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shifting is clunky...

14K views 45 replies 13 participants last post by  Nemo1966 
#1 ·
My 2012 cb500f with about 4000 miles shifts poorly. This is based only on my experience with other bikes I have ridden. The shifting (up or down) on this bike is not very smooth and regularly it is more effort that it should be find neutral. Is this a common complaint or experience?

Cheers!
Dan
 
#2 ·
Mine was like that when I first got it. A simple adjustment on the lower adjuster is all I needed to do.

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#4 ·
An oil change should fix that. I always change at ~2k-2.5k miles. That keeps that from happening.

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#5 ·
One thing I think that may help cause the "clunkiness" is the clutch is too tight, and when engaging it, it still is putting some "turning" pressure on the gears. Try re-adjusting the clutch cable (rotate the adjuster so it is longer). Just make sure you don't go too far and have the clutch slipping when riding.
 
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#12 ·
My clutch is adjusted to have a small (10mm) amount of play on the handlebar lever, so it's very much operating properly. The oil was changed at 600 as I was unsure if the donor bike had its first service before it was written off. Its Now only one 1850 miles. As say some rides its beautiful and smooth, others clunk clunk clunk be it a 5 minute ride or an hour

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#17 ·
Yes, the "shift drum" was updated on 2016+ models.

Firstly, hard to interpret what "clunky" is.
Anyway, my earlier model 500R (2013-15) felt "thick & sticky" when new.
Fresh thinner oil improves it quite a lot (temporarily); gear change feels "light and tactile" (e.g. only need to press the shifter halfway and it "lightly clicks in" by itself).
It slowly got better every 10,000 km; "acceptable" after 20,000km; at 30,000km better again. As a result, my oil change is getting longer.
 
#19 ·
I don't recall "clunk on 2nd" happening on mine; maybe I just didn't notice. (nor did 2nd ever drop-out to neutral by itself; that would mean it never got into 2nd properly in the first place).

On mine, the shifter was set too high (when new). After lowering it (~1/2"), up shifts felt more positive and easier, particularly 1st to 2nd which felt like a longer upshift. The shifter is level with my foot's natural resting position.

My clutch free play is only a little. I keep the cable "nearly slightly tensioned" at the bottom (old school method) using thumb to press "that little lever" (bottom end of the cable) to judge where the "initial" tension starts. That's the "sure way" to do it.
 
#20 ·
Mine is set the same way, if I can move the clutch lever on side of engine a tiny bit I'm happy, this leaves a fractional amount of play on handlebar lever that I referred to. It has dropped out of 2nd once. That's it.

I did try moving the shifter one spline but it was far too much, as it sits my foot is just about in contact with it for shifting up. All things I've checked thinking maybe something just needed adjusting a bit. I have read a few times people saying it beds in and improves a lot with mileage but as yet on 2000 miles nearly it's still random whether she's wants to be nice or clacky. I've even tried shifting at different points in the rpm, still no descernable change

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#23 ·
@mrtigger, your situation might be a bit different because yours is a project quad. I don't know how much of the donor frame you used. Could be you may need a different length cable or may need to route differently.

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#24 ·
None of the original frame was used at all. Just the engine, loom, clocks and switchgear etc. Essentially the engine has everything there it would have had just in a different frame. I did ponder if the clutch lever wasn't reaching full travel but it seems to be doing so.

And again, it's sporadic. Some rides its lovely hot or cold long or short, others it's not. Very odd

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#27 ·
I have been a teacher for 28 years. I find that when people understand the principles of what they are doing it goes a long way to helping them figure out how things work.

Other than getting a person going, just telling a person to "adjust this" or "turn that" does them no long term good.

It just makes them dependent upon others. Perhaps that's what people want?
 
#31 ·
I'd say that does have an effect on cable tension. A cable that has been loosely adjusted, for example would have more slack than a cable that is tightly adjusted. Enough slack and the adjuster arm will simply rest. If you went from zero tension and began adding tension to the cable the start and end point will begin to move equally and the adjuster arm would move right along with it. I'd say you and I are both right. I'd also say that the length of the cable and it's sheath will remain unchanged. I think we have it now.

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#33 ·
Chzeck - I went to bed and realized what I wrote was wrong. Adjusters do not affect start and end points of the cable. Adjusters affect only the amount the cable moves the clutch arm when the clutch lever is pulled to the grip. That is what affects free play in the lever. With free play in the lever, tension in the cable is virtually zero. When the lever is squeezed, tension in the cable increases and is a function of the springs in the clutch. So you are right. Adjusters do affect tension in the cable. Rick
 
#34 · (Edited)
It's all good. This brings us back to the comment made by @blackburn earlier.
just get it adjusted properly,
forget the principle and terminology and enjoy the rides.. [emoji482]
That's essentially why I kept it simple in post #2. I just hope the adjustment helps.

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#36 ·
Chzeck:

First of all, I am not your "bro"!!!

Secondly, I am not looking for praise or anything else.

Thirdly, it seems to me that you are the one who was upset by the remarks! If you read through the thread, I did not counter your first advice at all, just simply explained why it worked, without at all referencing anything about your suggestion or even arguing against it.

However I still think you are definitely wrong with this, "I might also mention you keep talking about making the cable housing and cable longer, which is wrong. If you measure the length of the cable and housing you'll see the lengths of those are both still the same no matter what adjustment is made."

To understand what is going on with the cable and why I explain it as I did, it may help if I explain it another way. The critical thing about ANY cable is the relational length between the inner cable, and the outer cable housing. Each cable is designed with the proper relational length between these two components as required by the application. In this case it is the clutch actuation. As the inner cable gets used over and over, it stretches, making that relational dimension change. They build the cables with that threaded portion (on the bottom built in, an on the top the slotted adjuster with threads) so that this relational dimension can be brought back to the desired measurement. So . . as the inner cable stretches, the outer housing has to be lengthened to compensate equally. This is achieved via the threaded portion. As you properly suggested, adjusting the lower cable end, one has to achieve this by moving the adjusting nuts lower on the cable - effectively achieving a point on the outer housing where it connects to the engine that is further down the cable and thus making it longer than before - bringing that relational dimension back to what is needed to achieve correct clutch action.

Again those adjusters do nothing more than effectively lengthen or shorted the outer portion of any cable. The lower adjuster is designed to make greater adjustments when needed, and the upper adjuster on the handlebar is designed to make more minute adjustments and is knurled so that it can be made "on the fly" while not needing to get off the bike.
 
#37 ·
Good gawd gentlemen no matter how much you beat dead horse it is still dead. While this tit for tat can be somewhat amusing it does get old.
We have been down this pot hole riddled road a few times before (oil anyone?). Semantics, context, POV, split hairs, whatever. While perhaps not everyone understands how the adjusters accomplish their said function, most understand how to make them work.
 
#38 ·
Agreed. I'll admit I didn't read his last response. I'm fairly sure I know where it was going. Most likely am overly elaborate explanation of the clutch cable action and some prickly retorts, I suppose. I'm into keeping it simple at this point. Make the adjustment and let us know how it goes. Good luck [emoji846]

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#39 · (Edited)
CZheck

I understand your response, and I DO agree with your first one about the adjustment.

When I do a response about nearly anything, I just try to include the reason, in other words WHY something should be done as well as to WHAT the something (adjustment, etc.) does when one does it.

I don't mean to step on toes or demean others or their responses.



Finally, just so you know, I AM a very humble person!! Not haughty at all.

You may have read my book, "The Two Most Humble People in The World, and How I Taught The Other One." ....

Just joking!

Joking aside, I really DO mean that I try NOT to offend anyone else or their opinions!
 
#41 · (Edited)
I chuckled a bit when I saw your attachment. It's so funny to me. Here's the edited version for your amusement.
 
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#44 ·
The effective "length" of the cable (primarily the outside) is measured from the top where it attaches to the holder, down to the bottom where it attaches to the casing. By adjusting the lower end nuts downward to take up the slack of the inner cable, you are changing the effective attachment location on the lower end - lowering it - effectively lengthening the distance from the top mounting point to the lower mounting point! Get it? Honda just provides a convenient way to do the lengthening adjustment by providing the bottom threaded portion on the end of the outer cable.
 
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