On the way to work this morning I started getting issues changing down gears. When you normally get the clunk as it changes it wouldn't clunk. The gear selector peg was moving down but not taking. This was happening from 5th into 4th, so was staying in 5th, and then 2nd into 1st was doing it too. The other gears were fine and changing up was fine through the whole gear range.

To get it to work I had to rev the engine as I tried to change down the gear. After a few times of doing this it seemed to improve.

Is this just the clutch playing up or is it something more sinister? I can't wait to get back to the bike now to go home and try it again in the hope it will be fine all the way home and not do it again.

Surely if it was the clutch all gears would be affected and changing up would be as problematic as changing down?

How long do clutches on bikes last? I'm just touching 42k with the original clutch still on it (GSXR 750wx)

check the oil level as a first thought!

Maybe check the linkage too, it might be getting a little sloppy hence the need for "encouragement" to engage the gears.

Also when was the last oil change? My old gearbox always gets notchy and cantankerous when it needs an oil change.

good point about the linkage..

check the oil level as a first thought!

lol I learnt my lesson the last time I let the oil get low, I check it regularly now :)

Thanks for the replies, turns out it needed some WD40 on the gear selector.

Same old problem I have with everything else on the bike this time of year - rain washes off all the grease from moving parts and they dry out and I end up with dry sticky rear brake pedal, gear selector, side stand etc.

That Loobman I bought has been great for oiling the chain though - squeeze and go each morning after i've ridden in the rain the previous day :thumb:

Incidentally, still on the original clutch on my 66k mile VFR VTEC.

Excellent! waiting to shift this flu type bug I have had before resuming everyday service on the blade.. although enjoying tweaking the scoob everyday :)

Still on original clutch on 98 blade.. close to 95k.

Simon

So is the Loobman vacuum operated like a ScottOiler, or is it a squeeze-fed system?

It is a squeeze fed system - for £20 its a bargain and a doddle to fit cos I managed it with no help for once :D

Another problem this morning though, the electrics are dead :cry: Just waiting for the AA to turn up. Started the other night, got back to the bike turned the ignition, nothing, no lights anywhere :( Panicked a bit then thought feck it press and pull every moving part on the bike lol, pulled in the rear brake lever and lo and behold the ignition lit up. Was hoping it was a one off and put it down to a bit of damp on the electrics. Was fine then up until this morning, gone out and its done it again but this time no matter how much I have pressed, pulled and fiddled about nothing will come on :( Think I might have some rust or damp in the ignition wiring somewhere. Would be nice if it was just a fuse but I doubt it will be that simple if it happened the other day and then was fine and now its not fine again.

you should have bought a Honda.. :) then you just have a flat battery a couple of times a year.. if my bike is a good example.. lol

Sounds like the ignition barrel is not turning correctly etc..

I expect the AA guy will know very little and offer to transport it home/to a shop.
I hope I am wrong.

Simon

lol tell me about it! Next bike WILL be a Honda with the miles I do and your blade is a perfect reason why I will get a Honda.

AA chap checked over electrics. Couldn't fix it, master fuse is OK but fuse block is only showing one live fuse, all others are not live. Could be a broken wire, rotten connection somewhere but the bike is off to my mechanic shortly for them to have a look as they know by bike inside out and they did some rewiring for me last winter. Hopefully they will get it up and running quickly. If not my work arn't gonna be too chuffed, already had my boss call me to check up on me :( Gonna have to take a days holiday at this rate.

bummer..

you should have bought a Honda.. :) then you just have a flat battery a couple of times a year.. if my bike is a good example.. lol

My wifes RVF400 goes through batteries a fair bit as well! :D

Major bummer :( Just back from the garage and not good news. The last wiring they did was an emergency fix where the cut out the wiring block for the ignition and hard wired it. Basically all the other wiring blocks are coroded to buggery on my bike from 30k of constant riding in all weather with no break or rest for the bike in the worst month of winter. Water, damp and crap has got into everyone of the wiring blocks and killed them. The fix is easy enough but its the time it will take and then how much that will cost.

For now i've asked for another temp fix to find hopefully just one dead wiring block and again cut it out and hardwire. But if its all the blocks that need doing then its gonna cost me a fortune in labour. I can't do it as I don't know anything about wiring, don't have any wiring tools and i'd just fek it right up.

Oh and they can't look it until Tuesday so had to take today as holiday and now got to drive the car to work until the bike is fixed which will cost me a packet as well with parking and tube fares. What a sh!t day :( :( :(

One thing learnt, Suzuki did not make GSXR's to be ridden all year round. The wiring blocks are about the cheapest crapiest wiring blocks that could be used - no water/damp protection on them at all. Don't get that with Honda, my CBR 400 RR was kept outside all year round, ridden all year round and the only thing that failed was the cut out switch which rusted, by passed that and then it never failed me again. I'm going back to Honda once I can afford to change bikes!

About to order a new battery :) found a website that does them for £25 last time.. it has lasted nearly 2years which is same as the honda one.. just need to find the website again..lol

Sorry to hear that mate!

could you not get a wiring loom off a broken bike from a breakers and unplug and replace etc?

That wouldn't fix it though would it as the plugs that plug into the loom are going to still need replacing? Thats if I understand the loom correctly - a central wiring ring that all the individual electric components plug into such as lights/indicators/ignition/fuel pump etc?

That is true.. the plug on the components would still be corroded.. I hadn't thought about that.

As I understand it each component will have a run of wire from the fuse box to it etc.. some will be connected onto more than one component though..
but no ring..

Yep that just adds to my wiring issues, but I think the issues are concentrated on the connector blocks as they are such poor quality. My mechanic wants to replace all the blocks with Mercedes wiring blocks as apparently they would fit well and also have excellent waterproof properties but I have told him I can't afford that option currently.

£300 later and its fixed :( Costing me a bloody fortune this bike, all the wiring down the left hand side of the bike had rotted away, ignition switch had to be rebuilt plus some other wires from the fuse box at the front had to be stripped away and replaced. Still a few connectors left on the loom but they currently work but if any more electrical problems they will have to be cut out and hard wired as well.

The way its been going it will be a new bike before much longer :o

ouch!

I can understand you wanting to sell it.. but have you not nearly solved all the issues with it.. for the forseeable anyway?

What would you replace it with?

Simon

Seeing as I own a aprillia I am beginning to wonder if its worth me unplugging everything and spraying the connections with a battery protection spray after hearing your story and knowing how quickly everything else corrodes on my bike.

Simon with how much I have spent on it its not worth selling like you say - i've replaced so much and spent so much that I wouldn't get the money back selling it! Plus I can't afford another bike.

And Farmer one thing I have learnt is that bikes arnt designed to be used all year round and the electrics are very fragile. If I had known this before I would have taped up every connector block on the bike - I doubt spray will do anything if you ride all winter, the blocks need fully waterproofing to stop water/damp damage getting in. I wont have this worry now all the wires are hard wired but its been an expensive lesson in making sure your bike is made winter proof!

Its a spray grease with conduction properties rather simmilar to chain lube rather then wd-40 if that makes sense? So I believe it should insulate from water.

However no harm in doing both for next year.

As long as it stops water from getting into the blocks and then eating its way up the wires then it wont suffer with what mine did. Just picked it up, had to replace the wiring 8 inches each side of each connector as the wiring was black and rotten that far back. It doesn't have a loom anymore lol, its all hardwired as it was cheaper and means it cant happen again next winter.

Thats now over £1k spent on it in a few months :rolleyes:

Thats now over £1k spent on it in a few months :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
Im starting to know that feeling this years expenses:

3 Services about £300
£50s worth of oil
£50 lubricants cleaning products
£50 screen
£90 Chain sprockets
£60 (2 sets) break pads
£200 tyres
£150 New boots
£150 New jacket
£70 New gloves
= £1170

All of the above are consumables which I go through in one year except the screen.

I bought a charger for £11.50 yesterday. . lol

did replace the chain and sprockets and did a couple of tyres and one oil change in the summer.. but oil was free as mate had it left over from selling his bike.. :) MOT was just the fee..

Simon

If I added up the whole of 2005 I am probably looking at £2k, more than what the bike is worth! Just before xmas I had £500 on new front discs and pads, chain and sprocket. £200 on new tyres. Then £336 yesterday for wiring and oil and filter change. I need new tyres 4 times a year roughly, servicing the same number of times if not more. Oh and I also had another £300+ bill late summer time where I had to have the swing arm bearings replaceed along with some other parts.

Biking is one of the most expensive things to do, I just never realised biking with a bike with higher miles is THE most expensive thing you can do :rolleyes:

I save so much by doing it all myself..

Simon thats why I am now trying to learn the basic things to save money and your help on here has been very helpful and appreciated - got a front paddock stand for Xmas so can work on the front as well as the back now. Many things though are way beyond my understanding/ability and cost s a fortune to be done.