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Re: First gear



I've been reading all about these shifting problems over the last several
weeks and have been waiting for it to surface on my '99 ST.  It hasn't, and
I'm not sure why, except to suggest that I must just be lucky.

I actually noticed that the shift from 1st into 2nd was a tad difficult the
first day I rode the bike, but it quickly disappeared, and after not too
many klicks either.  As I recall, finding neutral was tricky a few times
that first day too, and may have been related, but that disappeared too.
Now it's no sweat to hit neutral, either from 2nd or 1st, and that's when
I'm at a complete stop.  Of course it's always going to be easier to slip
into neutral while you're still rolling, but I usually forget, or don't
bother cause I'm concentrating on braking and maintaining my balance as I
come to a stop -- gotta look cool ya know, you never know who might be
watching :-)

That was over a month ago and I've now just past 1000 km.  Yesterday I
picked up the bike after the first service checkup expecting that perhaps
the problem would come back after an oil change, but it didn't.  The bike
shifts still very smoothly -- no different than before.  Contrary to what
others have reported, my bike shifts smoothly into first when the bike is
cold, but I do get a noticeable clunk when I shift from neutral to first
when the bike is good and hot.  Actually I also get the same clunk if, at a
standstill, I shift into second instead of first.  I've learned to ignore
it.

BTW, on a closely related issue (at least I think), I am still using the
same oil that my dealer recommended from day one, namely Motul 10w40.  I
realize that the general concensus is that I should use a full synthetic oil
(15w50 I think), but my dealer doesn't think it's worth the extra expense
(about 20 bucks a liter -- I don't think so!), and they claim they have had
no problem with the stuff I'm using.  I had asked about break-in oil too,
but they didn't seem to think that was necessary for this bike either.  In
particular, I understand that full syntheic oil would only prolong the
required break-in period anyway.  I may switch to ester-based full synthetic
later, but then again I may not unless I hear some compelling reasons that
force me to re-consider.

Other factors that may have a bearing on my situation include the fact that
I did lower the angle of the shift lever as I found the 'stock' setting
inconvenient and uncomfortable (I did this after my first or second ride),
and that I always wear riding boots (sport/motocross variety).  I don't
really think my shifting techniques have much to do with all this either.  I
don't pre-load the shifter and it doesn't seem to matter what RPM I upshift
at either.  I do tend to shift quickly, however.

So there you have it.  My inclination is to leave well-enough alone, and to
save more than a few bucks on oil in the process.  Further comments are
welcome, but this subject seems to have been covered quite thoroughly.  I
just thought that it would be worth relating my experience to the group.



- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Maxhofer" <Thomas.Maxhofer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: March 29, 2000 5:52 AM
Subject: Re: First gear


> David Gaske wrote:
>
> > I to have an RS with just under 600 miles on it.  At first I actually
> > bruised my foot up shifting.  Since then the shifting is greatly
improved,
> > almost like a warm knife through butter.  Neutral is still very hard to
> > find, its easiest to go into 2nd and bump it back into neutral.  It will
> be
> > in for its first service tomorrow, we will see if it goes back to being
> hard
> > to shift or stays the same.
>
> David, it´s exactly the same on my new RS  (only 200 miles so far - too
much
> rain here at the moment). I can´t go to neutral from 1st gear - I always
> have to go to 2nd and then back to neutral. If I manage to get it out of
1st
> gear at all!
>
> >
> >
> >  I am still undecided on what oil to run.  A few posts back someone had
> > heard using the Motul 300V (??) would be better than the Triumph Oil,
but
> I
> > did not see anything else on this.  I will probably run Mobil for the
> first
> > change and then maybe try the Motul for the remainder.
>
> Triumph Germany recommended me to stick with a mineral oil at the first
oil
> change (500 miles service). Obviously the running in phase is not
completed
> at 500 miles. Going to a fully synthetic oil at 500 miles increases the
time
> (better: mileage) until the running in phase is completed. Triumph Germany
> recommends to do an (non scheduled) oil change at about 2000 miles and to
> start using fully synthetic oils at this point. The oil should be a 10W-XX
> or (even better) a 15W-XX, but never a 5W-XX. Motul 300V is a Ester based
> synthetic oil - while Mobil 1 is a PAO-based synthetic oil. PAOs are
> specially treated mineral oils while Ester-based oils are the "real"
> synthetic oils.
>
> Cheers
>
> Thomas
>
>
>
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