Shifting from 1st to 2nd

[carolinakid1]

Alabama Nomad Rider,
Riding a friend's VTX 1300 this weekend and hope his has the heel shifter as you mentioned as that is all I use on my Nomad.

[MAS Tequila]

First thing, there is a difference between shifting firmly and 'shifting like you're mad at it'.

If you repeatedly 'bang' the 1-2 shift you WILL bend the shift fork.

$2500 job to fix as the cases have to be split.

Have you ever seen what the trans is like or how it functions?

The 1-2 shift requires the furthest travel of all the shifts on these bikes. The shift drum rotates further and moves two shift forks through the change cycle instead of one as in the other shifts between gears.

And then there is the neutral detent.

So preload your shift with a little pressure and step through the shift. But please don't bang it.

Don't ask me how I found out this info.

MT

[Loafer]

Mine gives me problems when I don't get the revs up to a certain point. When I get it right, it is smooth.

[danimal2]

I find just the opposite to be true. I shift from first to
second at low speed and low rpm. That's the smoothest
shift I can make with it.

Basically I just use first to get rolling. As soon as I'm
away, I'm going to second.

We're all different and obviously have different techniques,
but this is what works best (smoothest) for me, particularly
on a first to second shift.

If you have a driveshaft I find they're inheritantly a little
less forgiving on the lurching/bucking thing. Belts and
chains seem to be easier to get a smooth shift on.

Mine being a 99 has a shaft final drive.

Oh yeah, when I first got it I toe shifted only (dirt bike roots).
I'm giving my toes a break and went to heel shifting now.
These big ol Kaws don't shift quite as easy as my little YZF did.

[thedude]

My bike is smoothest when I shift from 1 to 2 at 20 mph or higher. Below 20 mph and I get the clunk.

[dennis49]

My bike and other Nomads I have ridden all clunk if the shift is not exactly right and a deliberate movement. Mine works best shifting and clutching in one fluid movement, under harder acceleration it is as smooth as silk. Shifting early sometimes works great but more times than not shifting with acceleration works best hands down, smooth as any bike out there, just don’t get the timing wrong or sounds like an old Harley. I find toe shifting gives 100% more consistently smooth shifts so much so I removed my heal lever besides I have a size 13 and the darn thing is always in the way I can’t get my whole foot on the floor board.

Doesn't have anything to do with Oil, I have tried many and not one Brand has made any difference in the shift behavior on my bike. I have never used non synthetic so I can’t speak for the cheaper oils. The best I have used is Amsoil motorcycle oil but it’s expensive I now use Rotella T6 because it’s cheap and I’m cheap. The only positive deference I have seen with any oil over the other is Royal Purple (but hard to find), the positive difference with Royal Purple was in running temp, this oil took much longer than any of the others for the temp to get up to normal driving temp.

[thedude]

Not true for me Dennis. When I put Mobil 1 in, my sifted differently. This last change I let the dealer put in a semi-sythetic and if shifts harder. I can also tell when it's time for an oil change simply by the way the bike shifts when the oil gets older.

[dennis49]

I have tried every synthetic to find a differnence and it's not happening for me. I might put regular oil in to see if it gets worse. Mine makes no difference if I have fresh oil or ready to change and they other I know with Nomads share this experience. I don't have a big sampling of Nomads I have only ridden with and know of the seven in my area.

[schoeney]

Dennis, Maybe you are not as connected wit the inner soul of your Nomad like some of the others.

She needs you to connect with her more often so she can share her inner most feelings (like what oil pleases her most!). ;)

Just need to spend more time ridin.

[cocheese72]

Mine does the same thing. Gives kinda of a "da da da da" sound as if the gears do not mesh beautifully. I have tried all the suggestions and none really fix it, they are more like band-aids to the issue. Use the heal toe, shift at high RPM, shift at low RPM, use this oil, or that oil, apply some pressure, etc. I wish mine was just a clunk, and maybe it will never get any worse than this, but it does not seem right. Considering about everything else I have ridden do not do it, including my other 08 Kawasaki and even some ratty 20 year old bikes I ride on occasion, it seems like a bad setup. I hope they got it fixed by the 1700s. If it is the neutral finder, and they can't get it to work any better than this, I could do without the neutral finder.

Sometimes it is perfect shift, and every every other gear as well as down shifts are great. Now I can work to recreate that perfect scenario, but personally I think it should shift to second without issue, either fast, slow, high rpm, low rpm, etc.

[danimal2]

Something sounds wrong there. By your description it sounds far worse than the others. Mine is barely perceptible and scarcely worth complaining about. Might be time to take it to the shop?

[schoeney]

Originally Posted by danimal2

Something sounds wrong there. By your description it sounds far worse than the others. Mine is barely perceptible and scarcely worth complaining about. Might be time to take it to the shop?

+1

[cocheese72]

It shifts best from temps that are the coldest, like the mornings I took off in the 30 degree range. If that sheds any light on causes. Maybe a thicker oil would help but I am currently on Shell T6. I think I used T triple before that. Seemed the same on both of those.

Unless a shop can do something without splitting the case, $2500 is not an option. I have bled the slave, and put in a new clutch spring. Seemed to help, but it still occurs.

If it gets to the point of not shifting or popping out of gear, I will take it apart myself with some assistance from my uncle.

[danimal2]

Originally Posted by cocheese72

Unless a shop can do something without splitting the case, $2500 is not an option. I have bled the slave, and put in a new clutch spring. Seemed to help, but it still occurs.

If it gets to the point of not shifting or popping out of gear, I will take it apart myself with some assistance from my uncle.

I'm with ya on that one. The shop is always last ditch for me. However, taking into consideration the complexity of the transmission, I don't know that I would take that one on. Quite a lot going on in there for a backyard hack like me.

[cocheese72]

In honesty mine is probably very similar to others. I am about to try some new oil, one of the 15w-40 from either Mobile or Chevron to see what happens. I don't expect much, but will report back.