2nd gear broken! only 5200 miles!

So ive had this problem for longer than i thought, even after the first 2000 miles on the bike i noticed second gear would sometimes "slip" for a instant randomly, it used to only happen once in a blue moon on hard acceleration, i initially thought that due to the amount of torqu at the base of the wheel, the feelign of slipping was caused by me running over a stick or somehting and it rolling under my tire, since it happened so rarely.

Then came this spring when i started riding my bike again, it happens everytime in second gear at around 6k rpm, then a few weeks later it slips multiple times making second gear impossible to use, the bike is now in the shop, and im waiting to hear news.

One thing that has always bothered me as my bike never seemed to like going into second gear ever, i always rev approprately prior to making the shift and i always use the clutch, but all too often it grinds gogin into second no matter what i do. I dont see what coudl be going wrong with it other than some kind of defect since i only have 5200 miles on it and iv been having this problem as early as 2000 miles.

Also i have noticed that when i am in nuetral the bike will abosolutely never go into second gear without grinding and is always very violent.

I dont knwo much about the peices of a transmission other than the concept of engagement teeth, forks and a cam the moves them, perhaps somebody that works on bikes could give some insight as to what woudl likely cause this problem so early since i wont hear back form the very busy shop it is at for a few weeks.

Ross Miller said:

So ive had this problem for longer than i thought, even after the first 2000 miles on the bike i noticed second gear would sometimes "slip" for a instant randomly, it used to only happen once in a blue moon on hard acceleration, i initially thought that due to the amount of torqu at the base of the wheel, the feelign of slipping was caused by me running over a stick or somehting and it rolling under my tire, since it happened so rarely.
Then came this spring when i started riding my bike again, it happens everytime in second gear at around 6k rpm, then a few weeks later it slips multiple times making second gear impossible to use, the bike is now in the shop, and im waiting to hear news.

One thing that has always bothered me as my bike never seemed to like going into second gear ever, i always rev approprately prior to making the shift and i always use the clutch, but all too often it grinds gogin into second no matter what i do. I dont see what coudl be going wrong with it other than some kind of defect since i only have 5200 miles on it and iv been having this problem as early as 2000 miles.

Also i have noticed that when i am in nuetral the bike will abosolutely never go into second gear without grinding and is always very violent.

I dont knwo much about the peices of a transmission other than the concept of engagement teeth, forks and a cam the moves them, perhaps somebody that works on bikes could give some insight as to what woudl likely cause this problem so early since i wont hear back form the very busy shop it is at for a few weeks.

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Check the adjustment of the clutch, but your symptoms are exactly consistent with worn shifting dogs which typically affect 2nd gear first. Since the bike has low miles, it has either been abused (are you the first owner?) or was defective from the beginning. Time to visit the dealer for warranty consideration. It is a very expensive repair since the engine has to be torn down.

- Mark

Although very rare, you are not the first.

From our friends at Google:

2nd gear site:fjrforum.com

transmission site:fjrforum.com

This might give you a start to any research you need should you have to "bolster" your warranty claim. IMO, with that low mileage, it would take some serious abuse to cause the transmission to fail.

Please keep us updated.

madmike2 said:

Although very rare, you are not the first.
From our friends at Google:

2nd gear site:fjrforum.com

transmission site:fjrforum.com

This might give you a start to any research you need should you have to "bolster" your warranty claim. IMO, with that low mileage, it would take some serious abuse to cause the transmission to fail.

Please keep us updated.

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My dealer said it would only take one missed shift to cause damage sufficient to create these symptoms.

Of course, this is the same dealer that tore the glove box lid off my Feej to remove the fairing, so, they may not have a clue about motorcycles at all.

This might be contributed to the clutch dragging issue due to being assembled with just grease and not soaking the plates in oil. Check your clutch lever adjustment on the lever also. Might need more travel, but it sounds as if it's too late for the trans.

Had the same problem, but, quite a few miles higher. Was repaired under YES - worn dogs.

Why would it happen to second gear and not the others as well, i drive mostly on highway anyways, and even when i cheese it on the highway i only drop to third gear and dont even touch second?

Maybe yours is the 1:10,000 that the metallurgy is off?

Ross Miller said:

Why would it happen to second gear and not the others as well, i drive mostly on highway anyways, and even when i cheese it on the highway i only drop to third gear and dont even touch second?

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Because an upshift to 2nd passes through neutral - it's a long throw and the one where you are most likely to not quite engage the dogs - if they pop out they spread the shifter forks and it's all downhill from there.

My last ride YZF600R (not r6) was famous for the same problem,...yet most, if i remember, even heavily abused bike managed to get at least 10 to 15 thou miles on the clock before going south. I had no problems with mine but could see how the long throw between 1st and 2nd and inattentive shifting could cause trouble. At 5000 miles i would expect some kind of manufacturing/tolerance error causing you'r troubles.

-Don

DonRed7 said:

My last ride YZF600R (not r6) was famous for the same problem,...yet most, if i remember, even heavily abused bike managed to get at least 10 to 15 thou miles on the clock before going south. I had no problems with mine but could see how the long throw between 1st and 2nd and inattentive shifting could cause trouble. At 5000 miles i would expect some kind of manufacturing/tolerance error causing you'r troubles.
-Don

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i used to think that fj's were notorious for 2nd gear problems, as that was pretty much the main thing that was suggested to keep an eye out for when buying a used fj11/1200; i now believe it to be a pretty common problem among many motorcycles, not just the fj. as a previous poster posted, it's due to the shift from 1st to 2nd and the accompanying risks (long shift, potential for miss, etc).

dean

cincinnati

2nd gear is pretty much universally the gear that first causes problems with worn gear dogs or bent gear forks. It's the shift with the biggest jump between gear speeds and the one most likely to be ham-fisted by poor technique, botched wheelies, etc. You spend more time cruising in higher gears, but cruising is not the issue - shifting is.

Give a gearbox serious abuse (e.g., clutchless power-shifting at redline) and you can easily have problems in a thousand miles. And the problem is insiduous - once the sharp edge of the gear dogs are worn off, then the problem rapidly progresses to the point where even normal shifting causes problems. One thing that helps is holding boot pressure throughout the shift and not releasing boot pressure until you've applied power in 2nd gear.

Generally for the first offense and if you come across reasonably, Yamaha will cover it.

- Mark

Definitely sounds like slipping 2nd-5th gear dogs, same thing I went through with my '06: https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//ind...&st=0&p=294564&&do=findComment&comment=294564

06 'dropping' 2nd gear?

In my case Yamaha only offered to cover parts for the repair, leaving me with $1,300 in shop labor. Having a dealer stand up for you for something like this will make all the difference -- in my case I didn't because I took the bike in for repairs at a dealer other than where I purchased it, because my selling dealer changed ownership.

I was only able to convince Yammi to cover the full repair after prepping for litigation and advising their legal dept it would be going to court. I got nowhere with the regional service manager. If Yammi tries to deny coverage, they will likely give you a load of bull about "bad shifts" or "abuse." Think about how absurd it would be for a large auto manufacturer to suggest a single bad shift in a manual transmission in one of their cars could cause tranny failure....

Computers and servos control the shifting in the AE's, so the "bad shift" as root cause is somewhat unlikely, and it turns out there's at least one member on this board with an AE who has had identical problems repaired under warranty -- you'll see his name in the linked thread. If push comes to shove, presenting the info related to that repair in court would probably produce a favorable outcome. Good luck.

And, resurrecting a two year old thread !!

Seems I have the "worn gear teeth" in 2nd gear :angry: Rapid acceleration in 2nd and there's a serious hiccuping (for want of a better word) all the way from 4k on up. Just over 60 thousand on the engine - not too much I'd think, but I do spend a lot of time in second in the twisties and mostly at high revs. Guess I'll take it easy until the inevitable happens

Just venting.

Worn dogs - not good, = $$$$.

dcarver said:

Worn dogs - not good, = $$$$.

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Maybe I need shifting lessons

rogdeb said:

dcarver said:

Worn dogs - not good, = $$.

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Maybe I need shifting lessons

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Ummm you are scaring me!!

puppychow said:

rogdeb said:

dcarver said:

Worn dogs - not good, = $$.

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Maybe I need shifting lessons

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Ummm you are scaring me!!

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Sorry Sam --- after a talk with Zac about it I'm bummed out

rogdeb said:

puppychow said:

rogdeb said:

dcarver said:

Worn dogs - not good, = $.

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Maybe I need shifting lessons

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Ummm you are scaring me!!

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Sorry Sam --- after a talk with Zac about it I'm bummed out

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What exactly did Zac say? How does one know if they are shifting right? I have never had a missed shift (meaning tried to put it into gear but found neutral or it didn't go in). However, 1st to 2nd hasn't always been quick and smooth snick snick like the other gears...

...signed Paranoid in Folsom..