 Posted March 15, 2003 Hi Joe, I don't think the 02 Lemans spring breakage problem is what is causing your false neutral condition. I have had my share of false neutrals and thought my problem was gone since I just had most of my transmission replaced. I still hit them. One place to look for problems is on the shifter linkage. I had the screws back off a few times on the pivots, this will make the shifter throw really sloppy. I have been thinking of making the shifter throw shorter to see if that would help the false neutral problem. Mike
docc Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 It occurred to me you might want to bleed your clutch hydraulics as well. Looking for all the 'simple' maintenance and adjustment items for a simple solution. When my V11sport was shifting poorly the most common advice I received was, " romove boot, insert new more aggressive foot." Also, the idea that something inside the box was amiss (which does happen but let's hope. . . ). As it turned out, some careful fettling made a huge difference. Typical Guzzi , just wants to be fettled!
Guest geezerx Posted March 18, 2003 Posted March 18, 2003 My 2000 V11S developed a habit of missed shifts shortly after I purchased it last year. It's problem ultimately seems to have been caused by LFS (lazy foot syndrome). I recently moved the shift linkage to the upper hole for shorter throw and then adjusted the pedal to its' lowest possible position without conflict with the frame on a downshift. No missed shifts since then, knock-on-wood. My darn foot just didn't want to tilt up that high unless closely monitored. I'm now thinking the shifter's toe-piece could even be lower for my comfort range. Has anyone experimented with increasing the downward arc of the shift lever?
Mike Stewart Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 I always blame miss shifts on myself, but so many owners of the V11 complain about missed shifts, one has to wonder. I have never missed a downshift and you are right about the amount of throw the shifter has (even in the upper hole). I thought about moving the shift lever down like you but then my foot wouldn't be able to slide under it for the shift. I am planing to make a extension where the linkage bolts the the shifter so the throw will be even shorter. Mike
Guest geezerx Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 Hey Mike, now there is a thought. Shortening the throw with an extension would allow me to again adjust the lever down slightly. The downstroke would still end at the same place but the neutral position of the shifter would be lower, I think. On the other hand, this extension would increase the pedal effort, yes???
docc Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 If your bike shifts down easier than up it sounds like you need to adjust the pawl engagement.
joe camarda Posted March 19, 2003 Author Posted March 19, 2003 Guys, thanks for the advice. Yesterday I drained the transmission oil and replaced it with "Red Line" Heavy Duty Gear Oil. The bike shifts MUCH easier now...can the solution really be THIS simple? I only went for a short ride after the change but the difference was incredible, and only one missed shift, and that because I was trying to see how "lightly" I was now able to shift. Anyhow, the problem was intermittent, so I'm hoping that I'm just not in the "inter" part of the occurrence. But for insurance I am going to also perform some of the changes suggested as an extra margin of safety. Also noteworthy: When I pulled the magnetic drain plug it was pretty "fuzzy" with metallic chips. Is this normal? 3 K miles. No previous problems downshifting whatsoever... only upshifts. I'll keep y'all posted. Joe
jrt Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 Hmmm, weird. If changing the oil helped that much, you might want to get some moly additive to further smooth it out. Every time I change my oil, there's always a bit of metal. Mine usually looks like sludge, though. Keep the filings in a plastic bag- just think of it as evidence Then change the oil in 3000 miles again and compare. Previous posts are correct though- even though this is an 'improved' transmission, Guzzi tends to like an authoritarian shift, and having a correctly setup and lubricated shift mechanism is key. cheers, Jason
joe camarda Posted March 19, 2003 Author Posted March 19, 2003 Hi Jason. Does the moly additive go into the transmission oil? I was under the impression thet it went into the final drive oil. Regards, Joe
jrt Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 Either or both. I bought some moly concentrate and diluted it into synthetic gear oil. It doesn't take much. That goes into both transmission and rear drive on my Eldo. I haven't changed the oil yet on my V11 (though my dealer has- so I let him worry about it for now). I think it helps a little bit, but nothing over the top. Cheers, Jason
docc Posted March 19, 2003 Posted March 19, 2003 What's the manual say for gearbox oil change interval? Is it 6000 miles? Sounds like too long if shifting degrades before then. What do you think 3000 miles or at every engine oil change?
Mike Stewart Posted March 20, 2003 Posted March 20, 2003 I have tried dino oil, vegi oil, and both with moly additive (one oil at a time). My conclusion is that the type of oil makes no difference on the Guzzi for missed shifts. If I try, I can find a false neutral in just about any gear on the V11 Sport. So my thinking is a very long and firm shift is needed. I have had days where I have missed half a dozen shifts and the next day I do not miss any. I wonder if shifting with out the clutch will make for more positive shifting? Just a thought, of course we need someone to try that with at least 3 months of warrantee left. I am a firm believer in moly lube, I had transmission issues with my BMW R1100RSL after the trans fluid was replaced with synthetic oil. On long rides like down highway 5 in hot weather, the bike would get stuck in 5th gear and I would have to mash down on the shifter to get it out. I took it back to the dealer many times and they could not duplicate the condition (I guess they don't allow techs to road test a few hundred miles). Anyway, I had the bike serviced at a BMW/Guzzi dealer and they replaced the synthetic oil with good old 90 Wt. with moly. I never had the problem since. Mike
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