Missing the shift

[lzyellodog]

Hi,

I am new here, so here is some info:
Bike: 78 R100/7
Miles: 90K+
Experience: Novice

The question I have is sometimes when I shift fast I seem well definitely miss the gear I am headed to and need to pull the clutch and try again. If i take my time and shift very mellow it goes into gear no problem. Is this my inexperience or is the tranny not functioning? It does not come out of gear or make any noises.

Thanks,
Jim in CT

[jmerlino]

Hi Jim,

I'm a novice rider too, and the best advice I've gotten on this subject says to shift deliberately and positively, but not jerkily. In other words, you want to press the shift lever, not stomp on it.

That said, my '82 R100 definitely has a false neutral between 2nd and 3rd gear. Someday, I'll investigate rehabing the gearbox, but it's a ways down the list of stuff that needs to be done.

[James.A]

Joe M is correct. I've ridden quite a few airheads, and they do not take kindly to banging gears. I had 1 with a lightened flywheel which was slightly more tolerant than a stock set up. The lightened flywheel drops off the RPM's almost instantly when you throttle down and pull the clutch. If your'e a gear jammer, it is a useful mod.

oh...by the way...welcome to the funny farm!

[lzyellodog]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I too have the false neutral. That is what I was talking about just not sure the correct terminology. I am still getting used to the bike aand allthe quirks associated with it. I have put about 500 miles on it since may. Starts every time and runs as long as it has gas in it. Don't ask.

Being so new to the whole thing, how much vibration is normal? You know how you get with a new toy. I just do not have any comparison. Anybody in CT want to take a ride let me know and maybe you assess the bike for me. I think I need to do some carb work still. I get a little surging at about 3k rpm. As well as alittle hesitation.

Thanks for the quick replies,

JIm

[jmerlino]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I too have the false neutral. That is what I was talking about just not sure the correct terminology. I am still getting used to the bike aand allthe quirks associated with it. I have put about 500 miles on it since may. Starts every time and runs as long as it has gas in it. Don't ask.

Being so new to the whole thing, how much vibration is normal? You know how you get with a new toy. I just do not have any comparison. Anybody in CT want to take a ride let me know and maybe you assess the bike for me. I think I need to do some carb work still. I get a little surging at about 3k rpm. As well as alittle hesitation.

Thanks for the quick replies,

JIm

Where in CT are you? I'm in Boston, but I can get down into the northwestern part of CT easily enough.

You should consider having your bike in for a good service. They'll change the fluids, check your valve clearances and sync your carbs. That made my bike run a lot smoother, and eliminated the flat spot in the acceleration that I was getting around 3800 RPMs. (Of course a carb rebuild is a good idea for an old bike, too, but I want to wait for the winter on that one.

[lzyellodog]

I have done all that work myself so far with the help from a friend that is a mechanic. The carbs have been tough to do and I ordered some new springs for the mechanical advance. Bob's BMW siad that it might help with the timing of motor, etc.

I live in Middletown which is about 20 minutes south Hartford.

Jim

[jmerlino]

I live in Middletown which is about 20 minutes south Hartford.

Maybe we could meet up around the northeastern part of CT some time. (I grew up in West Hartford, so I've been to Middletown on occasion.)

[pmdave]

BMWs require brains, not just brawn. Stomping on the lever to shift is a sin that should be punished by amputation, perhaps castration to reduce the stomping gene pool. It works with some transmissions because the shift dogs typically have straight faces, and pounding on the lever shakes things around and lets the dogs engage. With BMW and Moto Guzzi, stomping on the lever just bends the expensive internal parts.

So, when shifting the "old" 4 or 5 speed gearboxes, the drill is to "preload" the lever slightly with your toe, then squeeze the clutch. The 5 speeds (like that '78) will shift quickly and quietly. The 4 speeds (like an R75/5) will shift quickly, but with a definite clunk. It helps to ease off the throttle slightly so that engine revs match driveshaft speed in the selected gear. You don't close the throttle and wait (long enough to say "Bayerisch Motorren Werk") because then the engine has to get spooled up again as you release the clutch.

You can actually "speed shift" the 5 speeds. Accelerate, then preload the lever, pop the clutch just halfway and release very quickly. The shift dogs will snick into the next "gear" quicker than you can say "BMW". The important part of that is to PRELOAD the shift lever just before snapping the clutch, and keeping the lever preloaded until after it has shifted.

At a stop with the clutch squeezed and the transmissin in neutral, simply stepping on the shift lever may not engage 1st gear. DO NOT STOMP, under penalty of a ruler slap on the toe, or perhaps decapitation. The technique is to press down lightly on the lever, then ease the clutch out just enough that the internal parts begin to rotate. As the shift dog lines up with the slot, it will shift--easily and quietly. Squeeze the clutch again once it's in gear.

The one time I will stomp something is when I find someone stomping on any of MY shift levers--one reason I seldom allow anyone to borrow my bikes.

pmdave

[boofer]

Well said,

[jgr451]

Thank the goo hood luh horrddd for your right to free speech,pmdave!!Forget about that mincing of words,politically correct stuff.

Of course,I agree with all your advice.

[lzyellodog]

It's all good. At least there is no way I can misinterpret what he is sayng. I only have the problem when I am in heavy traffic and needto romp on her. I do not normally do that. I am ussually pretty gentle and mellow. If I want to beat on something it is my 4runner. Not that I drvie that all that hard. I appreciate the honestly.

Jim

[pmdave]

Jim, when traffic suddenly comes to a freakin halt and you're not in 1st gear, that's when you need to use your brain rather than your stomping foot. If you stomp and bend, you might find yourself sitting there with a scrunched transmission when traffic starts to move.

So, flip up your shield, sock yourself hard in the forehead with a large Crescent wrench, and then shift with your recently awakened brain: preload the lever and ease out the clutch until it snicks into gear.

The wrench can be carried in a holster, if needed, and can also be used for mundane tasks such as removing the axle nut, cracking coconuts, or fighting your way out of bars in the wrong part of town.

pmdave

[lzyellodog]

I like the wrench Idea. I will learn.

[Kopia]

You might want to try loading the shifter. BMW traneez respond well to this technique. You'll get smooth and quiet shifting if you put some preessure on the shifter before pulling the clutch.

[trmptrmrk]

I had the same problem with shifting - mostly on downshifts and rarely when upshifting. People told me PRELOAD over and over again... which seemed to consistently help with upshifting but sometimes make downshifting even harder! I finally used my brain and realized the problem wouldn't just be solved by preloading because if your revs have dropped too low before you ease the clutch you'll be applying pressure to hold the gears in the "false neutral" position!

This has been discussed on this forum before and someone pointed out that there is a good discussion about it here:
http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/Gear_Shifting.htm
(The key is to shift in a range of RPMs that allows the gears to shift! Preloading can help with this, but only if you understand why...)

I wish I had read that before buying an old BMW...
My primary solution is to blip the throttle on downshifts. And when you miss a downshift and find yourself at a stoplight unable to shift into first gear try this - keep the clutch in, blip the throttle, and downshift. Figuring this out has taken a lot of stress out of sitting at stoplights, preloading the shifter, and easing out the clutch while hoping the bike will downshift! (which it wouln't do for me until I opened the throttle enough to get the revs in the right range!)

Speed shifting works for the exact same reason because when you preload the lever for up shifts the gears won't mesh until the revs drop into that "happy range".