Shift lever not resetting after a downshift

[mhodge]

So, strange issue.

I've had this bike for a few months now, been doing small repairs to it as I go... But today, I got a new problem.

About 75% of the time when I shift down, my clutch lever sticks in the down position. I can tap up on the lever and it resets to the middle position, and when I shift up the lever correctly resets to the middle position.
I actually have the bike apart right now, I was installing the designer spring package so I went ahead and removed the crankcase cover as well as the clutch cover, and the gear shift lever cover as well, but I don't immediately see anything. I tried cleaning the shifter linkage, and briefly inspected the gears and such inside the shifter mechanism, but nothing immediately pops out at me.

Has anyone run into this before, maybe there's something simple and dumb that I'm missing? This bike is still relatively new to me, PLUS it's my first ever motorcycle so I'm always looking for any help I can get [emoji2]

And just to restate, the motorcycle shifts normally other than the lever not resetting properly after downshifting, and I've never missed a gear, dropped it on the lever, or anything else as long as I've owned it, but I can't know it's history... It has a few dings here and there on it, and I did feel like there's a hairline crack behind the shifter linkage on the crankcase cover, but I can't be sure. Might just be my paranoia, haha.

Here's a picture of the inside of the shifter mechanism.



Thanks!

[Blaine]

Are you sure the shift lever just didn't need a clean & lubing????.....They cat get sticky on the shaft if not lubed.

[Travlin]

I have not specifically had this issue but I have noticed across the 30 years I have owned my bike some things about the shifting. One Blaine hit on, it can feel sluggish if the shaft is not lubed. I have used some spray silicone on it to smooth things up.

At the same time the 2 rod ends on the linkage can make the shifting "sticky", pull the rubber boots back and lube them up as well.

Disclaimer: This is not to start and "oil war" as we have all enjoyed but an observation I have had.
I ran several oil changes with Rotella T and found that around 1500 mile on it the gearbox was very harsh when I shifted. I switched back to Mobil 4T and it shifts smooth as silk up to the next change. Just sayin.

Give it a good lubing on the shaft and the rod ends and things will probably be much better.

[Herb]

I have not specifically had this issue but I have noticed across the 30 years I have owned my bike some things about the shifting. One Blaine hit on, it can feel sluggish if the shaft is not lubed. I have used some spray silicone on it to smooth things up.

At the same time the 2 rod ends on the linkage can make the shifting "sticky", pull the rubber boots back and lube them up as well.

Disclaimer: This is not to start and "oil war" as we have all enjoyed but an observation I have had.
I ran several oil changes with Rotella T and found that around 1500 mile on it the gearbox was very harsh when I shifted. I switched back to Mobil 4T and it shifts smooth as silk up to the next change. Just sayin.

Give it a good lubing on the shaft and the rod ends and things will probably be much better.

Mine will do that if I don't lube the pivot shaft, that the lever rides on, on a regular basis. I use PB Blaster on it every time I change the oil, or sooner if the shifter starts sticking.

BTW, it ALWAYS starts sticking on the downshift first.

[Glen3]

Ya have to lube both ends of the shift linkage. I carry a small can of WD40 just for that reason.

[mhodge]

Alright, thanks guy. I'll try lubing everything and put it all back together. Hopefully it's as simple as that...

[Rick]

In case the lube does not completely fix it - part #36 in this image is the part that's responsible for how much spring tension there is at your toe. If that spring gets weak your foot pedal becomes soft - like you describe. Replace it with one with more spring tension and it makes your lever feel more firm. I'm not sure if your is becoming soft but for $3.00 you can change it out and see. You are looking at it right there in the image above - it goes on the shift shaft. This engine is cool because in a lot if engines that part is on the other side of the engine, under the clutch hub. Making it much more difficult to change out. This design makes it super simple to swap.

[Herb]

Ya have to lube both ends of the shift linkage. I carry a small can of WD40 just for that reason.

WD-40 is great for cleaning but it doesn't leave a lube on the parts. Use a spray with silicone in it, like PB Blaster, for final lube.

[Vs1400]

I have an opposite problem with my 04, it's when I go from 4th to 5th sometimes if I do t shift hard enough it's like it pops into neutral. It's a reoccurring thing. I have not the slightest clue could cause this as there is only one neutral position.

[Spacecoast]

I find on some rare occasions that when I up-shift to third I can get a slight momentary "hang-up". What I mean by that is that I have to continue to apply upward pressure on the shifter as I begin to let out the clutch until I feel full third-gear engagement. It doesn't happen very often, it has never slipped into a false neutral, and has never dropped out of the gear. No issue up-shifting or down-shifting except for the rare above occurrence. I would imagine this is an issue of gear dogs not wanting to come together without some added pressure, relative to a particular arrangement.

The OP's issue sounds more like an issue of spring return power.

[mhodge]

I went ahead and cleaned everything real good, and lubricated all the pivot points and inspected the spring. Put everything back together... and so far, knock on wood, I'm not having any issues. Designer's new clutch springs really pepped up the bike, and I went ahead and changed the position of the shifter lever to be more comfortable. All in all, everything's working for now.

Thanks for the help guys, at least I know if it starts sticking again either I need more oil or need to look into replacing that return spring.

Also on a different note, found some 5/16th's fuel line at Autozone that is really flexible, it worked great to turn the pesky bends under the fueltank... Now just to figure out why the reserve line doesn't work, I think the inlet might be clogged in the fuel selector.

[Prodigal_Sun]

I went ahead and cleaned everything real good, and lubricated all the pivot points and inspected the spring. Put everything back together... and so far, knock on wood, I'm not having any issues. Designer's new clutch springs really pepped up the bike, and I went ahead and changed the position of the shifter lever to be more comfortable. All in all, everything's working for now.

Thanks for the help guys, at least I know if it starts sticking again either I need more oil or need to look into replacing that return spring.

Also on a different note, found some 5/16th's fuel line at Autozone that is really flexible, it worked great to turn the pesky bends under the fueltank... Now just to figure out why the reserve line doesn't work, I think the inlet might be clogged in the fuel selector.

I've had the same problem with mine. Usually worse when it get reply hot out, or I've run it in 5th gear for an extended period of time. Lubing helps for a while. I use a white lithium spray grease. Its meant for metal on metal (brake) parts. I also found that adjusting the linkage to take the slack out helped.

Mostly I've just gotten in the habit of hooking my toe under it and lifting it back up after shifting. Thinking about putting a heel toe shifter on