Rough shifting into 1st gear

cy685

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My 2018 ST with 11,000 miles (bought used a couple of months ago) has a fairly rough shift from neutral into 1st from a stop, feels as though the bike lurches forward a bit when shifted into 1st. Any similar experiences out there?
 
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Sierra1

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My 2018 ST with 11,000 miles (bought used a couple of months ago) has a fairly rough shift from neutral into 1st from a stop, feels as though the bike lurches forward a bit when shifted into 1st. Any similar experiences out there?
Time to lube the shift linkage. Mine did the same thing. . . . at about the same mileage. I'd seen posts about it, but didn't believe it. So, I initially sprayed some WD-40 on/into the pivot points. Started shifting normal again. So, I did a "real" clean & lube. Fixed the issue. Kinda pisses me off. I've never had to do this with any of my past bikes.
 

Squibb

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Could also be a touch of clutch drag. It maybe worth bleeding the clutch line.

You don't say whether you are running standard levers, or an aftermarket option.

If there is any air in the system it usually shows itself by the clutch take up point being closer to the bars than one might expect initially, then moving out slightly, say in heavy traffic, when the clutch is more active.
 

Sierra1

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Could also be a touch of clutch drag. It maybe worth bleeding the clutch line. . . .
You're right. That's why I started with a quick and easy spray of lube. I figured if it was the clutch, the lube wouldn't hurt, or effect it. It immediately cleared up. But, since you brought it up, that's another petty annoyance. Why such a small master cylinder? With no glass.
 

cy685

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Thanks guys. I tried using WD40 and it's still lurching forwarding from a stop when I shift from Neutral to 1st. Onto to the clutch now!
 

Sierra1

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I've been told by my tech, that A.M. levers can cause problems, and he stays away from them. On the other hand, there's plenty of guys here that haven't had an issue with theirs.
 

Longdog Cymru

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My bike has lurched going into first for the past 95,000 miles. Does it less so when I use a lighter oil instead of 20-50. It's when it doesn't want to go into the rest of the gears that I lube the shift lever.
I bought my 2017 model almost 3 years ago with 2000 miles on it. It has always given a little lurch when selecting 1st gear. Lubing the linkage has never made any difference. Mind you, I can’t really remember any bike that I’ve owned over the past 50 something years that haven’t had this “feature”.
 

Don T

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My 2018 ST with 11,000 miles (bought used a couple of months ago) has a fairly rough shift from neutral into 1st from a stop, feels as though the bike lurches forward a bit when shifted into 1st. Any similar experiences out there?
Have you tried using the clutch ;)
 

Tenman

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Hopefully your lurch will improve. Mine is a lot better now at 60k. I actually hadn’t even noticed until I saw this thread. It had a pretty good clunk new. If you can’t get used to it. I’d get a Barnett pressure plate. Never had one. But lots riders brag on em.
 

SeaBass

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Arlington, VA
My 2018 ST with 11,000 miles (bought used a couple of months ago) has a fairly rough shift from neutral into 1st from a stop, feels as though the bike lurches forward a bit when shifted into 1st. Any similar experiences out there?
The clutch disconnects the transmission form the engine, but does not slow down the transmission. If you were idling in neutral, the shaft was disconnected from the transmission, but the latter was still spinning the gears at ~1k rpm. If you pull in the clutch and immediately press down, the shaft will connect to the spinning transmission and give you the lurch. The more you wait before shifting down, the smallest the lurch will be.

Physics is a b***t :p :p
 

cy685

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Dec 5, 2020
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Oh yeah I just noticed it has a clutch and a shifter! I thought this thing was a Honda Super Tenere with a DCT! :).
I'm guessing this is just a feature I'll need to live with. I haven't seen it this pronounced in other bikes I've ridden, but not a huge deal unless it's a mechanical issue that needs fixing. Going to bleed the clutch to see if that helps and declare victory.
 
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