2006 Nomad-Upshift 1st to 2nd

[rez]

I'm still in the process of familiarizing myself with this bike. I'm noticing on 1st to 2nd upshift...approx. 50% of the time the shift is somewhat 'difficult'...some 'clashing/grinding' before it fully engages into 2nd. The other 50% it shifts perfectly. All other upshifts and all down shifts are no problem. Clutch operation seems fine to me. I'm not sure if oil brand/type makes a difference?? The previous owner changed oil just prior to me purchasing...it currently has Castrol 10w40 4 stroke (motorcycle) oil (non-synthetic). Bike has 77k kms. Am i doing something wrong? Is this a normal/common sort of thing? Appreciate any comments/thoughts. Thanks.

[swiftboot]

Rez, "difficult" is a relative term, but these things do shift a little noisy. Try running up some rpm before shifting if you arent already. Another thing that sometimes works is hooking your toe under the lever and apply gentle pressure and when you pull in the clutch, shift hard up. This has worked for me but again, you may have other issues with the tranny. Good luck.

I've noticed that the 1st to 2nd shift sounds the "hardest" on my bike. I always thought that this was just one of its quirks.

[kenb]

"Neutral" is between 1st & 2nd. There may be a little extra effort needed to get from 1 to 2. JMHO

[VulcanE]

1st to 2nd is the harshest shift on the Nomads. Like was said before, wind the RPMs up a little, and in all gears, shift FIRMLY. Don't try to break the shifting lever, but don't be ginger with it either. Another thing that helps smooth out the shifting is to use full synthetic oil. Shifting too "easy" or too hard will wear out the shifting ratchet in the transmission. Your shifts need to be deliberate and full.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I took the left side apart and packed cotton in it. That sure quietened it down.

I have owned four Honda's starting with a '73 360, '81 650, '83 Goldwing, '07 1300 and now '08 Nomad all bought new and all have that same quirk. Second is the roughest shift in all the bikes. Downshift from 5th down through the gears is no problem and always shifts smoothly. I mentioned this to the dealer and they have always said that is just the way they shift. Sometimes if you shift from 1st to neutral and then into 2nd it seems to be smoother. I don't think you have a problem just a trait of all bikes transmissions. If anyone has a bike that shifts smoothly on the upshift I hope they let us know.

[bendusty]

I have a 06 Nomad I bought in January and I have found that if you use the heel shifter on 1st and 2nd you don't run into the grinding situation. Hope this helps all of you...

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I always use the heel shifter on upshifts and still have that problem between 1st and 2nd.

[rez]

I am also using the heel shifter for all upshifts. Maybe I need to shift a little 'firmer'..as suggested. I have tried experimenting with different RPM's...with mixed results. Maybe I'm doing an inappropriate comparison to my previous bike...a 1988 Yamaha Venture Royale....which shifted very smoothly up and down thru all gears....with little effort. I may experiment with some different oils....I have previously used 15w40 diesel oil (dino)....would this be a good choice for the Nomad? Thanks for all the quick replies. I just need some assurance I don't have a more serious problem.

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

I took the left side apart and packed cotton in it. That sure quietened it down.

I have owned four Honda's starting with a '73 360, '81 650, '83 Goldwing, '07 1300 and now '08 Nomad all bought new and all have that same quirk. Second is the roughest shift in all the bikes. Downshift from 5th down through the gears is no problem and always shifts smoothly. I mentioned this to the dealer and they have always said that is just the way they shift. Sometimes if you shift from 1st to neutral and then into 2nd it seems to be smoother. I don't think you have a problem just a trait of all bikes transmissions. If anyone has a bike that shifts smoothly on the upshift I hope they let us know.

Gene, How do you shift from 1st to neutral while rolling? It should only shift from 1st to neutral if you are stopped.

A good deliberate heel shift from 1st to 2nd with the rpm's run up should quieten down the noise and make the gear change smoother. Mine used to stumble between those gears before I put the TFI in. Since then, the upshift between 1st and 2nd is much smoother. I've had mine pop out of second to neutral crossing 2 lanes of traffic. I think that happened because it wasn't fully engaged in 2nd gear. That was noisy and I was sure something had broken. It has never done it again.

[Jared]

In between 1st and 2nd can be noisy and difficult on my bike too. I think it's normal because of kawis positive neutral finder.

I've discovered that using the heel shifter particularly between those two gears make is shift a lot smoother.

[psychocycle]

+1 on the comments so far. ::) I had similar issues with my bike. Revs up and use the heel shifter and a good firm quick heel has gotten me from first to second easily after I got used to it. Now I have no problems with this transition but I too noticed this on the Nomad when I first started out on this bike.

[nomadman]

Waiting a split second in neutral and then up to the 2nd is the best remedy.

It also is at my V2K

Give it a try.

It has much to do with feeling and the combination clutch engaging and decellaration.

Good luck!

Nomadman

[MAS Tequila]

Whatever you do DO NOT force the 1-2 shift. The weakest part of the Nomad is that shift fork.

It WILL bend.

How do I know?

Well it's a $2000.00 + repair bill. It's a $40.00 part but you have to pull the engine and split the cases.

Scenario 1:

During heavy acceleration, (for whatever reason), the 1-2 shift is made HARD, under load, and/or without using the clutch lever. The dogs hit each other without dropping in, and something's gotta give!
This single bad shift causes the shift fork to bend.

Immediate result, the bike never goes fully into 2nd gear, EVER AGAIN! The long term effect is that the drive dogs (integral to the gear) wear down what should be straight contact surfaces into a stepped, or tapered surface with rounded corners. These surfaces then become subtle ramps, which encourage the tranny to drop down to neutral. Remember, the tranny is never going completely into second, (until the shift fork is replaced), so each time the dogs slip, they wear worse.

Scenario 2:

Neutral finders work great in that they help you find neutral easily, but as a result the 1-2 shift is a bit longer and more complicated than other shifts. The 1-2 shift needs to be firm (not hard), and complete.... Under normal usage, the shift to 2nd is incomplete due to a weak shift, or the shifter is accidentally bumped when 2nd is already engaged. The immediate result is an unplanned down shift. At this point, the shift fork is NOT bent, but the gear's drive dogs have begun to wear that "tapered" pattern into the drive surfaces (see scenario 1). Each time the 1-2 shift is missed, or partial, the dogs gradually wear more. Eventually the bike will stay in second, unless a load is applied. Once the throttle is twisted, those "ramps" (now an inclined plane, in engineering terms), convert straight shear loading to thrust loading, and the gear drops to neutral...
IOW, on acceleration, the ramps force the gear out of engagement.

In this case the shift fork may be just fine, but the gears will have to be replaced.

If you want to read years worth of experiences with this got to the vroc archives and search 2nd gear. You'll be reading for days.

MT

[Idaho]

Way to go MT. I would say that is a pretty clear description of what happens with our Nomad/Vulcan tranny.

As for me, I was going to say that this question always amazes me because I NEVER shift without the clutch, I ALWAYS use the heal shifter to upshift, and I NEVER have any problem with 1st-2nd. (well, almost never - if I pu**y-foot around at low speed I will find myself in neutral but that does not count)

As far as I'm concerned the tranny is smooth as glass.