[appliance500]

By "purposeful" do you mean pressing it extra firmly up to 2nd compared to higher gear shifts? If so, is this normal then? There might be a possibility I'm not pressing it harder between 1 to 2, I may just be tapping it as light as I do with other gears which work fine.

It's at the dealer now so hopefully they'll notice it during testing. It could just be me...

No extra force - It's a longer distance and you just have to be more concise with the shift. The other gears i can grab with the side of my boot and have never missed.

 

[appliance500]

Just quoting as the Honda guy said it. He was pointing at the bottom of the engine, on the shifter side, but talking about the inside of the engine (not the shifter itself). It's an internal part. I asked was anything else changed, he said just the bolt to go with it (for this he pointed to the other side of the engine - the footbrake side).

If I Google "gear change shaft" I see rods like this. Don't know if this is what he meant though.

Thanks - keep us posted on the results after a few rides. Much appreciated

 

[appliance500]

Just got the bike back from Honda and they have replaced the "gear change shaft". I don't think its a common issue or a fault, just what they thought would help to smooth things out and it was done for free under warranty. Maybe only a few of these bikes have a bit of a sticky neutral.

Now when shifting from 1 to 2, I don't feel neutral at all. It's straight from 1 to 2 now, nice and smooth.

Could you be more specific - Is the "gear change shaft" an internal or external part - what does it do? Is that the honda term?

Usually when a tranny jumps out of gear (on a car) it's worn synchros.

 

[appliance500]

If what he says is accurate then it has nothing to do with the clutch cable, no matter how screwed up the cable is your bike should NEVER drop down a gear by itself.

This hasn't happened to me but I've found that the shift between 1st and second has to be purposeful or you end up in neutral - maybe the OP isn't getting it cleanly in gear.